Compare United Arab Emirates (2007) - British Virgin Islands (2006)

Compare United Arab Emirates (2007) z British Virgin Islands (2006)

	United Arab Emirates (2007)	British Virgin Islands (2006)

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 (Quwayn)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Age structure	0-14 years: 20.6% (male 467,931/female 447,045) 15-64 years: 78.5% (male 2,558,029/female 932,617) 65 years and over: 0.9% (male 24,914/female 13,475) note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 20.5% (male 2,403/female 2,331) 15-64 years: 74.3% (male 8,811/female 8,340) 65 years and over: 5.3% (male 636/female 577) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish	fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports	39 (2007)	3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 22 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2007)	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 17 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 5 (2007)	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 153 sq km land: 153 sq km water: 0 sq km note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Maine	about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	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.	First inhabited by Arawak and later by Carib Indians, the Virgin Islands were settled by the Dutch in 1648 and then annexed by the English in 1672. The islands were part of the British colony of the Leeward Islands from 1872-1960; they were granted autonomy in 1967. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate	16.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	14.89 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $54.64 billion expenditures: $34.91 billion (2006 est.)	revenues: $204.7 million expenditures: $180.4 million; including capital expenditures of $33.8 million (1997)
Capital	name: Abu Dhabi geographic coordinates: 24 28 N, 54 22 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	name: Road Town geographic coordinates: 18 27 N, 64 37 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	desert; cooler in eastern mountains	subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline	1,318 km	80 km
Constitution	2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996	1 June 1977, amended in 2000
Country name	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	conventional long form: none conventional short form: British Virgin Islands abbreviation: BVI
Death rate	2.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$38.31 billion (2006 est.)	$36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Michele J. 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) 414-2603 consulate(s) general: Dubai	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Saqr Ghobash Said GHOBASH chancery: 3522 International Court NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 243-2400 FAX: [1] (202) 243-2432 consulate(s): New York, Houston	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	boundary agreement was signed and ratified with Oman in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves, but contents of the agreement and detailed maps showing the alignment have not been published; Iran and UAE dispute Tunb Islands and Abu Musa Island, which Iran occupies	none
Economic aid - donor	since its founding in 1971, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development has given about $5.2 billion in aid to 56 countries (2004)	-
Economic aid - recipient	-	$NA
Economy - overview	The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income and a sizable annual trade surplus. Despite largely successful efforts at economic diversification, about 30% of GDP is still directly based on oil and gas output, and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, 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. The government has increased spending on job creation and infrastructure expansion and is opening up its utilities to greater private sector involvement. In April 2004, the UAE signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with Washington and in November 2004 agreed to undertake negotiations toward a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US. Higher oil revenue, strong liquidity, and cheap credit in 2005-06 led to a surge in asset prices (shares and real estate) and consumer inflation. Rising prices are increasing the operating costs for businesses in the UAE and degrading the UAE's allure to foreign investors. Dependence on a large expatriate workforce and oil are significant long-term challenges to the UAE's economy.	The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, made the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the US dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption	52.62 billion kWh (2005)	32.13 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	57.06 billion kWh (2005)	34.55 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues	lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills	limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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)	black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates	Emirati dirhams per US dollar - 3.673 (2006), 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004), 3.6725 (2003), 3.6725 (2002) note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002	the US dollar is used
Executive branch	chief of state: President KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 3 November 2004), ruler of Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi) (since 4 November 2004); Vice President and Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006) head of government: Prime Minister and Vice President MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum (since 5 January 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers SULTAN bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan (since 20 November 1990) and 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 for five-year terms (no term limits); 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 in 2009); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: KHALIFA bin Zayid al-Nuhayyan elected president by a unanimous vote of the FSC; MUHAMMAD bin Rashid al-Maktum unanimously affirmed vice president after the 2006 death of his brother Sheikh Maktum bin Rashid al-Maktum	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor David PEAREY (since 18 April 2006) head of government: Chief Minister Dr. Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor
Exports	2.54 million bbl/day (2004 est.)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates	rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners	Japan 25.8%, South Korea 9.6%, Thailand 5.9%, India 4.5% (2006)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 April - 31 March
Flag description	three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a wider vertical red band on the hoist side	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 2% industry: 62.7% services: 35.2% (2006 est.)	agriculture: 1.8% industry: 6.2% services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	8.9% (2006 est.)	1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 00 N, 54 00 E	18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note	strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil	strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Heliports	5 (2007)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	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, but informal banking remains unregulated	transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports	137,200 bbl/day (2004)	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food	building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners	US 11.5%, China 11%, India 9.9%, Germany 6.2%, Japan 5.8%, UK 5.6%, France 4.1%, Italy 4% (2006)	Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US (2004)
Independence	2 December 1971 (from UK)	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate	4% (2000)	NA%
Industries	petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizers, commercial ship repair, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, textiles	tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate	total: 13.52 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.77 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 16.72 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.5 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	13.5% (2006 est.)	2% (2005)
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, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land	760 sq km (2003)	NA
Judicial branch	Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president)	Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force	2.968 million (2006 est.)	12,770 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 7% industry: 15% services: 78% (2000 est.)	agriculture: 0.6% industry: 40% services: 59.4%
Land boundaries	total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005)	arable land: 20% permanent crops: 6.67% other: 73.33% (2005)
Languages	Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu	English (official)
Legal system	based on a dual system of Shari'a and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	English law
Legislative branch	unicameral Federal National Council (FNC) or Majlis al-Ittihad al-Watani (40 seats; 20 members appointed by the rulers of the constituent states, 20 members elected to serve two-year terms) elections: elections for one half of the FNC (the other half remains appointed) held in the UAE on 18-20 December 2006; the new electoral college - a body of 6,689 Emiratis (including 1,189 women) appointed by the rulers of the seven emirates - were the only eligible voters and candidates; 456 candidates including 65 women ran for 20 contested FNC seats; one female from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi won a seat note: reviews legislation but cannot change or veto	unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, 1 member from each of nine electoral districts, 4 at-large members; members serve four-year terms) elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 75.69 years male: 73.16 years female: 78.35 years (2007 est.)	total population: 76.68 years male: 75.56 years female: 77.84 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 77.9% male: 76.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 97.8% (1991 est.) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia	Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references	Middle East	Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims	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	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 60 ships (1000 GRT or over) 617,519 GRT/858,519 DWT by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 10, chemical tanker 5, container 6, liquefied gas 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 25, roll on/roll off 5, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 11 (Greece 3, Kuwait 8) registered in other countries: 281 (Bahamas 20, Belize 4, Cambodia 2, Comoros 5, Cyprus 10, Georgia 1, Gibraltar 2, Hong Kong 1, India 2, Iran 1, Jordan 15, North Korea 4, Liberia 22, Malta 10, Marshall Islands 14, Mexico 1, Mongolia 5, Norway 1, Panama 108, Philippines 1, Saudi Arabia 1, Sierra Leone 7, Singapore 8, Somalia 1, St Kitts and Nevis 22, St Vincent and The Grenadines 12, Turkey 1, unknown 5) (2007)	registered in other countries: 1 (North Korea 1) (2006)
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches	Army, Navy (includes Marines and Coast Guard), Air and Air Defense Force, paramilitary forces (includes Federal Police Force)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3.1% (2005 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 2 December (1971)	Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality	noun: Emirati(s) adjective: Emirati	noun: British Virgin Islander(s) adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards	frequent sand and dust storms	hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas	NEGL
Net migration rate	26.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	9.22 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	condensate 520 km; gas 2,580 km; liquid petroleum gas 300 km; oil 2,950 km; oil/gas/water 5 km; refined products 156 km (2006)	-
Political parties and leaders	none	Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	4,444,011 note: estimate is based on the results of the 2005 census that included a significantly higher estimate of net inmigration of non-citizens than previous estimates (July 2007 est.)	23,098 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	19.5% (2003)	NA%
Population growth rate	3.997% (2007 est.)	1.97% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (2004)
Religions	Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%	Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.047 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.743 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.849 male(s)/female total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	none	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	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	general assessment: worldwide telephone service domestic: NA international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use	1.31 million (2006)	11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	5.519 million (2006)	8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	15 (2004)	1 (plus one cable company) (1997)
Terrain	flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east	coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate	2.43 children born/woman (2007 est.)	1.72 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	2.4% (2001)	3.6% (1997)

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