01
Physical geography
Flat, barren coastal plain merging into rolling sand dunes of vast desert; mountains in east.
Local timeAbu Dhabi ·
Asia / Western Asia · Card 048
United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates is a country in Western Asia. Its capital is Abu Dhabi.
Find United Arab Emirates
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Languages
- Arabic
- Currency
- United Arab Emirates dirham (AED)
- Population
- 11.5 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 83,600 km²32,278 square miles
- Independence
- 1971from the UK
United Arab Emirates in context
Asia and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Abu Dhabi; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Arabic.
03
Location
Middle East, bordering the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf, between Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Flag
Three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black, with a wider vertical red band on the left side
History & independence
The emirates had treaty relationships with Britain that placed defense and foreign affairs under British protection. Six emirates formed the United Arab Emirates in December 1971 as those arrangements ended. Ras Al Khaimah joined in 1972, completing the seven-emirate federation.
-
Federation established by six emirates
-
Ras Al Khaimah joins
-
UAE becomes a founding GCC member
Economy
Main activities
Oil and gas are important, especially in Abu Dhabi. Trade, aviation, logistics, tourism, finance, construction and other services diversify the federation’s economic activity.
Industry and production
petroleum and petrochemicals; fishing, aluminum, cement, fertilizer, commercial ship repair, construction materials, handicrafts, textiles
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people11.52025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 286,536 | 0.287 |
| 1980 | 1,015,700 | 1.016 |
| 1990 | 1,898,220 | 1.898 |
| 2000 | 3,493,575 | 3.494 |
| 2010 | 6,869,838 | 6.870 |
| 2020 | 9,401,038 | 9.401 |
| 2025 | 11,513,149 | 11.513 |
Real GDP, 1990–2024
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars457.12024 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 126,196,683,289 | 126.197 |
| 1991 | 127,282,106,423 | 127.282 |
| 1992 | 131,540,051,389 | 131.540 |
| 1993 | 133,198,900,253 | 133.199 |
| 1994 | 142,384,397,291 | 142.384 |
| 1995 | 151,906,594,919 | 151.907 |
| 1996 | 160,714,976,107 | 160.715 |
| 1997 | 173,877,954,757 | 173.878 |
| 1998 | 174,386,072,209 | 174.386 |
| 1999 | 179,446,849,174 | 179.447 |
| 2000 | 198,921,924,880 | 198.922 |
| 2001 | 201,704,686,676 | 201.705 |
| 2002 | 206,612,917,838 | 206.613 |
| 2003 | 224,796,049,037 | 224.796 |
| 2004 | 246,301,222,105 | 246.301 |
| 2005 | 258,259,482,837 | 258.259 |
| 2006 | 283,665,189,298 | 283.665 |
| 2007 | 292,698,259,936 | 292.698 |
| 2008 | 302,040,639,158 | 302.041 |
| 2009 | 286,204,884,319 | 286.205 |
| 2010 | 290,792,319,431 | 290.792 |
| 2011 | 310,381,577,991 | 310.382 |
| 2012 | 324,917,543,198 | 324.918 |
| 2013 | 340,898,452,024 | 340.898 |
| 2014 | 356,691,997,288 | 356.692 |
| 2015 | 381,973,135,513 | 381.973 |
| 2016 | 403,584,799,170 | 403.585 |
| 2017 | 399,301,266,567 | 399.301 |
| 2018 | 405,439,350,953 | 405.439 |
| 2019 | 410,593,665,765 | 410.594 |
| 2020 | 374,898,977,911 | 374.899 |
| 2021 | 391,967,383,830 | 391.967 |
| 2022 | 421,421,867,518 | 421.422 |
| 2023 | 439,547,797,218 | 439.548 |
| 2024 | 457,093,718,949 | 457.094 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.940Very High human developmentRank 15 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.713
20000.790
20100.835
20200.909
20230.940
82.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Federation of monarchies. Federal National Council (Majlis Watani Itihadi) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Knowledge check
Three questions about United Arab Emirates.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which currency is listed for United Arab Emirates?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.