The Country: United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a country made up of seven 'emirates' Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, Fujairah. It was founded on December 2, 1971. This is now celebrated as the annual National Day. This is when the major cities of the emirates are all brightly lit-up and decorated with lights.
The Geography: The United Arab Emirates is situated on a pensinsula in the Arabian Gulf. It is bordered by Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the west and south. Iran is the closest country to it from the north. The UAE is 83,600 sq.km (including 200 islands - approximately). On the map, it is situated at: Latitudes: 22¼ - 26.5¼ North Longitudes: 51¼ - 56.5¼ East.
Time Zone: The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT.
Telephone: The international dialling code for the UAE is 00 971; Police: 999; Fire: 997
Currency: The United Arab Emirates currency is called the Dirham. Arab Emirate Dirham (Dhs or AED). There are 100 Fils in a Dirham.
Language: The official language of the UAE is Arabic. Other languages spoken are English, Hindi, Farsi. A large number of the expatriate population are from the sub-continent, the Philippines, Iran, and just about any country. So you will find people here speaking Urdu, Tagalog, Malayalam, Russian, South African and languages.
Climate: Moderate climate is found between October and March when days are sunny and pleasant (Average Temperature - 26¼ C). Nights are Cool (average temperature is 15¼ C) Summer is between April and September, when temperatures peak at 50¼ C with high humidity levels. In the summer, southerly and northerly winds blow over the UAE with occasional sandstorms.
