United Arab Emirates - Overview
United Arab Emirates is bordered in the north by the Gulf and
the Musandam Peninsula. Oman borders the east, Saudi Arabia
to the south and west and Qatar to the northwest.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of 7 states
- Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Ras al khaimah, Sharjah
and Umm al Qaiwain. These states formed in 1971 after they
gained independence from Britain. There is instability in
the federation due to uncertainty over the nature of it and
certain boundary disputes, however, Abu Dhabi and Dubai have
stabilised the federation.
Abu Dhabi is the capital and the largest state and is relatively
flat and sandy. It is sometimes called the Manhattan of the
Middle East and has a lot of skyscrapers and modern buildings.
Abu Dhabi is located on an island and its famous attractions
being the Petroleum Exhibition and the Heritage Village and
the Al Hisn Fort. The prettiest place to visit is the Batin
in the oldest part of the town.
The remainder of states are known as the Northern States
collectively with mainly mountainous and desert land. Dubai
has a number of attractions and has become a very popular
place for visitors. It is easy to explore a whole variety
of attractions in a day - from mountains to sand dunes, to
green parks, It is also very famous for its shopping and low
import duties. It is known as the Pearl of the Gulf due to
its deep-water creek.
In 1966, the United Arab Emirates discovered the production
of oil, which gave the local economy a boost. Dubai exported
oil for the first time in 1969 laying the foundations for
today's oil production.
There are no political parties in the UAE; however, the highest
federal authority is the Supreme Council of rulers that consists
of rulers from the 7 states. For decisions to be made, there
must be agreement from at least 5 states, including Dubai
and Abu Dhabi.
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