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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - United Arab Emirates (2001)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z United Arab Emirates (2001)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)United Arab Emirates (2001)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryUnited Arab Emirates
Administrative divisions - 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah), Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn
Age structure - 0-14 years:
28.86% (male 354,298; female 340,498)

15-64 years:
68.74% (male 1,047,839; female 607,020)

65 years and over:
2.4% (male 40,626; female 17,179) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Airports 1 (2001) 40 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2002)
total:
22

over 3,047 m:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
3

under 914 m:
4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
18

over 3,047 m:
1

2,438 to 3,047 m:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
9

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total: 60 sq km


land: 60 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago
total:
82,880 sq km

land:
82,880 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly smaller than Maine
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order which had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th century treaties. In 1971, six of these states - Abu Zaby, 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, and Umm al Qaywayn - merged to form the UAE. They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is not far below those of the leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed it to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
Birth rate - 18.11 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget - revenues:
$6.5 billion

expenditures:
$7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital - Abu Dhabi
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds desert; cooler in eastern mountains
Coastline 698 km 1,318 km
Constitution - 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form:
United Arab Emirates

conventional short form:
none

local long form:
Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah

local short form:
none

former:
Trucial Oman, Trucial States

abbreviation:
UAE
Currency - Emirati dirham (AED)
Death rate - 3.79 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $12.6 billion (2000 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Theodore H. KATTOUF

embassy:
Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi

mailing address:
P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi; American Embassy Abu Dhabi, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6010 (pouch); note - work week is Saturday through Wednesday

telephone:
[971] (2) 4436691

FAX:
[971] (2) 4435441

consulate(s) general:
Dubai
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission:
Ambassador Asri Said Ahmad al-DHAHIRI

chancery:
Suite 700, 1255 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone:
[1] (202) 955-7999
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; repatriation is complicated by the US military lease of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the chain location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final, de facto boundary reflects 1974 agreement; boundary with Oman has not been bilaterally defined; northern section in the Musandam Peninsula is an administrative boundary; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran: Lesser Tunb (called Tunb as Sughra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek in Persian by Iran) and Greater Tunb (called Tunb al Kubra in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg in Persian by Iran); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (called Abu Musa in Arabic by UAE and Jazireh-ye Abu Musa in Persian by Iran) - over which Iran has taken steps to exert unilateral control since 1992, including access restrictions and a military build-up on the island; the UAE has garnered significant diplomatic support in the region in protesting these Iranian actions
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Its wealth is based on oil and gas output (about 33% of GDP), and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, oil and gas reserves should last for more than 100 years. Despite higher oil revenues in 1999-2000, the government has not drawn back from the economic reforms implemented during the 1998 oil price depression. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private-sector involvement.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 34.131 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military 36.7 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m

highest point:
Jabal Yibir 1,527 m
Environment - current issues NA lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups - Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% (1982)

note:
less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)
Exchange rates - Emirati dirhams per US dollar - central bank mid-point rate: 3.6725 (since 1998); 3.6711 (1997), 3.6710 (1995-96)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Alan HUCKLE (since 2001); Administrator Louise SAVILL (since NA); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state:
President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 6 August 1966) and Vice President MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai)

head of government:
Prime Minister MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy (Dubai); Deputy Prime Minister SULTAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers appointed by the president

note:
there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) which is composed of the seven emirate rulers; the council is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation, Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power; meets four times a year

elections:
president and vice president elected by the FSC (a group of seven electors) for five-year terms; election last held NA October 1996 (next to be held NA October 2001); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan reelected president; percent of FSC vote - NA, but believed to be unanimous; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum elected vice president; percent of FSC vote - NA%, but believed to be unanimous
Exports - $46 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities - crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners - Japan 30%, India 7%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 4%, Oman, Iran (1999)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side
GDP - purchasing power parity - $54 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
3%

industry:
52%

services:
45% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $22,800 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E 24 00 N, 54 00 E
Geography - note archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports - 2 (2000 est.)
Highways total: NA km


paved: short stretch of paved road of NA km between port and airfield on Diego Garcia


unpaved: NA km
total:
4,835 km

paved:
4,835 km

unpaved:
0 km (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - growing role as heroin transshipment and money-laundering center due to its proximity to southwest Asian producing countries and the bustling free trade zone in Dubai
Imports - $34 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities - machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners - Japan 9%, US 8%, UK 8%, Italy 6%, Germany, South Korea (1999)
Independence - 2 December 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate - 4% (2000)
Industries - petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling
Infant mortality rate - 16.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 4.5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 50 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force - 1.4 million (1998 est.)

note:
75% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation - services 60%, industry 32%, agriculture 8% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total:
867 km

border countries:
Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km
Land use arable land: NEGL


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
2%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
98% (1993 est.)
Languages - Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply federal court system introduced in 1971; all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts
Legislative branch - unicameral Federal National Council or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states to serve two-year terms)

elections:
none

note:
reviews legislation, but cannot change or veto
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
74.29 years

male:
71.84 years

female:
76.86 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
79.2%

male:
78.9%

female:
79.8% (1995 est.)
Location Southern Asia, archipelago in the Indian Ocean, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Map references Political Map of the World Middle East
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 3 NM
contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - total:
70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,094,256 GRT/1,421,333 DWT

ships by type:
cargo 16, chemical tanker 3, container 17, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, paramilitary (includes Federal Police Force)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $1.6 billion (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 3.1% (FY00)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
778,842

note:
includes non-nationals (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
420,484 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 18 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
25,482 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 2 December (1971)
Nationality - noun:
Emirati(s)

adjective:
Emirati
Natural hazards NA frequent sand and dust storms
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane petroleum, natural gas
Net migration rate - 1.61 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 830 km; natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles around the time of the construction of UK-US military facilities; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2002 est.)
2,407,460

note:
includes 1,576,472 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Population growth rate - 1.59% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Diego Garcia 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Das Island, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal 'Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid, Umm al Qaywayn
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 13, FM 7, shortwave 2 (1998)
Radios NA 820,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%
Sex ratio - at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.73 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
2.36 male(s)/female

total population:
1.5 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage - none
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment:
modern system consisting of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai

domestic:
microwave radio relay and coaxial cable

international:
satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia
Telephones - main lines in use NA 915,223 (1998)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 1 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 15 (1997)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation) flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east
Total fertility rate - 3.23 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways none none
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