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The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Arabian Gulf, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran. It is referred to as the “emirates” because they are governed by emirs; the Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain.
The UAE has an open economy based on oil and gas production, trade, tourism, transportation, and light manufacturing; with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world and a sizable annual trade surplus. As a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the UAE take part in the wide range of GCC events that focus on economic issues. These include regular consultations and development of common policies covering trade, investment, banking and finance, transportation, telecommunications, and other technical areas, including protection of intellectual property rights.
The United Arab Emirates has a diverse and multicultural society The traditional food of the Emirates has always been rice, fish, and meat. Seafood has been the lifeblood of the Emirati diet for centuries. Meat and rice are other key foods; lamb and mutton are the more favored meats. Common beverages are coffee and tea.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven states formed in 1971 by the then Trucial States after independence from Britain. Since then, it has grown from a quiet backwater to one of the Middle East's most important economic centers.
| Official name | United Arab Emirates |
| Area | 83,600 sq. km |
| Capital | Abu Dhabi |
| Population | 5,148,664 |
| National holiday | Independence Day - 2nd December |
| Country Time Zone | GMT +4 |
| International dialing code | +971 |
| Currency | UAE dirham |
| Type of Government | Federation |
| Head of State | President of the United Arab Emirates - HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan |
| Head of Government | Vice President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai - HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum |
| Foreign Minister | Minister of Foreign Affairs - HH Sheikh ABDULLAH bin Zayed Al-Nahyan |
| Trade Minister | Minister of Foreign Trade - HE Sheikha Lubna Al-Qasimi |
| GDP $ | $239.7 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP per capita on PPP | $40,200 (2010 est.) |
| Real growth rate of GDP | 2.6% (2010 est.) |
| Inflation | 2.2% (2010 est.) |
Additional facts
| People | Emirati 19%, other Arab and Iranian 23%, South Asian 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8% |
| Religion | Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4% |
| Language | Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu |
| Members of International groups/Organizations | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
