President, ruler of Abu Dhabi: Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed
Population
10,799,270
5,473,972
Life Expectancy
78.850 years
76.910 years
Capital City
Lisbon
Abu Dhabi
Largest city
Lisbon (population: 517,802)
Dubai (population: 1,137,350)
Human Development Index
0.9
0.903
GDP per capita
$23,000 US
$49,000 US
Literacy Rate
93.3%
77.9%
Corruption Perception Index
6.1
5.9
Percentage of Women in Parliament
28.3%
22.5%
Wealthiest Citizens
Americo Amorim ($3.3bn US)
Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair & family ($7.8bn US)
Unemployment Rate
15.300%
2.400%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Legal
Political System
republic; parliamentary democracy
federation with specified powers delegated to the UAE federal government and other powers reserved to member emirates
Independence date
1143 (Kingdom of Portugal recognized); 5 October 1910 (republic proclaimed)
2 December 1971 (from UK)
Religions
Roman Catholic 84.5%, other Christian 2.2%, other 0.3%, unknown 9%, none 3.9% (2001 census)
Muslim 96% (Shia 16%), other (includes Christian, Hindu) 4%
Languages
Portuguese (official), Mirandese (official - but locally used)
Arabic (official), Persian, English, Hindi, Urdu
Exports
agricultural products, food products, oil products, chemical products, plastics and rubber, skins and leather, wood and cork, wood pulp and paper, textile materials, clothing, footwear, minerals and mineral products, base metals, machinery and tools, vehicles and other transport material, and optical and precision
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6734 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Emirati dirhams (AED) per US dollar - 3.673 (2008 est.), 3.673 (2007), 3.673 (2006), 3.6725 (2005), 3.6725 (2004) note: officially pegged to the US dollar since February 2002
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
2.300%
6.400%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
2
0
Location
Southwestern Europe, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Spain
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia
Area
92,090 km sq
83,600 km sq
Coastline
1,793 km
1,318 km
Climate
maritime temperate; cool and rainy in north, warmer and drier in south