The United Arab Emirates (also the UAE or the Emirates) is a Middle Eastern country situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Southwest Asia on the Persian Gulf, comprising seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Ajmān, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Quwain. Before 1971, they were known as the Trucial States or Trucial Oman, in reference of a nineteenth-century truce between Britain and several Arab Sheikhs. It borders Oman and Saudi Arabia. The country is rich in oil.
The UAE lies in Southwest Asia, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian
Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia. It is a flat, barren coastal plain merging
into rolling sand dunes of vast desert wasteland; with mountains in the east.
Desert land covers over 90% of the country [11]. Its strategic location along
southern approaches to the Strait of Hormuz makes it a vital transit point for
world crude oil.
UAE has one of the most diverse populations in the Middle East. Since the
mid-1980s, people from all across South Asia have settled in the UAE. UAE's
better living standards and high economic opportunities have made it an
attractive destination for Indians and Pakistanis.
The most populated city is Dubai, with approximately 1.2 million people. Other
major cities include Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, and Fujairah.
About 88% of the population of the United Arab Emirates is urban. The remaining
live in tiny towns scattered throughout the country or many of the desert
oilfield camps.