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United Arab Emirates

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; Middle Eastern
Countries

   الإمارات العربيّة المتّحدة
   Al-Imārāt al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah
   United Arab Emirates

   Flag of United Arab Emirates Coat of arms of United Arab Emirates
   Flag                         Coat of arms
   Motto: none
   Anthem: Ishy Bilady
   Location of United Arab Emirates
   Capital Abu Dhabi
   22°47′N 54°37′E
   Largest city Dubai
   Official languages Arabic
   Government Constitutional monarchy
    - President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan
    - Prime Minister M. bin Rashid Al Maktoum
   Establishment December 2, 1971
   Area
    - Total 83,600 km² ( 116th)
   32,278 sq mi
    - Water (%) negligible
   Population
    - 2005 estimate 4,496,000 ( 116th)
    - 2005 census 4,104,695
    - Density 54/km² ( 143rd)
   139/sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2006 estimate
    - Total $111.3 billion ( 59th)
    - Per capita $27,957 ( 23rd)
   HDI  (2004) 0.839 (high) ( 49th)
   Currency Dirham ( AED)
   Time zone GMT ( UTC+4)
   Internet TLD .ae
   Calling code +971

   The United Arab Emirates (also the UAE or the Emirates) is a Middle
   Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in
   Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven emirates: Abu
   Dhabi, Ajmān, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm
   al-Quwain. Before 1971, they were known as the Trucial States or
   Trucial Oman, in reference of a nineteenth-century truce between
   Britain and several Arab Sheikhs. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. The
   country is rich in oil.

History

   The seven Trucial Sheikdom States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the
   United Kingdom control of their defence and foreign affairs in
   nineteenth-century treaties. In 1971, six of these states — Abu Dhabi,
   Ajman, Fujairah, Sharjah, Dubai, and Umm al-Qaiwain — merged to form
   the United Arab Emirates. They were joined in 1972 by Ras Al Khaimah.

Politics

   The Supreme Council consists of the individual rulers of the seven
   emirates. The President and Vice-President are elected by the Supreme
   Council every five years. Although unofficial, the Presidency is de
   facto hereditary to the Al-Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Premiership
   is hereditary to the Al-Maktoum clan of Dubai. The Supreme Council also
   elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed forty-member
   Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed
   laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Dubai and
   Ras al-Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have both
   secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts.

   Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the union's president from the
   nation's founding until his death on 2 November 2004. His son, Khalifa
   bin Zayed Al Nahayan was elected, by the Federal Supreme Council,
   president the next day.

Human rights

   It is a common practice for employers in the UAE to retain employees'
   passports for the duration of the employment contract to prevent
   expatriate employees from changing jobs. This is an illegal practice,
   but it is almost never investigated, let alone punished by the
   government. Further, there are court rulings that government
   departments are also holding their employees' passports. On termination
   of an employment contract, most categories of expatriates used to be
   automatically banned from obtaining a work permit in the country for
   six months and a no entry stamp would be stamped on their passports.
   However this has recently been revoked (2005) and it requires a
   petition on the employers part for this to occur. This has created
   considerable new labour movement in the market since it was
   implemented. There has also been an increase in labour agitation as a
   result.

   The United States Department of State has cited widespread instances of
   blue collar labor abuse in the general context of the United Arab
   Emirates.

   The government has been criticized by the human rights agency Human
   Rights Watch for its inaction in addressing the discrimination against
   Asian workers in the emirates. Salary structures and treatment based on
   nationality, sex, age, and race rather than on qualification are
   common.

   According to Ansar Burney Trust (ABT), an illegal sex industry thrives
   in the emirates, especially in Dubai. This complements the tourism and
   hospitality industry, a major part of Dubai's economy. A 2004 HBO
   documentary accuses the UAE of illegally using child jockeys in camel
   racing, where they are also subjected to physical and sexual abuse.
   Antislavery.org has documented similar allegations. The ABT, which was
   featured heavily in the HBO documentary, announced that in 2005 the
   government of the UAE began actively enforcing a ban on child camel
   jockeys, and that the issue "may finally be resolved". This has
   happened and will start with the new camel racing season this year
   (2006).

   The UAE's human rights record, particularly in relation to migrant
   workers, was widely criticized during the trials of Sarah Balabagan in
   1995.

   A website is campaigning to pressure the government of the UAE into
   signing up to International Labour Organization core conventions on
   freedom of association (see ). Strikes and unions are currently banned
   in the UAE and many laborers are virtual prisoners, having paid huge
   agents' fees in order to obtain jobs and visas.

Migrant workers

   Migrant workers, either unskilled or skilled, comprise a large portion
   of UAE's workforce. A 2003 Human Rights Watch report estimates up to 90
   percent of the country's 1.7 million workers are migrants . These
   migrants, drawn to wages often more than they could make in their home
   countries, have helped UAE's endless construction projects proceed
   rapidly. However, unlike many other countries, these foreign workers
   (also known as expatriates) do not have a claim to UAE citizenship and
   thus cannot be naturalized. This is generally only possible through
   marriage to a UAE or GCC citizen. People from neighboring Arab
   countries or Iran who entered the country illegally during the 1950's
   and 60's, however, are full UAE citizens because of the fact that poor
   border controls existed at that time.

   Migrant workers in UAE face many challenges. As mentioned above,
   disparities in salaries and treatment occur for different races, with
   Arabs and Westerners getting better pay than their Asian or non-Arab
   counterparts. Even among Asians there are disparities. For example, a
   worker from South Asia, China or Philippines may receive lower pay and
   worse treatment than one from Japan or Singapore.

   There are mixed reports on prison conditions; in general, prisons in
   both Abu Dhabi and Dubai meet international standards. There have been
   various reports that prisons in remote and rural areas are of lower
   standards. Al-Wathba prison is a prison complex located outside Abu
   Dhabi city in close proximity to the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
   It is one of the main prisons in the UAE and houses inmates waiting
   execution and deportation and also those who have been handed life
   sentences. It consists of living quarters, detention centre and
   execution grounds. Executions (a rarity) are carried out by firing
   squad.

Economy

   United Arab Emirates is the richest country in the Muslim world .
   Though current GDP per capita contracted by 42% in the 1980s,
   successful diversification helped register positive growth of 48% in
   the 1990s.

Geography

   Map showing the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
   Enlarge
   Map showing the Emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
   Map of the United Arab Emirates.

   The UAE lies in Southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the
   Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is a flat, barren
   coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland;
   with mountains in the east. Desert land covers over 90% of the country
   . Its strategic location along southern approaches to the Strait of
   Hormuz makes it a vital transit point for world crude oil.

   The border demarcation treaties of 1974 and 1977 between the United
   Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were never made public. Therefore the
   exact border of the two countries is only known to their governments.

Exclaves and enclaves

   There is an Omani enclave inside UAE territory, known as Wadi Madha. It
   is located halfway between the Musandam peninsula and the rest of Oman,
   on the Dubai- Hatta road in the Emirate of Sharjah. It covers
   approximately 75 km² (29  mi²) and the boundary was settled in 1969.
   The north-east corner of Madha is closest to the Khor Fakkan- Fujairah
   road, barely 10 m (33 ft) away. Within the enclave is a UAE exclave
   called Nahwa, also belonging to the Emirate of Sharjah. It is about
   8 km (5  mi) on a dirt track west of the town of New Madha. It consists
   of about forty houses with its own clinic and telephone exchange .

Transportation

Airlines history

   The national airline of Abu Dhabi was formerly Gulf Air, operated
   jointly with Bahrain and Oman. On September 13, 2005, Abu Dhabi
   announced that they were withdrawing from Gulf Air to concentrate on
   Etihad Airways, designated as the new national carrier of the UAE,
   established in November 2003.

   In 1985, Dubai established its airline Emirates, which is now one of
   the fastest growing airlines in the world .

Demographics

   UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the Middle East. Since
   the mid- 1980s, people from all across South Asia have settled in the
   UAE. UAE's better living standards and high economic opportunities have
   made it an attractive destination for Indians and Pakistanis. In 2006,
   there were approximately 1.2 million Indian nationals and 300,000
   Pakistani nationals in the UAE, making them the largest expatriate
   community in the oil-rich nation.
     * Emiratis (local Arabs)
     * Other Arabs and Iranians (Persians)
     * South Asians and Pakistanis
     * Western and East Asian

                                          11%
                                          21%
                                          57%
                                          11%

   The most populated city is Dubai, with approximately 1.2 million
   people. Other major cities include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, and
   Fujairah.

   About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban. The
   remaining live in tiny towns scattered throughout the country or many
   of the desert oilfield camps.

Culture and religion

   Rooted in Islamic culture, the UAE has strong ties with the rest of the
   Arab world and Islamic world. The government is committed to preserving
   traditional forms of art and culture, primarily through the Abu Dhabi
   Cultural Foundation. New sports are becoming popular alongside
   traditional camel racing. Examples of these new sports include golf,
   with two European Tour events in the country (the Dubai Desert Classic
   and the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship) and the world's richest horse
   race, the Dubai World Cup, held annually in March . Many churches are
   present in the UAE, as in several other Muslim countries that are
   tolerant of other religions. Due to the fact the many Asians have made
   UAE their second home, there is a variety of Asian restaurants and
   cultural centres. There also exist a few European centres and schools.

   The first known manuscript in UAE is Al jawaher wal la'li.

Holidays

   Date English Arabic
   1 January New Year's Day رأس السنة الميلادية
   variable Day of the Sacrifice Eid ul-Adha عيد الأضحى
   variable Islamic New Year Ra's Al Sana Al Hijria رأس السنة الهجرية
   6 August Accession of H.H. Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan-al Nahyan   Eid
   julous Al-Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan   عيد جلوس الشيخ زايد بن
   سلطان آل نهيان
   variable The Night Journey Isra'a wa al-Miraj الإسراء و المعراج
   2 December   National Day Al-Eid Al Watani العيد الوطني
   variable End of Ramadan Eid ul-Fitr عيد الفطر

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