United Arab Emirates

I

Introduction

United Arab Emirates (UAE), federation of seven independent states located in the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, part of the Middle East region. Once known as the Trucial States, the UAE became an independent country in 1971.

Each emirate (small state ruled by a hereditary chief called an emir) is centered on a coastal settlement and named for that settlement. The seven member emirates are Abu Dhabi (also known as Abū Zaby), ‘Ajmān, Dubai, Al Fujayrah, Ra’s al Khaymah, Ash Shāriqah, and Umm al Qaywayn. The city of Abu Dhabi is the federal capital, and Dubai is the largest city in the country.

The UAE is a desert country about the size of South Carolina. The nation is bordered by the Persian Gulf to the north, Saudi Arabia to the south and west, and Oman and the Gulf of Oman to the east.

Before the discovery of petroleum in the 1950s, the UAE was a group of largely undeveloped states under the protection of the British government. The oil industry brought rapid growth and modernization to the area, which helped the emirates break away from the control of the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. The bulk of the country’s oil is found in Abu Dhabi, making it the wealthiest and most powerful of the seven emirates. With a stable economy buoyed by the oil industry, the UAE boasts one of the highest standards of living in the world.

---

---

II

Land and Resources

The UAE is roughly crescent-shaped, extending for about 420 km (about 260 mi) from north to south and, at its widest, for about 480 km (about 300 mi) from east to west. The total land area, including its islands, is 77,700 sq km (30,000 sq mi). The country has a coastline, broken by inlets and dotted with islands and coral reefs, that extends 1,318 km (819 mi) along the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

Much of the UAE’s international border, running through empty desert, is undefined or disputed, and some minor border issues between the emirates are still unresolved. Most of the country is uninhabited desert, with a flat coastal plain consisting mostly of tidal salt flats. The land slopes down from the Al Ḩajar al Gharbī mountain range in the northeastern extremity of the country to an elevated desert plateau. The plateau slopes gently northward to the coast and westward to the Sabkhat Maţţī, a huge, sterile salt flat spreading into Saudi Arabia. The UAE’s highest point, at 1,527 m (5,010 ft), is Jabal Yibir. Some natural vegetation grows on parts of the plateau, sustained by rainfall runoff from the mountains.

A

Climate

Except in the mountains, the climate of the UAE is very hot and humid during the summer, with interior temperatures reaching 49°C (120°F). In winter, however, temperatures are relatively cool, ranging between 20° and 35°C (68° and 95° F). Rainfall is infrequent and scant and is largely confined to the mountains, where sudden storms can cause great damage and interrupt communications. The annual rainfall varies from an average of 43 mm (1.7 in) in Abu Dhabi to 130 mm (5.1 in) in Ra’s al Khaymah, with great variations from year to year. Sandstorms occur frequently and are associated with both the shimal, a powerful wind from the north or west, and the hot khamsin, coming from the south in summer.

B

Water Sources

There are no rivers or lakes in the UAE, but underground water deposits are found at several desert oases, including Al ‘Ayn and Līwā. Wells tap these natural aquifers (underground layers of earth or stone that hold water) to irrigate crops and provide drinking water. Some processed wastewater is also used for irrigation.

Along the flat Persian Gulf coast there are few wells—past pumping from the water table has greatly lowered it, rendering the water salty—and there are almost no cultivated areas west of the palm groves of Abu Dhabi. Ocean desalination plants, which convert saltwater to fresh water, are a main source of water for drinking, agricultural, and industrial needs in these areas.

	More from Encarta
	•  Important Notice: MSN Encarta to be discontinued. Learn more. •  Presidential Myths Quiz •  Coffee break: Recharge your brain