:United Arab Emirates Economy
Overview:
The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per
capita outside the OECD nations. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and
the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities.
Since 1973, when petroleum prices shot up, the UAE has undergone a profound
transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to
a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of
production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years.
GDP:
exchange rate conversion - $33.7 billion, per capita $14,100 (1990); real
growth rate 11% (1989)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
5.5% (1990 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NEGL (1988)
Budget:
revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (1989 est.)
Exports:
$21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates
partners:
Japan 35%, Singapore 6%, US 4%, Korea 3%
Imports:
$11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)
commodities:
food, consumer and capital goods
partners:
Japan 14%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 9%
External debt:
$11.0 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
NA
Electricity:
5,800,000 kW capacity; 17,000 million kWh produced, 7,115 kWh per capita
(1991)
Industries:
petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat
building, handicrafts, pearling
Agriculture:
accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food
products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25%
self-sufficient in food
Economic aid:
donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries
(1979-89)
Currency:
Emirian dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils
Exchange rates:
Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
:United Arab Emirates Communications
Highways:
2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth
Pipelines:
crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km
Ports:
Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal `Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid,
Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid
Merchant marine:
55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,033,866 GRT/1,772,646 DWT; includes
18 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 20 petroleum tanker, 4 bulk, 1
refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier
Civil air:
10 major transport aircraft
Airports:
37 total, 34 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over
3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
adequate system of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi
and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV;
satellite communications ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2
Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain,
India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave to Saudi
Arabia
:United Arab Emirates Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 974,288; 533,673 fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)
:United Kingdom Geography
Total area:
244,820 km2
Land area:
241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shetland Islands
Comparative area:
slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries:
360 km; Ireland 360 km
Coastline:
12,429 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon
boundaries
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
12 nm
Disputes:
Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain;
Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South
Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego
Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute
involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a
boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica
(British Antarctic Territory)
Climate:
temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic
Current; more than half of the days are overcast
Terrain:
mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and
southeast
Natural resources:
coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk,
gypsum, lead, silica
Land use:
arable land 29%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 48%; forest and
woodland 9%; other 14%; includes irrigated 1%
Environment:
pollution control measures improving air, water quality; because of heavily
indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters
Note:
lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now
being linked by tunnel under the English Channel
:United Kingdom People
Population:
57,797,514 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992)
Birth rate:
14 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
11 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
73 years male, 79 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
1.8 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective - British
Ethnic divisions:
English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West
Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8%
Religions:
Anglican 27.0 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2.0 million,
Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000
Languages:
English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic
(about 60,000 in Scotland)
Literacy:
99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.)
Labor force:
26,177,000; services 60.6%, manufacturing and construction 27.2%, government
8.9%, energy 2.1%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1991)
Organized labor:
40% of labor force (1991)