The Emirates are all city-states. The boundaries between the individual emirates are determined on the basis of traditional clan rights; several emirates have isolated enclaves inside the neighboring country. The affiliation of some of the many islands off the coast is unclear. In connection with oil exploration and based on military considerations, this leads to recurring conflicts. Measured by population and especially economy, Abu Dhabi is the leader among the Emirates. It is also the only one where there is a big city beyond the capital: al-Ayn with the University of the Emirates; it is located in the largest oasis in the Arabian Peninsula, al-Buraymi.
Natural geography and agriculture
The Emirates consists of a flat and barren coastal plain that slides south into an empty sand desert. To the east, where the Oman Mountains stretch into the Emirates, wide gravel plains separate the highlands from the desert of Saudi Arabia al-Rub al-Khali. In the inner part of Abu Dhabi lies in addition to al-Buraymi also the oasis Liwa; both have large date plantations. In the eastern part of Sharjah and Fujairah, water from the mountains enables modest agriculture. Most important, however, is agriculture in Ras al-Khaimah, where groundwater from the mountains of Oman enables irrigation from wells. Overall, however, this is a very modest production that contributes only 2 percent of the UAE’s total GDP.
The climate in the Emirates is typically Gulf climate, hot and dry. During the summer months, daytime temperatures range from 35 to 50 °C. At the coasts, the heath is emphasized by a very high humidity, which makes all kinds of outdoor activities extremely unpleasant. Life is lived indoors, where virtually all buildings are air conditioned; this also applies to the large car fleet. During the winter months, daytime temperatures are generally around 20-30 °C, and here most of the sparse rainfall falls; at the coast 75-125 mm on an annual basis, but in the eastern mountain areas up to 375 mm.
Area and population numbers are subject to considerable uncertainty.
Abu Dhabi
73,060 km2
3 million population (2005)
Oil production 1994: 94.1 mill. t (2.9 percent of world production)
Oil reserves: DKK 11.9 billion t (9.1 percent of world reserves)
The largest and richest of the Emirates.
The city of Abu Dhabi serves as the capital of the entire UAE.
Al-Ayn in Buraymioasis houses the University of the Emirates.
Ajman
260 km2
189,800 residents (2005)
The smallest and least developed by the Emirates.
Dubai
3900 km2
2 million population (2005)
Oil production 1994: DKK 16.8 million t
Oil reserves: 640 million t
The second largest of the Emirates.
In addition to oil revenues, Dubai focuses on trade, tourism and industry.
Large foreign investment in the free zone Jebel Ali.
Fujairah
1300 km2
118,600 residents (2005)
Until 1952 part of Sharjah; located as the only one of the Emirates on the east side of the Oman Peninsula.
Several enclaves in the area belong to Oman and Sharjah.
Ras al-Khaimah
1700 km2
197,600 residents (2005)
Located up to the Oman Mountains and has irrigated agriculture.
It is considered the most beautiful of the Emirates and has increasing tourism.
Sharjah
2600 km2
725,000 residents (2005)
Oil production 1994: 2.7 mill. t
Oil reserves: 160 million t
Orthodox Muslim community with close ties to Saudi Arabia.
Umm al-Qaiwain
780 km2
45,800 residents (2005)
Together with Ajman the least modernized emirate.
Traditional fishing and agriculture continue to be key industries.
Oil and gas
The oil resources are very unequally distributed between the seven emirates. Together, the Emirates account for 3.3 percent of world oil production (2003). Abu Dhabi alone has over 90 percent of the Emirates’ oil reserves, including the largest natural gas fields. With current oil production, there are reserves for over 100 years. Dubai, which is the second largest producer, has relatively modest reserves that are only expected to last for 10-20 years. Of the others, only Sharjah has significant reserves, but production from here is small.
The first oil discoveries were made off the coast of Abu Dhabi in 1958, and since 1964 the Emirates has been an oil exporter. A large part of the production takes place offshore, around the disputed small islands of Abu Musa. The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company accounts for a large part of the extraction in the whole area, and the Emirates is a member of OPEC. For oil geology, see Persian Gulf.
Population
No actual censuses have ever been conducted in the Emirates. In 1968 it was estimated that the area had about 180,000 residents, in 1975 just over 550,000, in 1993 approximately 2.1 million and in 2005 just over DKK 4.5 million. The large growth can be attributed to two factors: a very large natural population growth with high fertility and rapidly declining mortality and the very significant immigration of guest workers from Asia in particular, which was necessary for the ambitious development goals set when oil revenues began to flow in. In 1986, when immigration peaked, the population grew by 11 percent and in 1990 again by over 10 percent. The latest figure was based on large-scale Kuwaiti immigration following Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait. Immigration has meant that the indigenous population only constitutes a minority of 20-25 percent of the total population. Most guest workers come from India and Pakistan, to a lesser extent from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Iran and Arab countries. Many highly educated people from the USA, Japan and Europe hold specialized jobs. Restrictive immigration laws mean that2/3 of the population are men.
Countryaah: Do you know how many people there are in United Arab Emirates? Check this site to see population pyramid and resident density about this country.
In addition to being an Arab country, the Emirates are Islamic, and Islamic law, sharia, applies in particular in civil matters in parallel with modern law. In 1994, the government decided that several predominantly criminal cases should be tried in sharia courts, presumably in an attempt to prevent fundamentalist criticism. approximately 80 percent of the local population are Sunni Muslims with effect from the wahhabittiske direction in Saudi Arabia; the rest are Shia Muslims. The many guest workers, of course, mean that other religions are represented, and they are tolerated to the extent that they do not challenge Islam. Thus, there are several Christian churches in the country.
Modernization
The large oil revenues have been able to pay abundantly for the radical development that the country has undergone, and they have been used to secure the population in a number of areas from defense and security to education, health, work, and the building of an impressive infrastructure. New cities, a well-functioning motorway network, airports, several large port facilities (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and most recently Fujairah have been built) and telecommunications, and 22 plants desalinate seawater and ensure a stable freshwater supply. They are helping to make the Emirates the country in the world that uses the most energy per capita. resident. Part of the water is used for irrigation, also for green plants; for example, the access roads to Abu Dhabi are adorned with a true flora, although they are located in a desert area. In addition to establishing free trade zones, IT is also being invested in and increasingly tourism. For culture and traditions of United Arab Emirates, please check animalerts.
Politics
The emirates are governed by a council, which consists of the seven rulers. The individual countries have to varying degrees declared autocracy as a form of government, and no democratic tendencies or opposition are known. Political life is marked by rivalry between the two great emirates of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as by the fear of the others to be completely engulfed by the great. Abu Dhabi, the largest contributor to the common budget, is in favor of a strong union, while Dubai prefers a looser structure, no doubt for fear that Abu Dhabi will have a decisive influence in a closer union. The discrepancies have meant that the seven emirates each continued to have their own defense forces, and the aim of the military forces is probably as much to keep each other in check as to ward off threats from outside.
