ot ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

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

People

Population: 2,344,402 (July 1999 est.)
note: includes 1,576,589 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (male 368,844; female 353,183)
15-64 years: 67% (male 1,015,690; female 558,902)
65 years and over: 2% (male 32,935; female 14,848) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.78% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 18.86 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 3.13 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.03 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.82 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.22 male(s)/female
total population: 1.53 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.24 years
male: 73.83 years
female: 76.72 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Emirian(s)
adjective: Emirian

Ethnic groups: Emiri 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian
50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%
(1982)
note: less than 20% are UAE citizens (1982)

Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi'a 16%), Christian, Hindu, and other 4%

Languages: Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.2%
male: 78.9%
female: 79.8% (1995 est.)

Government

Country name:
conventional long form: United Arab Emirates
conventional short form: none
local long form: Al Imarat al Arabiyah al Muttahidah
local short form: none
former: Trucial States
abbreviation: UAE

Data code: TC

Government type: federation with specified powers delegated to
the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member
emirates

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular--imarah);
Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), 'Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah (Sharjah),
Dubayy (Dubai), Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn

Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971)

Constitution: 2 December 1971 (made permanent in 1996)

Legal system: federal court system i