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The land is largely hot, dry desert; in the east is a portion of the Jabal al Akhdar Mts. The economy is dominated by oil, first exploited in the 1960s; oil exports rank among the world's largest, and oil revenues have made the per capita income one of the world's highest. There are also rich natural-gas deposits. The official language is Arabic, but Farsi and English are widely used. Overall governmental authority is invested in the Supreme Council, which consists of the seven sheikhs. |
United Arab Emirates, federation of emirates (pop. 4 mil), (84,000 sq km), SW Asia, on the E Arabian Peninsula, bordered by the Arabian Gulf (N), the Gulf of Oman (E), Oman (S), Saudi Arabia (S, W), and Qatar (NW). It comprises the emirates of Abu Dhabi (with 80% of the area), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al-Qaiwain. The city of Abu Dhabi is the capital.