UAE SOCIAL STUDIES
by Katerina Ziouta year 6
Gems First Point School
Population and Religion
The United Arab Emirates has approximately 4.1 million people (2006 estimate) from all over the Arab world, Asia, Europe, Africa and America live. Approximately 80% of the population is non-UAE nationals. The religion that the majority of the population have is Islam but Christianity, Hinduism, etc. are also found. The official language of the UAE is Arabic though other languages like English, Hindi and Farsi are also spoken.
The United Arab Emirates has approximately 4.1 million people (2006 estimate) from all over the Arab world, Asia, Europe, Africa and America live. Approximately 80% of the population is non-UAE nationals. The religion that the majority of the population have is Islam but Christianity, Hinduism, etc. are also found. The official language of the UAE is Arabic though other languages like English, Hindi and Farsi are also spoken.
Where is it located
It is located in the Middle East at the tip of the Arabian Peninsula between 22° 50 and 26° north latitude and between 51° and 56° 25 east longitude (23 49 N, 54 20 E). It is one of the GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council states) and has borders with Saudi Arabia, Oman. It occupies a total of about 83,600 square kilometers (32,400 square miles) and contains 200 islands. |
Currency
The currency used in the United Arab Emirates is called the Dirham and is abbreviated as Dh, Dhs or AED. The sub unit of a Dirham is a fil and 100 fils equal 1 Dirham. The Dirham is tied to the US Dollar at a steady exchange rate of US$ 1 = AED 3.671 though banks, hotels, and airports normally exchange it at 3.65. |
Weather / Climate
In the summer (April to September), temperatures in the UAE will very between 38-48°C (100-118°F) in the daytime while at night it will very between 26-30°C (79-86°F) with high humidity levels. In the winter (October to March), the days are sunny and pleasant with an average of 26°C (79°F), while nights are cool with an average of 15°C (59°F). |
Holidays
Friday and Saturday are the weekend (since Sept. 7, 2006) UAE National Day (2nd December) Zayed's Accession (6th August, celebrated in Abu Dhabi) Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitr (date varies each year) Islamic New Year (date varies each year) New Year's Day (1st January) Christmas Day (25th December, for non-muslims) |