Seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula combined to form a federation after Britain pulled out of this barren coastal region in 1971. The United Arab Emirates comprises Abu Dhabi, seat of the federal government and the oil capital; Dubayy (Dubai), the main port and commercial industrial hub; Ajman; Umm al Qaywayn; Ras al Khaymah; Al Fujayrah; and Sharjah. Oil, discovered in 1958, is the major income earner. Oil wealth brought foreign workers, who now make up about three-quarters of the population. A favorite destination for tourists, the country has a liberal attitude toward other cultures and beliefs.
ECONOMYIndustry: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials.
Agriculture: dates, vegetables, watermelons; poultry; fish.
Exports: crude oil, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates.
Text source:
National Geographic Atlas of the World, Eighth Edition, 2004