Location: Middle East, along the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia

Map references: Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 75,581 sq km
land area: 75,581 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Maine

Land boundaries: total 867 km, Oman 410 km, Saudi Arabia 457 km

Coastline: 1,318 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: defined by bilateral boundaries or equidistant line
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 3 nm assumed for most of country; 12 nm for Ash Shariqah (Sharjah)

International disputes: location and status of boundary with Saudi Arabia is not final; 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); in 1992, the dispute over Abu Musa and the Tunb islands became more acute when Iran unilaterally tried to control the entry of third country nationals into the UAE portion of Abu Musa island, Tehran subsequently backed off in the face of significant diplomatic support for the UAE in the region

Climate: desert; cooler in eastern mountains

Terrain: flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; mountains in east

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 2%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 98%

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: lack of natural freshwater resources being overcome by desalination plants; desertification; beach pollution from oil spills
natural hazards: frequent dust and sand storms
international agreements: party to - Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

Note: strategic location along southern approaches to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil

NOTE: The information regarding United Arab Emirates on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of United Arab Emirates Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about United Arab Emirates Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.