24 00 N, 54 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 83,600 sq km land: 83,600 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries:

total: 867 km border countries: Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline:

1,318 km

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

Climate:

desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain:

flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal Yibir 1,527 m

Natural resources:

petroleum, natural gas

Land use:

arable land: 0.77% permanent crops: 2.27% other: 96.96% (2005)

Irrigated land:

760 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.2 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.3 cu km/yr (23%/9%/68%) per capita: 511 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

frequent sand and dust storms

Environment - current issues:

lack of natural freshwater resources compensated by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills

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

Geography - note:

strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

People
United Arab Emirates

Population:

4,621,399 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 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 20.5% (male 484,102/female 462,405) 15-64 years: 78.6% (male 2,663,702/female 970,672) 65 years and over: 0.9% (male 26,244/female 14,274) note: 73.9% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 30.1 years male: 32 years female: 24.6 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

3.833% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

16.06 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

2.13 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

24.41 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.74 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.84 male(s)/female total population: 2.19 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 13.11 deaths/1,000 live births male: 15.32 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 75.89 years male: 73.35 years female: 78.56 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

2.43 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.18% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: