# The 1992 CIA World Factbook

## Part 89

Book page: https://www.cyberlibrary.org/en/books/the-1992-cia-world-factbook-48/index.md

:United Arab Emirates Geography

Total area: 83,600 km2 Land area: 83,600 km2 Comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine Land boundaries: 1,016 km total; Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 586 km, Qatar 20 km Coastline: 1,448 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 3 nm (assumed), 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah) Disputes: boundary with Qatar is unresolved; no defined boundary with Saudi Arabia; no defined boundary with most of Oman, but Administrative Line in far north; claims two islands in the Persian Gulf occupied by Iran (Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Bozorg or Greater Tunb, and Jazireh-ye Tonb-e Kuchek or Lesser Tunb); claims island in the Persian Gulf jointly administered with Iran (Jazireh-ye Abu Musa or Abu Musa,) Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert waste- land; mountains in east Natural resources: crude oil and natural gas Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 2%; forest and woodland NEGL%; other 98%; includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: frequent dust and sand storms; lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

:United Arab Emirates People

Population: 2,522,315 (July 1992), growth rate 5.4% (1992) Birth rate: 29 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 27 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 74 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 4.7 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Emirian(s), adjective - Emirian Ethnic divisions: Emirian 19%, other Arab 23%, South Asian (fluctuating) 50%, other expatriates (includes Westerners and East Asians) 8%; less than 20% of the population are UAE citizens (1982) Religions: Muslim 96% (Shi`a 16%); Christian, Hindu, and other 4% Languages: Arabic (official); Persian and English widely spoken in major cities; Hindi, Urdu Literacy: 68% (male 70%, female 63%) age 10 and over but definition of literacy not available (1980) Labor force: 580,000 (1986 est.); industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 5%; 80% of labor force is foreign Organized labor: trade unions are illegal

:United Arab Emirates Government

Long-form name: United Arab Emirates (no short-form name); abbreviated UAE Type: federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE central government and other powers reserved to member emirates Capital: Abu Dhabi Administrative divisions: 7 emirates (imarat, singular - imarah); Abu Zaby (Abu Dhabi), `Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Ash Shariqah, Dubayy, Ra's al Khaymah, Umm al Qaywayn Independence: 2 December 1971 (from UK; formerly Trucial States) Constitution: 2 December 1971 (provisional) Legal system: secular codes are being introduced by the UAE Government and in several member shaykhdoms; Islamic law remains influential National holiday: National Day, 2 December (1971) Executive branch: president, vice president, Supreme Council of Rulers, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Council of Ministers Legislative branch: unicameral Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihad) Judicial branch: Union Supreme Court Leaders: Chief of State: President Shaykh Zayid bin Sultan Al NUHAYYAN, (since 2 December 1971), ruler of Abu Dhabi; Vice President Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy Head of Government: Prime Minister Shaykh Maktum bin Rashid al-MAKTUM (since 8 October 1990), ruler of Dubayy; Deputy Prime Minister Sultan bin Zayid Al NUHAYYAN (since 20 November 1990) Political parties and leaders: none Suffrage: none Elections: none Other political or pressure groups: a few small clandestine groups may be active Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Muhammad bin Husayn Al SHAALI; Chancery at Suite 740, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-6500 US: Ambassador Edward S. WALKER, Jr.; Embassy at Al-Sudan Street, Abu Dhabi (mailing address is P. O. Box 4009, Abu Dhabi); telephone [971] (2) 336691, afterhours 338730; FAX [971] (2) 318441; there is a US Consulate General in Dubayy (Dubai) Flag: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black with a thicker vertical red band on the hoist side

:United Arab Emirates Economy

Overview: The UAE has an open economy with one of the world's highest incomes per capita outside the OECD nations. This wealth is based on oil and gas, and the fortunes of the economy fluctuate with the prices of those commodities. Since 1973, when petroleum prices shot up, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. At present levels of production, crude oil reserves should last for over 100 years. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $33.7 billion, per capita $14,100 (1990); real growth rate 11% (1989) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.5% (1990 est.) Unemployment rate: NEGL (1988) Budget: revenues $3.8 billion; expenditures $3.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989 est.) Exports: $21.3 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: crude oil 65%, natural gas, reexports, dried fish, dates partners: Japan 35%, Singapore 6%, US 4%, Korea 3% Imports: $11.0 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: food, consumer and capital goods partners: Japan 14%, UK 10%, US 9%, Germany 9% External debt: $11.0 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: NA Electricity: 5,800,000 kW capacity; 17,000 million kWh produced, 7,115 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: petroleum, fishing, petrochemicals, construction materials, some boat building, handicrafts, pearling Agriculture: accounts for 2% of GDP and 5% of labor force; cash crop - dates; food products - vegetables, watermelons, poultry, eggs, dairy, fish; only 25% self-sufficient in food Economic aid: donor - pledged $9.1 billion in bilateral aid to less developed countries (1979-89) Currency: Emirian dirham (plural - dirhams); 1 Emirian dirham (Dh) = 100 fils Exchange rates: Emirian dirhams (Dh) per US$1 - 3.6710 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year

:United Arab Emirates Communications

Highways: 2,000 km total; 1,800 km bituminous, 200 km gravel and graded earth Pipelines: crude oil 830 km, natural gas, including natural gas liquids, 870 km Ports: Al Fujayrah, Khawr Fakkan, Mina' Jabal `Ali, Mina' Khalid, Mina' Rashid, Mina' Saqr, Mina' Zayid Merchant marine: 55 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,033,866 GRT/1,772,646 DWT; includes 18 cargo, 8 container, 3 roll-on/roll-off, 20 petroleum tanker, 4 bulk, 1 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier Civil air: 10 major transport aircraft Airports: 37 total, 34 usable; 20 with permanent-surface runways; 7 with runways over 3,659 m; 5 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 5 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: adequate system of microwave and coaxial cable; key centers are Abu Dhabi and Dubayy; 386,600 telephones; broadcast stations - 8 AM, 3 FM, 12 TV; satellite communications ground stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 2 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 ARABSAT; submarine cables to Qatar, Bahrain, India, and Pakistan; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave to Saudi Arabia

:United Arab Emirates Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Federal Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 974,288; 533,673 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $1.47 billion, 5.3% of GDP (1989 est.)

:United Kingdom Geography

Total area: 244,820 km2 Land area: 241,590 km2; includes Rockall and Shetland Islands Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon Land boundaries: 360 km; Ireland 360 km Coastline: 12,429 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: as defined in continental shelf orders or in accordance with agreed upon boundaries Exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm Disputes: Northern Ireland question with Ireland; Gibraltar question with Spain; Argentina claims Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas); Argentina claims South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Mauritius claims island of Diego Garcia in British Indian Ocean Territory; Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and Ireland (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area); territorial claim in Antarctica (British Antarctic Territory) Climate: temperate; moderated by prevailing southwest winds over the North Atlantic Current; more than half of the days are overcast Terrain: mostly rugged hills and low mountains; level to rolling plains in east and southeast Natural resources: coal, crude oil, natural gas, tin, limestone, iron ore, salt, clay, chalk, gypsum, lead, silica Land use: arable land 29%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and pastures 48%; forest and woodland 9%; other 14%; includes irrigated 1% Environment: pollution control measures improving air, water quality; because of heavily indented coastline, no location is more than 125 km from tidal waters Note: lies near vital North Atlantic sea lanes; only 35 km from France and now being linked by tunnel under the English Channel

:United Kingdom People

Population: 57,797,514 (July 1992), growth rate 0.3% (1992) Birth rate: 14 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 11 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: NEGL migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 8 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 73 years male, 79 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 1.8 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Briton(s), British (collective pl.); adjective - British Ethnic divisions: English 81.5%, Scottish 9.6%, Irish 2.4%, Welsh 1.9%, Ulster 1.8%, West Indian, Indian, Pakistani, and other 2.8% Religions: Anglican 27.0 million, Roman Catholic 5.3 million, Presbyterian 2.0 million, Methodist 760,000, Jewish 410,000 Languages: English, Welsh (about 26% of population of Wales), Scottish form of Gaelic (about 60,000 in Scotland) Literacy: 99% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write (1978 est.) Labor force: 26,177,000; services 60.6%, manufacturing and construction 27.2%, government 8.9%, energy 2.1%, agriculture 1.2% (June 1991) Organized labor: 40% of labor force (1991)

:United Kingdom Government

Long-form name: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; abbreviated UK Type: constitutional monarchy Capital: London Administrative divisions: 47 counties, 7 metropolitan counties, 26 districts, 9 regions, and 3 islands areas England: 39 counties, 7 metropolitan counties*; Avon, Bedford, Berkshire, Buckingham, Cambridge, Cheshire, Cleveland, Cornwall, Cumbria, Derby, Devon, Dorset, Durham, East Sussex, Essex, Gloucester, Greater London*, Greater Manchester*, Hampshire, Hereford and Worcester, Hertford, Humberside, Isle of Wight, Kent, Lancashire, Leicester, Lincoln, Merseyside*, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland, North Yorkshire, Nottingham, Oxford, Shropshire, Somerset, South Yorkshire*, Stafford, Suffolk, Surrey, Tyne and Wear*, Warwick, West Midlands*, West Sussex, West Yorkshire*, Wiltshire Northern Ireland: 26 districts; Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Londonderry, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh, Strabane Scotland: 9 regions, 3 islands areas*; Borders, Central, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife, Grampian, Highland, Lothian, Orkney*, Shetland*, Strathclyde, Tayside, Western Isles* Wales: 8 counties; Clwyd, Dyfed, Gwent, Gwynedd, Mid Glamorgan, Powys, South Glamorgan, West Glamorgan Independence: 1 January 1801, United Kingdom established Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice Dependent areas: Anguilla, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Jersey, Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands Legal system: common law tradition with early Roman and modern continental influences; no judicial review of Acts of Parliament; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations National holiday: Celebration of the Birthday of the Queen (second Saturday in June) Executive branch: monarch, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or House of Lords and a lower house or House of Commons Judicial branch: House of Lords Leaders: Chief of State: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Heir Apparent Prince CHARLES (son of the Queen, born 14 November 1948) Head of Government: Prime Minister John MAJOR (since 28 November 1990)

:United Kingdom Government

Political parties and leaders: Conservative and Unionist Party, John MAJOR; Labor Party, John SMITH; Liberal Democrats (LD), Jeremy (Paddy) ASHDOWN; Scottish National Party, Alex SALMOND; Welsh National Party (Plaid Cymru), Dafydd Iwan WIGLEY; Ulster Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James MOLYNEAUX; Democratic Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), Rev. Ian PAISLEY; Ulster Popular Unionist Party (Northern Ireland), James KILFEDDER; Social Democratic and Labor Party (SDLP, Northern Ireland), John HUME; Sinn Fein (Northern Ireland), Gerry ADAMS; Alliance Party (Northern Ireland), John ALDERDICE; Democratic Left, Nina TEMPLE Suffrage: universal at age 18 Elections: House of Commons: last held 9 April 1992 (next to be held by NA April 1997); results - Conservative 41.9%, Labor 34.5%, Liberal Democratic 17.9%, other 5.7%; seats - (651 total) Conservative 336, Labor 271, Liberal Democratic 20, other 24 Communists: 15,961 Other political or pressure groups: Trades Union Congress, Confederation of British Industry, National Farmers' Union, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), AsDB, BIS, C, CCC, CDB, CE, CERN, COCOM, CP, CSCE, EBRD, EC, ECA (associate), ECE, ECLAC, EIB, ESCAP, ESA, FAO, G-5, G-7, G-10, GATT, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NATO, NEA, OECD, PCA, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNRWA, UN Security Council, UN Trusteeship Council, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Sir Robin RENWICK; Chancery at 3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008; telephone (202) 462-1340; there are British Consulates General in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, and Consulates in Dallas, Miami, and Seattle US: Ambassador Raymond G. H. SEITZ; Embassy at 24/31 Grosvenor Square, London, W.1A1AE, (mailing address is FPO AE 09498-4040); telephone [44] (71) 499-9000; FAX 409-1637; there are US Consulates General in Belfast and Edinburgh Flag: blue with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) edged in white superimposed on the diagonal red cross of Saint Patrick (patron saint of Ireland) which is superimposed on the diagonal white cross of Saint Andrew (patron saint of Scotland); known as the Union Flag or Union Jack; the design and colors (especially the Blue Ensign) have been the basis for a number of other flags including dependencies, Commonwealth countries, and others Note: Hong Kong is scheduled to become a Special Administrative Region of China in 1997

:United Kingdom Economy

Overview: The UK is one of the world's great trading powers and financial centers, and its economy ranks among the four largest in Europe. The economy is essentially capitalistic with a generous admixture of social welfare programs and government ownership. Prime Minister MAJOR has continued the basic thrust of THATCHER's efforts to halt the expansion of welfare measures and promote extensive reprivatization of the government economic sector. Agriculture is intensive, highly mechanized, and efficient by European standards, producing about 60% of food needs with only 1% of the labor force. Industry is a mixture of public and private enterprises, employing about 27% of the work force and generating 22% of GDP. The UK is an energy-rich nation with large coal, natural gas, and oil reserves; primary energy production accounts for 12% of GDP, one of the highest shares of any industrial nation. In mid-1990 the economy fell into recession after eight years of strong economic expansion, which had raised national output by one quarter. Britain's inflation rate, which has been consistently well above those of her major trading partners, declined significantly in 1991. Between 1986 and 1990 unemployment fell from 11% to about 6%, but crept back up to 8% in 1991 because of the economic slowdown. As a major trading nation, the UK will continue to be greatly affected by world boom or recession, swings in the international oil market, productivity trends in domestic industry, and the terms on which the economic integration of Europe proceeds. GDP: purchasing power equivalent - $915.5 billion, per capita $15,900; real growth rate -1.9% (1991 est.) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 5.8% (1991) Unemployment rate: 8.1% (1991) Budget: revenues $435 billion; expenditures $469 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY92 est.) Exports: $186.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods, transport equipment partners: EC 53.2% (FRG 12.7%, France 10.5%, Netherlands 7.0%), US 12.4% Imports: $211.9 billion (c.i.f., 1991) commodities: manufactured goods, machinery, semifinished goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods partners: EC 52.2% (FRG 15.6%, France 9.3%, Netherlands 8.4%), US 11.5% External debt: $10.5 billion (1990) Industrial production: growth rate 0% (1991) Electricity: 98,000,000 kW capacity; 316,500 million kWh produced, 5,520 kWh per capita (1991)

:United Kingdom Economy

Industries: production machinery including machine tools, electric power equipment, equipment for the automation of production, railroad equipment, shipbuilding, aircraft, motor vehicles and parts, electronics and communications equipment, metals, chemicals, coal, petroleum, paper and paper products, food processing, textiles, clothing, and other consumer goods Agriculture: accounts for only 1.5% of GDP and 1% of labor force; highly mechanized and efficient farms; wide variety of crops and livestock products produced; about 60% self-sufficient in food and feed needs; fish catch of 665,000 metric tons (1987) Economic aid: donor - ODA and OOF commitments (1970-89), $21.0 billion Currency: British pound or pound sterling (plural - pounds); 1 British pound (#) = 100 pence Exchange rates: British pounds (#) per US$1 - 0.5799 (March 1992), 0.5652 (1991), 0.5603 (1990), 0.6099 (1989), 0.5614 (1988), 0.6102 (1987) Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

:United Kingdom Communications

Railroads: Great Britain - 16,629 km total; British Railways (BR) operates 16,629 km 1.435-meter (standard) gauge (4,205 km electrified and 12,591 km double or multiple track); several additional small standard-gauge and narrow-gauge lines are privately owned and operated; Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operates 332 km 1.600-meter gauge, including 190 km double track Highways: UK, 362,982 km total; Great Britain, 339,483 km paved (including 2,573 km limited-access divided highway); Northern Ireland, 23,499 km (22,907 paved, 592 km gravel) Inland waterways: 2,291 total; British Waterways Board, 606 km; Port Authorities, 706 km; other, 979 km Pipelines: crude oil (almost all insignificant) 933 km, petroleum products 2,993 km, natural gas 12,800 km Ports: London, Liverpool, Felixstowe, Tees and Hartlepool, Dover, Sullom Voe, Southampton Merchant marine: 224 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,905,571 GRT/4,840,862 DWT; includes 7 passenger, 21 short-sea passenger, 37 cargo, 27 container, 14 roll-on/roll-off, 10 refrigerated cargo, 1 vehicle carrier, 1 railcar carrier, 66 petroleum tanker, 2 chemical tanker, 9 liquefied gas, 1 combination ore/oil, 1 specialized tanker, 26 bulk, 1 combination bulk Civil air: 618 major transport aircraft Airports: 498 total, 385 usable; 249 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; 37 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 133 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: technologically advanced domestic and international system; 30,200,000 telephones; equal mix of buried cables, microwave and optical-fiber systems; excellent countrywide broadcast systems; broadcast stations - 225 AM, 525 (mostly repeaters) FM, 207 (3,210 repeaters) TV; 40 coaxial submarine cables; 5 satellite ground stations operating in INTELSAT (7 Atlantic Ocean and 3 Indian Ocean), MARISAT, and EUTELSAT systems; at least 8 large international switching centers

:United Kingdom Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Royal Navy (including Royal Marines), Royal Air Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 14,462,820; 12,122,497 fit for military service; no conscription Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $42 billion, 4.3% of GDP (FY91)

:United States Geography