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Located in the Southwest Asia, the UAE is a federation constituting seven independent states or Emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Al Fujairah. It is located between latitudes 22°-26.5°N and longitudes 51°-56.5°E. Bordering UAE on the north is the Persian Gulf, Oman to the east, Qatar to the northwest and Saudi Arabia on the south and west. The UAE is situated on the southeast of Arabian Peninsula. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and also the second largest city.
Coastline
The coastline of UAE stretches to 700 km, most of it consisting salt marshes escalating inwards. Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Iran share same sea border with the UAE. Dubai is the biggest natural harbor of the UAE.
Topography
| The most striking aspect of UAE geography is the diverse and unique topography. The prime landscape of the country comprises desert, sand dunes, oases, and river beds. The Al Hazar Mountain range on the Arabia Peninsula on the north rises to steep 2000m in some areas and demarcates the Al Batinah coast from the rest of the UAE, while on the east of Aradah are the world’s largest sand dunes located in the oases of Al-Liwa. On the Persian Gulf Coast, around 200 offshore islands can be found. There are two main desert oases in the Abu Dhabi with adequate underground water for civilization: Al Liwa Oases and Al Buraymi Oases. |  |
Climate
UAE has the kind of climate that is not constant throughout the year and there is variation in climate in different parts of the country. UAE enjoys arid subtropical climate, with most part of the year enjoying the sun with minimal rainfall. The summers are generally hot with temperature reaching 48°C with 80-90% humidity while in winters it is as low as 14°C. October and May are the most pleasant times of the year while it is best to avoid June to September. Along the coast it is hot and humid while the interiors are hot and dry. Sandstorms known as ‘shamal’ hit the coast frequently.
Language
The official language of the UAE is Arabic and English is preferred for business and communication alongside Arabic. English is widely used in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Other main languages of the region include Urdu, Hindi, and Farsi.
Population
The population of UAE as per 2010 estimate was 8.19 million. 20% of the population comprised Emiratis who are the UAE nationals and the rest were expatriates. The migration rate of the country is the highest in the world. Dubai is the most populated city in the UAE followed by Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah and Fujairah.
Man-made Islands
In Dubai, the Palm Islands are the man made artificial islands on which major residential and commercial edifice have been constructed for living, recreation, and leisure purpose. The islands have been constructed from scoured sand and are the largest land reclamation project in the world.
More Facts:
UAE has the world’s seventh largest oil reserves. It has one of the most developed economies in the west Asia. It has thirty sixth economy at market exchange rates. It is the fourteenth largest in purchasing power per capita. It has high Human Development Index for the Asian continent, ranking 35th globally.
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