United Arab Emirates
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Population
- 10,093,593 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 83,600 sq km
- Government
- federation of monarchies
- Religions
- Muslim 74.5% (official) (Sunni 63.3%, Shia 6.7%, other 4.4%), Christian 12.9%, Hindu 6.2%, Buddhist 3.2%, agnostic 1.3%, other 1.9% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Emirati 11.6%, South Asian 59.4% (includes Indian 38.2%, Bangladeshi 9.5%, Pakistani 9.4%, other 2.3%), Egyptian 10.2%, Filipino 6.1%, other 12.8% (2015 est.)
- Currency
- Emirati dirhams (AED)
- Life Expectancy
- 79.9 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .ae
- Climate
- desert; cooler in eastern mountains
- Terrain
- flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, natural gas
- Major Exports
- crude petroleum, refined petroleum, gold, broadcasting equipment, natural gas (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
The Trucial States of the Persian Gulf coast granted the UK control of their defense and foreign affairs in 19th-century treaties.