GEOGRAPHY
General Information
The United Arab Emirates is a federal state in the Middle East, located in Western Asia in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
The country's territory area is 83 600 sq. km. The UAE is washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf to the north and west and the Gulf of Oman to the east. A feature of the UAE's geography is that most of the territory of the United Arab Emirates is occupied by desert (Rub' al Khali) – the largest sand-covered area in the world. The coastal areas of the United Arab Emirates are covered with a layer of salt, and there are its deposits, while the northern and eastern regions of the country are covered with greenery. Mountainous relief is characteristic of the northern and eastern regions of the country.
The country possesses significant reserves of natural resources, ranking seventh in the world in proven oil reserves and seventh in natural gas reserves.
Territorially, the federation consists of seven emirates. Abu Dhabi is the largest emirate by area (about 87% of the country's territory), occupying the southern and western part of the federation. It has an extensive coastline along the Persian Gulf and borders Saudi Arabia and Oman. The most important oil and gas fields are located on its territory.
Dubai is the second largest emirate by area, located northeast of Abu Dhabi on the coast of the Persian Gulf. It is the main commercial and financial center of the Middle East.
Sharjah is the third largest emirate, whose territory has an exclave structure. The main part borders Dubai and Ajman and has access to the Persian Gulf.
Ajman is the smallest emirate by area, representing an enclave within the territory of Sharjah with access to the Persian Gulf.
Umm al-Quwain is located between the emirates of Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
Ras al-Khaimah is the northernmost emirate, bordering Oman. It is located in a fertile valley and has access to the Persian Gulf.
Fujairah is the only emirate almost entirely located on the eastern coast of the country on the shore of the Gulf of Oman, in the Hajar Mountains. It does not have access to the Persian Gulf.
Time zone – UTC+4.
State Borders
Length of land border: 867 km.
Length of maritime border: 1318 km.
It borders the following countries:
- Sultanate of Oman (410 km);
- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (457 km).
Climate
The climate of the UAE is hot desert (arid), characterized by a significant difference between day and night temperatures. The country does not have distinct seasons, but two periods are conventionally distinguished: cooler (October-April) and extremely hot (May-September). During the cooler period, the temperature regime varies from +16°C at night to +26°C during the day, while during the warm period the temperature varies from +20°C to +41°C.
Precipitation is rare, mainly in the winter months (December-March), with an annual amount of up to 100 mm. In summer, there is practically no precipitation. Characteristic phenomena, especially in the summer period, are sandstorms.