UAE
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Geography
Area 77,700 sq.km of desert and mountains on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain and Fujairah.
| Year | Population | Ann.Gr. | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2,441,436 | +2.01% | 31 per sq. km. |
| 2010 | 2,851,247 | +1.46% | 37 per sq. km. |
| 2025 | 3,283,949 | +0.71% | 42 per sq. km. |
Capital Abu Dhabi 398,695. Other major city: Dubai 669,181. Urbanites 84%.
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Peoples
All figures are estimates. The massive presence of expatriate workers – often illegal – makes accurate figures difficult to obtain. Arab 32%. Emirati 18%. Other Arab 14%. Egyptians, Jordanians, Palestinians, Yemenis. South Asian 59%. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan. Other 9%. Filipino, Iranian, European, East Asian. Literacy 79.2%. Official language Arabic. All indigneous languages 8. Languages with Scripture 4Bi 1por 1w.i.p.
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Economy
Breathtaking advance from poverty to fabulous wealth in one generation. Massive development and diversification schemes funded by oil wealth have boosted tourism, trade and finance. Abu Dhabi has enormous oil reserves. Dubai’s are much smaller. The other 5 emirates have little or no oil. Dubai is an important commercial, information technology and industrial centre. The UAE’s great economic dilemma is its complete dependence on cheap foreign labor. HDI 0.812; 43rd/174. Income/person $18,290 (61% of USA).
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Politics
The British-protected Trucial States became an independent confederation of monarchies in 1971. No political parties or elections are permitted. The Emir of Abu Dhabi is President of the Supreme Council which rules the country.
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Religion
Islam is the religion of state, with a Sunni majority and a small Shi’a minority. There is freedom to worship and witness within the expatriate communities, but no outreach to the indigenous population is officially permitted. Limited non-Muslim religious expression is permitted. Religious figures are estimates. Persecution index 36th in world.
| Religions | Population % | Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 65.45 | 1,597,920 |
| Hindu | 17.00 | 415,044 |
| Christian | 9.25 | 225,833 |
| Buddhist | 4.00 | 97,657 |
| Other | 2.50 | 61,036 |
| non-Religious | 1.30 | 31,739 |
| Baha’i | 0.50 | 12,207 |
| Christians | Denom. | Affil.% | ,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant | 28 | 0.50 | 12 |
| Independent | 6 | 0.08 | 2 |
| Anglican | 1 | 0.36 | 9 |
| Catholic | 1 | 5.32 | 130 |
| Orthodox | 7 | 2.99 | 73 |
| Churches | Cong. | Members | Affiliates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 7 | 90,909 | 130,000 |
| Orthodox groups [6] | 7 | 13,400 | 67,000 |
| Protestant groups [28] | 47 | 5,111 | 12,200 |
| Anglican | 9 | 2,613 | 8,700 |
| Armenian Apostolic | 2 | 3,593 | 6,000 |
| Independent groups [6] | 6 | 945 | 1,890 |
| Total Christians [43] | 78 | 116,600 | 225,800 |
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Internet Links
- CIA World Factbook (http://www.cia.gov/) - Country profile, with only very brief information on religion or society. Brief, largely statistical information on geography, people, government, economy, and more.
- World Skip - United Arab Emirates (http://www.worldskip.com/region.asp?PartnerID=&RegionID=ae) - News, information, products and services from every nation on earth.
- UAE Pages (www.uae.org.ae) - Web guide with emphasis on business and tourism.
- UAE Forever (www.uaeforever.com) - An extensive, eclectic Web guide, by an individual.