Form of government: federation of seven emirates with one appointive advisory body (Federal National Council [40 {1}]).
Chief of state: President.
Head of government: Prime Minister.
Capital: Abu Dhabi.
Official language: Arabic.
Official religion: Islam.
Monetary unit: 1 U.A.E. dirham (Dh)=100 fils; valuation
(Oct. 6, 1995) 1 U.S.$=Dh 3.67; 1 
=Dh 5.81.
Population (1995): 2,195,000.
Density (1995): persons per sq mi 68.0, persons per sq km 26.3.
Urban-rural (1995): urban 84.0%; rural 16.0%.
Sex distribution (1995): male 63.87%; female 36.13%.
Age breakdown (1995): under 15, 31.3%; 15-29, 18.5%; 30-44, 31.4%; 45-59, 15.6%; 60-74, 2.8%; 75 and over, 0.5%.
Population projection: (2000) 2,429,000; (2010) 2,882,000.
Doubling time: 24 years.
Ethnic composition (1993): expatriates of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka 45%; Arabs 25%, of which non-UAE Arabs (primarily Egyptians) 13%, UAE Arabs 12%; Iranians 17%; other Asians and Africans 8%; Europeans and North Americans 5%.
Religious affiliation (1980): Muslim 94.9% (Sunni 80%, Shi'i 20%); Christian 3.8%; other 1.3%.
Major cities (1989): Dubayy 585,189; Abu Dhabi 363,432; al-'Ayn 176,411; ash-Shariqah 125,000{2}; Ra`s al-Khaymah 42,000{2}.
Birth rate per 1,000 population (1995): 27.0 (world avg. 25.0); legitimate, n.a.; illegitimate, n.a.
Death rate per 1,000 population (1995): 3.0 (world avg. 9.3).
Natural increase rate per 1,000 population (1995): 24.0 (world avg. 15.7).
Total fertility rate (avg. births per childbearing woman; 1995): 4.5.
Marriage rate per 1,000 population (1990): 2.6.
Divorce rate per 1,000 population (1990): 0.9.
Life expectancy at birth (1995): male 70.4 years; female 74.7 years.
Major causes of death per 100,000 population (1989) {3}: accidents and poisoning 43.7; diseases of the circulatory system 34.3; malignant neoplasms (cancers) 13.7; respiratory diseases 8.1.
Budget (1994). Revenue: Dh 16,200,000,000 (1993; current [domestic] grants 83.5%; other sources 16.5%, of which nontax revenue 12.5%, tax revenue 4.0%). Expenditures: Dh 17,600,000,000 (1993; current expenditures 96.2%, of which defense 37.8%, education 16.7%, public safety 13.1%, health 7.4%, economic services 4.5%; cultural and religious affairs 3.3%).
Gross national product (at current market prices; 1993): U.S.$38,720,000,000 (U.S.$22,470 per capita).
Public debt (external, outstanding; 1991): U.S.$1,067,000,000.
Tourism (1992): total number of tourist arrivals 50,000.
Production (metric tons except as noted). Agriculture, forestry, fishing (1994): tomatoes 243,000, dates 240,000, cabbages 107,000, eggplants 67,000, lemons and limes 20,000, pumpkins and squash 17,000, cucumbers 13,000, cauliflowers 9,000, mangoes 9,000, green peppers 6,000; livestock (number of live animals) 861,000 goats, 333,000 sheep, 148,000 camels, 65,000 cattle, 8,000,000 chickens; fish catch (1991) 92,300. Mining and quarrying (1993): sulfur 122,000; gypsum 95,000; lime 45,000; also marble, shale for ceramic applications, and aggregate for cement. Manufacturing (1993): cement 3,500,000; aluminum 242,300; mutton and lamb meat 24,000; goat's milk 19,000; cow's milk 6,000; beef and veal 6,000; goat meat 5,000; butter and ghee 261. Construction: n.a. Energy production (consumption): electricity (kW-hr; 1993) 17,578,000,000 (17,578,000,000); coal, none (n.a.); crude petroleum (barrels; 1993) 741,300,000 (67,350,000); petroleum products (metric tons; 1993) 13,469,000 (6,495,000); natural gas (cu m; 1993) 22,929,000,000 (19,521,000,000).
Population economically active (1992): total 733,500; activity rate of total population 36.9% (participation rates [1986]: ages 15-64, 76.7%; female 6.6%; unemployed, n.a.).
Household income and expenditure. Average household size (1986) 6.8; income per household: n.a.; sources of income: n.a.; expenditure (1991): rent, fuel, and light 23.9%, food 22.7%, transportation and communications 14.1%, durable household goods 11.6%, education, recreation, and entertainment 8.6%.
Land use (1993): forested, virtually none; meadows and pastures 2.4%; agricultural and under permanent cultivation 0.5%; built-on, wasteland, and other 97.1%.
Imports (1994): U.S.$23,883,000,000 (1991; machinery and transport equipment 42.4%, basic manufactures 21.4%, food and live animals 13.5%, chemicals 8.8%, crude minerals 1.3%, mineral fuels 1.1%). Major import sources: Japan 10.4%; United Kingdom 7.8%; Germany 7.5%; United States 7.3%; Italy 6.7%; South Korea 5.4%; India 4.9%; Hong Kong 4.5%; China 4.0%; France 3.9%; Singapore 3.7%; Taiwan 2.8%; Malaysia 2.3%; Saudi Arabia 2.0%; The Netherlands 1.8%.
Exports (1994): U.S.$20,906,000,000 (1989; crude petroleum 65.6%, nonpetroleum exports and reexports 34.4%). Major export destinations: Japan 39.7%; India 5.3%; Oman 4.9%; South Korea 4.7%; Iran 4.6%; Singapore 3.8%; Thailand 2.7%; Hong Kong 2.4%; United States 2.1%; United Kingdom 1.5%; Pakistan 1.3%; Kenya 1.2%; Taiwan 1.1%; Turkey 1.0%.
Transport. Railroads: none. Roads (1994): total length 2,830 mi, 4,555 km (paved 38.5%). Vehicles (1993): passenger cars 297,128; trucks and buses 72,824. Merchant marine (1992): vessels (100 gross tons and over) 276; total deadweight tonnage 1,491,728. Air transport (1994){4}: passenger-mi 3,975,022,000, passenger-km 6,397,190,000; short ton-mi cargo 233,981,000, metric ton-km cargo 341,607,000; airports (1995) with scheduled flights 4.
Communications. Daily newspapers (1992): total number 11; total circulation 335,000{5}; circulation per 1,000 population 189{5}. Radio (1994): total number of receivers 490,000 (1 per 4.4 persons). Television (1994): total number of receivers 170,000 (1 per 12.6 persons). Telephones (main lines; 1993): 623,800 (1 per 2.8 persons).
Educational attainment (1975). Percentage of population age 25 and over having: no formal schooling 72.2%; primary education 5.2%; secondary 16.6%; higher 6.0%. Literacy (1995): total population age 15 and over literate 79.2%; males literate 78.9%; females literate 79.8%.
Health (1993): physicians 3,000 (1 per 694 persons); hospital beds 4,314 (1 per 483 persons); infant mortality rate per 1,000 live births (1995) 21.0.
Food (1992): daily per capita caloric intake 3,384 (vegetable products 75%, animal products 25%); 140% of FAO recommended minimum requirement.
Total active duty personnel (1995): 70,000 (army 92.8%, navy 2.1%, air force 5.1%). Military expenditure as percentage of GDP (1994): 5.7% (world 2.6%); per capita expenditure U.S.$1,149.