Map of the Middle East and United Arab Emirates
Flag of the United Arab Emirates
History of the UAE
For many years, Great Britain controlled the area that is now known as the United Arab Emirates. The area was not made up of countries, but of many different tribes of people ruled by their own individual leaders, or sheikhs. By 1966 it became clear the British government could no longer afford to govern it anymore and they could not protect the sheikhdoms, or kingdoms, from invasion like they had promised. In 1972, seven of these sheikhdoms joined together in a union to form what is now known as the United Arab Emirates.
Geography of the UAE
The United Arab Emirates is mostly made up of desert. Only 2% of their land can grow food. The country gets very little rain. The coast goes for more than 650 kilometers along the the Persian Gulf, and also for about 90 kilometers along the Gulf of Oman. It is located between Oman and Saudi Arabia on the Arabian Peninsula. Most of the coast consists of beaches and also salt pans, or flat areas of land covered in salt, that extend far inland.
There are also many man made islands located off the coast for the people to use. Many have been formed into shapes that can be seen from space, like a palm tree. There have been entire neighborhoods built out onto these man made islands.
South and west of Abu Dhabi, one of UAE's major cities, there are vast, rolling sand dunes. The desert area of Abu Dhabi includes two important oases with a lot of water for people to use. In the oases grow date palms, acacia, and eucalyptus trees. In the desert there are not many plants, mostly there are grasses and thornbushes. The local animals have come close to extinction because of intensive hunting.
The Hajar Mountains (Arabic for stone mountains) are located in the eastern part of the country. They are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian peninsula. Many plants like wild olive, fig, and pomegranate trees grow in this region. Many species of lizards and the endangered Arabian leopard are found only in this area as well.
The climate of the UAE generally is very hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above 40 °C. In the Al Hajar Mountains, temperatures are considerably cooler, and the average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10 and 14 °C.
There are also many man made islands located off the coast for the people to use. Many have been formed into shapes that can be seen from space, like a palm tree. There have been entire neighborhoods built out onto these man made islands.
South and west of Abu Dhabi, one of UAE's major cities, there are vast, rolling sand dunes. The desert area of Abu Dhabi includes two important oases with a lot of water for people to use. In the oases grow date palms, acacia, and eucalyptus trees. In the desert there are not many plants, mostly there are grasses and thornbushes. The local animals have come close to extinction because of intensive hunting.
The Hajar Mountains (Arabic for stone mountains) are located in the eastern part of the country. They are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arabian peninsula. Many plants like wild olive, fig, and pomegranate trees grow in this region. Many species of lizards and the endangered Arabian leopard are found only in this area as well.
The climate of the UAE generally is very hot and dry. The hottest months are July and August, when average maximum temperatures reach above 40 °C. In the Al Hajar Mountains, temperatures are considerably cooler, and the average minimum temperatures in January and February are between 10 and 14 °C.
The Biggest Cities of the UAE
The United Arab Emirates' greatest natural resource is oil. Since the 1960s they have been a large producer of the world's oil supply. This has made them very rich and has made their economy very strong. Because of this, some cities in the UAE have become some of the biggest and most famous in the world.
Dubai
Population: 2,106,533
Dubai is located on the Persian Gulf in the north-eastern part of the United Arab Emirates. It is the city with the most people in the whole country. Originally, the city grew larger because of the oil industry, but now they are more reliant on tourism and business investment. Dubai is known for its modern architecture. They have built the tallest building in the world, the Burj Kahlifa (828 m) as well as many other famous buildings. Dubai is the 22nd most expensive city in the world, and was ranked as the best place to live in the Middle East. Dubai has a hot desert climate. Summers in Dubai are extremely hot, windy, and humid, with an average high around 41 °C.
Abu Dhabi
Population: 1,935,234
Abu Dhabi is the second largest city in the UAE. The city is located on an island off the coast of the UAE in the Persian Gulf. Originally, the city depended on the pearl trade. The Persian Gulf was the best location for pearls. Pearl divers dove for one to one-and-a-half minutes, and would have dived up to thirty times per day without oxygen tanks. The divers would make their money on the sale of the pearls. When the Japanese invented a way to grow pearls, natural pearls lost their value, and the Abu Dhabi pearl divers lost their jobs. Soon after, they discovered oil in the area. Ever since then, Abu Dhabi has been one of the largest producers of oil in the world. The city has grown very large, and is considered to be the richest city in the world. Abu Dhabi has a hot desert climate and sunny blue skies can be expected throughout the year.
Culture of UAE
The United Arab Emirates has a diverse, cosmopolitan and multicultural society. The country's original people has changed with the arrival of people from other countries to help build their large cities. The UAE is a Muslim country, and 5 times a day, the Muslims are called to prayer. A call is made on a loud speaker from the minaret of the mosque, and the whole city can hear it. The weekend begins on Friday due to Friday being the holiest day for Muslims. Most Muslim countries have a Friday-Saturday or Thursday-Friday weekend. Major holidays in Dubai include Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, a religious time when Muslims must fast from sunrise to sunset, and National Day (2 December), which marks the formation of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is much more liberal than Saudi Arabia. Emiratis are known for their religious tolerance, even churches and Hindu temples can be found there.
Many of the older Emirati men prefer wearing the traditional Emirati clothes, such as the kandoora, an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton while many local women wear an abaya, a black over-garment covering most parts of the body. This attire is particularly well-suited for the UAE's hot and dry climate. Western-style clothing is also fairly popular, especially among the Emirati youth.
Many of the older Emirati men prefer wearing the traditional Emirati clothes, such as the kandoora, an ankle-length white shirt woven from wool or cotton while many local women wear an abaya, a black over-garment covering most parts of the body. This attire is particularly well-suited for the UAE's hot and dry climate. Western-style clothing is also fairly popular, especially among the Emirati youth.