UnitedArabEmirates-Jake

= United Arab Emirates = Jake

**__Population__**
Total is estimated at 4,621,399

16.06 births/ 1000 population
 * Crude Birth Rate**

2. 13 deaths/ 1000 population
 * Crude Death Rate**

3.833%
 * Rate of Natural Increase**

13.11 deaths/ 1000 live births
 * Infant Mortality Rate**

male: 73.35 years female: 78.56 years total: 75.89
 * Life Expectancy**

23, 700$
 * GNI PPP per capita**

Transitioning between Stage 3 and Stage 4
 * Stage of Demographic Transition**


 * __Immigration Information__

People are coming to the U.A.E. The net migration was 960,000 in 2005, ranking sixth in the world. The number of immigrants that entered the country in 2005 was 3,212,000, ranking 14th in the world. The most significant statistic about U.A.E. immigration is that immigrants comprised 71.4 percent of the total population. This is not only due to the man-power needed to execute the massive construction projects going on, but also to many tourists that are residing in the U.A.E. new tourist destinations. As the tourism industry continues to boom, new workers will be required and more tourists will visit, continuing the trend. The U.A.E. is regarded as one of the most comfortable place in the Middle East and as a premier tourist destination in the world. People will continue to go to the U.A.E. The large amount of workers needed has created a great gender imbalance leaning toward the males. Males greatly out-number females in the U.A.E. I feel like this will eventually create some internal social problems for the U.A.E. The country I feel is a tourist kingdom. I feel eventually that the percent of immigrants in the country will reach over 90%

See the [|Population Pyramid]**

Folk and Popular Culture links: http://www.sagroupuae.com/uae-culture.asp http://www.grapeshisha.com/UAE-names.html http://www.grapeshisha.com/traditional-sports.html

__**Language**__

The UAE has made its official language Arabic. Over 90% of the country's inhabitants speak this language. Arabic is the largest living language of the Semetic family. Arabic acts toward the Islamic world as Latin has toward most European languages, contributing many words and roots. The type of Arabic spoken primarily in the UAE is Gulf Arabic. Arabic derives its alphabet from the Arabaic system. You can find people speaking a number of other languages in the UAE including: English, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, Russian, Swahili, Swedish, Serbian, Sinhala, Somali, Japanese, Malay, Bengali, nad Egyptian Spoken Arabic.

Here is a link with a wide range of information about the UAE: http://www.hejleh.com/countries/uae.html

Here is a link of the Arabic alphabet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI3oBB_n1AU


 * Religion**

80 percent of the U.A.E.'s inhabitants are not citizens. This makes any historical religion hard to find. This makes the history of religion in the U.A.E. not very interesting. 85 percent of citizens in the U.A.E. are Sunni Muslims. The other 15 percent are comprised mostly of Shia Muslims. Overall, 76 percent of people are Muslim, 9 percent are Christian, 5 percent Hindu, and the remaining percents are "others". The U.A.E. is relatively close to the hearth of Islam in modern day Saudi Arabia. This allowed easy diffusion of Muslims into the area of modern day U.A.E. There have been no major religious conflicts in the country. There have been some feelings that Islam was being forced onto people, but it is hard to tell. There has also been a constant underlying anti-semetic feeling in the U.A.E.

Link about religion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_religion_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates 

__ETHNICITY__ The UAE is one of the most diverse countries in the Middle East. This is due to the great influx of foreign workers immigrating into the country to work on the immense construction project taking place such as in Dubai. The population includes 19% Emirati, 23% Arab and Iranian, 50% South Asian and 8% other. There are a lot of Somali refugees currently in the UAE due to the Somali civil war. Due to the high living conditions in the country, it is a popular destination for Indians, Pakistanis, Afghans, and Filipinos. With the many ethnic groups in the country, there is surprisingly little conflict. Most of the conflict lies within domestic disputes and is rarely over the subject of ethnicity. A large number of expatriates call the UAE home due to its warm climate and developing technology. Less than 20% of people living in the UAE are citizens. This prevents strong cultural ethnicity from taking root. 

__**DEVELOPMENT **__  **The UAE has an open economy with a high per capita income. It is a MDC. The UAE has become extremely rich from abundant natural resources including oil, and natural gas. The UAE have a high HDI** for the Asian continent, ranking 39th globally. Quality of life has increased dramatically as the country is investing great amounts of money in tourism and infrastructure. Places such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE are becoming the premier vacation destinations in the world. Dubai is currently undergoing massive transformations and is now the model for new development. The **HDI** is currently at .868 which is very high especially for an Asian nation. As the country becomes richer, more people are gaining access to the Internet and public transportation has greatly increased. The country contains: 2.3 million Internet users, 39 airports, 4,080 km of roadway, and 5 major seaports. The country is also progressing greatly in women's rights and mass education. GDP: $ 186.4 billion GDP (official exchange rate): $ 270 billion GDP - real growth rate: 8.5% GDP - per capita: $ 40,400 GDP - composition by sector: agriculture 1.6% industry 61.8% services 36.6%  https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ae.html 
 * __AGRICULTURE__ **

In the UAE only about 81,000 hectares or 200,000 acres of land are cultivated each year. This is partly due to the desert landscape which creates a lot of infertile soil. About 24% of cultivated land is used to grow vegetables, 30% fruit, 10% feed crops, and 36% for other uses. The most productive region is Ra's al-Khaimah, which receives underground water supplies from the nearby mountains of Oman and which enjoys the most plentiful rainfall. The main crops are tomatoes, melons, and dates. The UAE currently satisfies about 60% of its domestic fruit and vegetable demand; bans on imports of certain vegetables and government incentives and subsidies are used to encourage domestic production. Roses and chrysanthemums are grown for export to Europe. Climatically, the country is divided into two ecological zones which greatly influence the agricultural production: These are the coastal region with hot and humid summers and warm winters, and the inland region which is more dryer.

Farms and forests now cover 4.5% of the land, and over 200 of the UAE islands have been partially greenified. There are 6313 greenhouses and 22,797 farms spread throughout the country - 12,021 of these have been started in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi since 1993. Around the Liwa Oasis alone more than 40,500 ha (100,000 ac) of desert has been converted into cultivated land.

In the Emirate of Abu Dhabi alone, some 130 million trees have been planted. In order to protect cities from sandstorms, green belts have been created. To supply the needed greenery, nurseries have been established to grow decorative flowers and environmental trees. The total annual production of flower saplings reached 20 million and tree saplings 1.5 million in 1999.

http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/United-Arab-Emirates-AGRICULTURE.html http://study4uae.com/vb/study4uae112/article20213/  =INDUSTRY The UAE has been producing oil for many years, generating huge profits. The UAE benefits by being located on the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, allowing oil tankers to access the UAE's oil at a reasonable price. Currently the UAE is spending billions of dollars in the tourism industry. Places such as Dubai are groundbreaking developmental areas. Dubai is developing into one of the most expensive places in the world. According to the statistics of UAE's Ministry of Finance and Industry, there were 2,153 registered industrial establishments in 2000 (up from 1,261 in 1995) employing 176,260 people. Forty percent of the units—854—were in Dubai, which also accounted for 46.7% of industrial investment ($3.6 billion of $7.76 billion). Abu Dhabi accounted for 25% of investment ($2 billion) but only 10% of industrial units (235). Sharjah and Ras Al-Kaimah had industrial investment of $790 million and $763 million, respectively, each about 10% of the total. Outside of the oil sector, chemicals commanded the largest portion of investment (14.5%), with food and beverages second (11.2%). Metal production accounted for 3.6% of industrial investment and garments 0.8%. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/United-Arab-Emirates-INDUSTRY.html  =

SERVICE

The market grew 41% from 2006, to reach $791 million, driven by a transition from infrastructure investment to more strategic, services-intensive IT projects. The growing maturity of the market was also marked by the fact that systems integration services constituted the biggest part of the market, at 19%, over taking infrastructure related services such as hardware and software integration for the first time. Outsourcing services were also in demand, taking up 18.1% of the market. Government, finance and construction/agriculture/mining sectors were the leading customers for services. http://www.itp.net/news/531008-uae-services-market-hits-791-million

The education system through secondary level is monitored by the Ministry of Education. It consists of primary schools, middle schools and high schools. The public schools are government-funded and the curriculum is created to match the United Arab Emirates development's goals and values. The medium of instruction in the public school is Arabic with emphasis on English as a second language. There are also many private schools which are internationally accredited. Public schools in the country are free for citizens of the UAE, while the fees for private schools vary. The higher education system is monitored by the Ministry of Higher Education to serve and protect children's education. The Ministry also is responsible for admitting students to its [|undergraduate] institutions, including the five largest centers of higher education: [|Abu Dhabi University],[|United Arab Emirates University], [|Zayed University], [|Gulf Medical College] and [|Higher Colleges of Technology]. There are also many other private universities and colleges in the country, including the [|University of Sharjah], [|University of Wollongong in Dubai], [|American University of Sharjah], [|Institute of Management Technology] Dubai, [|S.P Jain Center of Management in Dubai], [|Al Ain University of Science and Technology], the [|American University of Dubai] and Ras Al Khamiah University for medical and health sciences. Finally, other universities based in foreign countries have established campuses in the United Arab Emirates. For instance, there is a Paris-Sorbonne campus in Abu Dhabi. In addition, the presence of the world-renowned institute [|BITS,Pilani] has taken Dubai to new educational heights. The UAE has shown a strong interest in improving education and research. Enterprises include the establishment of the CERT Research Centers and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and institute for enterprise development.

Dubai has a public transport agency called the [|Dubai Roads and Traffic Authority] (RTA). This authority is responsible for the bus network currently in operation. Recently, the RTA purchased 300 buses from Germany's MAN AG in an effort to reduce the city's growing traffic problem. RTA is also developing the [|Dubai Metro] system. The first line (Red Line) is expected to be completed by September 2009. The yellow lines, currently in development, will go through the man-made [|Palm Islands]. Lately, the Emirate of Dubai created a new electronic toll collection system in July 2007, which emphasizes the system’s congestion management objectives as well as the choice of technology for the toll system. The new system, which is called [|Salik] (meaning clear and smooth in Arabic) utilizes the latest technology to achieve free flow operation with no toll booths, no toll collectors, and no impact to traffic flow, allowing vehicles to move freely through the toll point at highway speeds. Each time one passes through a Salik toll point, the toll of AED 4 (1.09 USD) is deducted from his or her prepaid toll account using advanced Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. The new system was implemented by the Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai.[|[][|30][|]]  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates

Services in the UAE consist mostly of services with a high range. People travel from different countries to work, mostly in construction. Other services include world class tourism, which has a high threshold and a high range. The UAE is dependent greatly on many people coming to visit their country and the great numbers of people will generate great amounts of revenue.

URBAN PATTERNS


 * ** The government of the UAE has provided housing for its people that is on a par with the most developed areas of the developed world. In the past, many people lived in tents or small houses made of palm fronds while in the mountains, there were small stone dwellings sheltering people from the weather. Even in the towns, housing was very basic -- huts of palm fronds or coral from the sea. And needless to say, the lack of power supplies meant that such conveniences as air-conditioning were unheard of. **
 * All that has now changed, and however nostalgic people are for the simpler life of the past, no one ever laments the absence of the housing of those days. The government has built in rural areas over 50,000 houses which have been given free of charge to citizens. New villages and settlements have been established so that people can have comfortable housing as well as access to schools and medical clinics. **
 * The country's larger towns have become cities. In Abu Dhabi alone, the government has built more than 35,000 apartments which have been given to citizens through long-term soft loans. The idea is that the citizens can lease the apartments in order to produce income. Housing at low- and controlled-rent has also been built all over the country for both citizens and expatriates. **
 * At the upper end of the market, the country is a veritable exhibition of the latest in modern architecture, much of it with an Islamic influence. Luxury apartments, sumptuous villas, the latest supermarkets and office blocks create an architectural display which is equalled nowhere in the world. **
 * The advances in education, health care and housing all require support in the form of dependable supplies of water and electricity, roads, communications and other facilities. And the Emirates has produced a state well-equipped with all of these. **
 * Electric power stations and desalination plants, often fuelled by gas from the country's oil fields, ensure a constant supply of water and electricity for residential, industrial or agricultural consumption. **
 * Several thousand kilometres of the most modern tarmac roads now link every part of the country with every other part. Journeys which once took days or weeks can now be performed in a few hours at the most. These roads have been invaluable in moulding the country into a single nation as well as in facilitating the ancient UAE tradition of sea-borne trade and commerce. **
 * Because of its modern roads and ports, the country has once again become a centre of maritime trade for the whole of the Arabian peninsula and the Indian Ocean region. **
 * The three principal ports of the UAE -- Port Rashid in Dubai, the Port of Fujairah and the Port of Jebel Ali -- handle a total of over 1.5 million container units a year. Business through the country's smaller ports brings the total to well over 2.5 million units annually. There are now more than a dozen ports in the country with more than 200 berths used not only for imports and exports but also for transshipment throughout the region. (As a measure of progress, in 1971 there were two ports and 18 berths in the country.) **
 * The country's airports at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah and Al Ain handle several million passengers annually either as visitors or in transit. These passengers are transported by most of the world's major carriers and have made the UAE one of the busiest aviation hubs. The country also has two international carriers of its own -- Emirates and the regional airline, Gulf Air, jointly owned by three neighbouring states. **
 * As a further complement to the country's rapid movement into the modern age, there is an enviable telecommunications network. Over half a million telephone lines are now operating in the country. There are also 6000 international circuits, sufficient to handle the traffic for even the UAE's thriving business community. Four satellite earth stations also transmit information and pictures about the UAE all over the world.

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT ** DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — When it comes to squandering the earth's natural resources, residents of this desert land of chilled swimming pools, monster 4x4s and air-conditioned malls are on a par with even the ravenous consumption of Americans, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The average person in the Emirates puts more demand on the global ecosystem than any other, giving the country the world's largest per-capita "ecological footprint," WWF data shows. The United States runs second. But the oil-rich Emirates is considered a developing country, and even as a signatory to the United Nations' Kyoto protocol on global warming, is not required to cut emissions. The United States is not bound by Kyoto. Even so, the Emirates government has been embarrassed by the WWF report, which it says is flawed. The federal environment agency is devising strategies to cut emissions, including a public campaign that may offer economic incentives to those who turn down their air conditioning, said Saad al-Numairy, an adviser to the agency. "We have an action plan," al-Numairy said. "But we are a multicultural country with 180 nationalities. It's not going to be easy." Energy consumption in the Emirates runs high for many of the same reasons found in the United States: a feeling that the good life requires huge air-conditioned houses and cars, and a disdain for public transportation. Making matters worse are Dubai's audacious developments, including artificial resort islands that have destroyed coral reefs and an indoor ski slope that still creates snow when it is 120 degrees outside. "Of all the places to make artificial snow, this has to be the most absurd," said Jonathan Loh, a British biologist who co-authored the WWF report. Nearby Kuwait, another scorching-hot Persian Gulf oil producer, ranked fifth in the WWF report. Finland was third and Canada fourth. Environmental officials here say the Emirates ranking is based on outdated information, since the WWF report relies on 2003 data that estimates the country's population at 3 million when it is closer to 5 million. "It's a fact of life that the UAE will always have a large ecological footprint because of where we are," said Habiba al-Marashi, who chairs the Emirates Environmental Group. "But to be classified as the worst, that hurts. We don't think the report is on solid ground." Loh acknowledged that factoring in more accurate population figures might put UAE in second place just behind the United States, but "it's still going to show that the UAE is right on the top of the scale." The country's full damage is not tallied because the WWF study ignores aircraft emissions, Loh said. The UAE emirate of Dubai claims one of the world's busiest airports. The WWF rankings are measured in "global hectares" - the area of biologically productive land and sea needed to provide the resources consumed by an average person. The Emirates' ecological footprint measured 11.9 global hectares per person, compared to 9.6 hectares per person for the United States and a global average of 2.2 hectares a person. The country took the top spot because its energy consumption is high and emissions are spread among a small population, Loh said. The country's landscape offers little help. Undulating sand dunes and jagged mountains of bare rock offer precious little greenery to soak up carbon emissions. One focal point for Dubai's emissions is the red-and-white smokestacks jutting from gas-fired power plants and an aluminum smelter that line the beach on the city's outskirts. The plants do double duty distilling fresh water from Gulf seawater, an energy-intensive process that accounts for 98 percent of the fresh water in a country with no rivers and little usable groundwater. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi desalinated water is lavished, Las Vegas-style, on fountains, artificial lakes, swimming pools, resort greenery and golf courses sitting atop once drifting desert sands. Desalination also produces most fresh water in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Gulf countries that also showed high footprints. Due to the country's small size, carbon emissions and consumption in the Emirates are a tiny fraction of that of the United States, and Loh said most efforts to cut greenhouse gases need to concentrate on America and other large industrial countries. But unlike in the United States, energy consumption has not emerged as an issue. The Emirates, like the rest of the oil-producing Gulf states, was until the 1960s an impoverished desert country whose residents survived through subsistence fishing, farming and small-time trade. Now, the government's energy subsidies give Emirates citizens free water and cheap electricity. Gasoline sells for around $1.70 per gallon. "Really, we're happy to be rich now," said Majid al-Mansouri, who heads the environment agency serving Abu Dhabi. The WWF has asked the Emirates government to cut energy use and move toward renewable energy, especially solar power viable in one of the world's sunniest climates. Al-Mansouri said the country was looking to make improvements, such as running publicly owned vehicles on compressed natural gas - which is cleaner burning but still emits globe-warming carbon dioxide. The state oil company has eliminated 80 percent of its wasteful flaring off of natural gas at oil wellheads, he said. Other projects once considered environmentally friendly here are being re-evaluated. ||