The UAE is located in the Middle East along the southern most part of the Arabian Peninsula. The UAE spans 83,600 kilometres and is comprised of seven sheikhdoms:
1) Abu Dhabi
2) Dubai
3) Sharjah
4) Ras Al Khaimah
5) Fujairah
6) Umm Al Quwain and
7) Ajman.
The federal capital is Abu Dhabi.
The UAE was established on December 2, 1971 following Great Britain's withdrawal from the Arabian Gulf's coastal region. A large percentage of the population is foreign. The local population, known as Emiratis, account for approximately 20% of the entire population. Europeans, Arab Nationals, Asians and Americans make up the balance of the population.
English is the country's business language and Arabic is the country's official language. The two main cities in the UAE, Abu Dhabi and Dubai are 160 kilometres apart (100 miles).
Abu Dhabi is the country's administrative centre and key hub for oil and gas operations. Dubai with it’s slightly faster pace of life has acquired international acclaim for its trade related achievements, world class shopping, real estate developments and international sporting events. The Royal family are his Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of the UAE, and his Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
The United Arab Emirates is home to a rich cultural heritage that has been strongly influenced by the resourcefulness of its people who exploited the harsh environment of the region to the limit. This resilience, in the face of extreme hardship, was supported by society’s tribal structure, which has bound peoples together since successive waves of migration, beginning over 2,500 years ago, brought Arab tribes to the region. The varied terrain that these peoples inhabited, i.e. desert, oasis, mountains and coast, dictated the traditional