United Arab Emirates (2007) | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2005) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
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; also claimed by Argentina) |
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: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry, eggs, dairy products; fish | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
Airports | 39 (2007) | 5 (2004 est.) |
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
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
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: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 83,600 sq km
land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maine | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
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. | Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. |
Birth rate | 16.09 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $54.64 billion
expenditures: $34.91 billion (2006 est.) |
revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million, including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
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) |
Stanley |
Climate | desert; cooler in eastern mountains | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
Coastline | 1,318 km | 1,288 km |
Constitution | 2 December 1971; made permanent in 1996 | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
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: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
Death rate | 2.16 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $38.31 billion (2006 est.) | $NA |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
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; also claimed by Argentina) |
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; also claimed by Argentina) |
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 | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied the islands by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks |
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 | - | $0 (1997 est.) |
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 was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falklands exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost. |
Electricity - consumption | 52.62 billion kWh (2005) | 17.72 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 57.06 billion kWh (2005) | 19.06 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills | overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster |
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) |
British |
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 |
Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001), 0.6609 (2000)
note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
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)
head of government: Governor Howard PEARCE (since 3 December 2002); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since NA March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch |
Exports | 2.54 million bbl/day (2004 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | crude oil 45%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates | wool, hides, meat |
Exports - partners | Japan 25.8%, South Korea 9.6%, Thailand 5.9%, India 4.5% (2006) | Spain 77.4%, UK 9.4%, US 4.9% (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 Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 2%
industry: 62.7% services: 35.2% (2006 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $25,000 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8.9% (2006 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 24 00 N, 54 00 E | 51 45 S, 59 00 W |
Geography - note | strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
Heliports | 5 (2007) | - |
Highways | - | total: 440 km
paved: 50 km unpaved: 390 km (2002) |
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 | - |
Imports | 137,200 bbl/day (2004) | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, chemicals, food | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing |
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) | UK 63.2%, Spain 30.3%, France 3.6% (2004) |
Independence | 2 December 1971 (from UK) | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
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 | fish and wool processing; tourism |
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: NA
male: NA female: NA (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 13.5% (2006 est.) | 3.6% (1998) |
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 | ICFTU, UPU |
Irrigated land | 760 sq km (2003) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Union Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president) | Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
Labor force | 2.968 million (2006 est.) | 1,100 (est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 7%
industry: 15% services: 78% (2000 est.) |
agriculture 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing) |
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: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu | English |
Legal system | based on a dual system of Shari'a and civil courts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | English common 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 (10 seats - 2 ex officio, 8 elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor
elections: last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held November 2005) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 8; note - 71% voter turnout |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 75.69 years
male: 73.16 years female: 78.35 years (2007 est.) |
total population: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 77.9% male: 76.1% female: 81.7% (2003 est.) |
- |
Location | Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
Map references | Middle East | South America |
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: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 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) |
none |
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) | no regular military forces |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 3.1% (2005 est.) | NA |
National holiday | Independence Day, 2 December (1971) | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
Nationality | noun: Emirati(s)
adjective: Emirati |
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
Natural hazards | frequent sand and dust storms | strong winds persist throughout the year |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss |
Net migration rate | 26.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 | none; all independents |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
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.) |
2,967 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 19.5% (2003) | NA |
Population growth rate | 3.997% (2007 est.) | 2.44% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Stanley |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 13, FM 8, shortwave 2 (2004) | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4% | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
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.) |
- |
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: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
Telephones - main lines in use | 1.31 million (2006) | 2,400 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 5.519 million (2006) | 0 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 15 (2004) | 2 (operated by the British Forces Broadcasting Service)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2002) |
Terrain | flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
Total fertility rate | 2.43 children born/woman (2007 est.) | NA children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.4% (2001) | full employment; labor shortage (2001) |