Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) - United Arab Emirates (2004)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2002) z United Arab Emirates (2004)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2002)	United Arab Emirates (2004)

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: 25.9% (male 333,661; female 320,368) 15-64 years: 70.9% (male 1,103,385; female 685,281) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 58,862; female 22,358) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish
Airports	1 (2001)	35 (2003 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: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 13 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 4 (2004 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 United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were joined in 1972 by Ra's al Khaymah. The UAE's per capita GDP is on par with those of leading West European nations. Its generosity with oil revenues and its moderate foreign policy stance have allowed the UAE to play a vital role in the affairs of the region.
Birth rate	-	18.65 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $17.35 billion expenditures: $23.85 billion, including capital expenditures of $3.4 billion (2003 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	-	4.14 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	-	$20.71 billion (2003 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 Michele SISON embassy: Embassies District, Plot 38 Sector W59-02, Street No. 4, Abu Dhabi mailing address: P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi telephone: [971] (2) 414-2200 FAX: [971] (2) 414-2469 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: 3522 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400 FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432 note: also a consulate or representative office in New York, NY
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	because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with Saudi Arabia is still unknown and labeled approximate; boundary agreement signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves; UAE engage in direct talks and solicit Arab League support to resolve disputes over Iran's occupation of Lesser and Greater Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island
Economic aid - donor	-	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. 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	35.1 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	37.74 billion kWh (2001)
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 compensated 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 - 3.67 (2003), 3.6725 (2002), 3.6725 (2001), 3.6725 (2000), 3.6725 (1999)
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 Sheikh KHALIFA bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004) 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); Deputy Prime Minister HAMDAN bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan (since 20 October 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president note: there is also a Federal Supreme Council (FSC) composed of the seven emirate rulers; the FSC is the highest constitutional authority in the UAE; establishes general policies and sanctions federal legislation; meets four times a year; Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) and Dubayy (Dubai) rulers have effective veto power elections: president and vice president elected by the FSC (composed of rulers of the seven emirates) for five-year terms; election last held 3 November 2004 upon the death of the UAE's Founding Father and first President ZAYID bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan (next to be held 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: KHALIFA bin Sultan Al Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MAKTUM bin Rashid al-Maktum unanimously reaffirmed vice president
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
Exports - partners	-	Japan 26.2%, South Korea 10.5%, Iran 3.8% (2003)
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 wider vertical red band on the hoist side
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $57.7 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 4% industry: 58.5% services: 37.5% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	5.2% (2003 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 (2003 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: 1,088 km paved: 1,088 km (including 253 km of expressways) unpaved: 0 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Illicit drugs	-	the UAE is a drug transshipment point for traffickers given its proximity to southwest Asian drug producing countries; the UAE's position as a major financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering; anti-money-laundering controls improving
Imports	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food
Imports - partners	-	China 10%, Japan 7.2%, Germany 7.2%, US 7%, France 6.9%, UK 5.9%, Italy 4.4%, South Korea 4.4%, India 4.1% (2003)
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	-	total: 15.06 deaths/1,000 live births male: 17.71 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	3.2% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	-	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	720 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	-	Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)
Labor force	-	2.16 million note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 7%, industry 15%, services 78% (2000 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: 0.6% permanent crops: 2.25% other: 97.15% (2001)
Languages	-	Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	federal court system introduced in 1971; applies to all emirates except Dubayy (Dubai) and Ra's al Khaymah, which are not fully integrated into the federal system; all emirates have secular courts to adjudicate criminal, civil, and commercial matters and Islamic courts to review family and religious disputes
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) 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: 74.99 years male: 72.51 years female: 77.6 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 77.9% male: 76.1% female: 81.7% (2003 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	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	-	total: 59 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 578,477 GRT/739,823 DWT by type: cargo 12, chemical tanker 5, container 7, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 21, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea/passenger 4, specialized tanker 1 (2004 est.)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	-
Military branches	-	Army, Navy (including Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense Force, paramilitary forces (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: 764,413 note: includes non-nationals (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 412,490 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 29,183 (2004 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	-	1.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	-	condensate 469 km; gas 2,655 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,936 km; oil/gas/water 5 km (2004)
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.)	2,523,915 note: includes an estimated 1,606,079 non-nationals; the 17 December 1995 census presents a total population figure of 2,377,453, and there are estimates of 3.44 million for 2002 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA
Population growth rate	-	1.57% (2004 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 8, shortwave 2 (2004)
Radios	NA	-
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: 1.61 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.63 male(s)/female total population: 1.46 male(s)/female (2004 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 fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubai domestic: microwave radio relay, fiber optic and coaxial cable international: country code - 971; 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	1,135,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	2,972,300 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	15 (2004)
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	-	3.02 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	2.4% (2001)
Waterways	none	-

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