ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief historical background and a description of major events in United Arab Emirates. It also provides basic political, economic, and social data arranged in the following categories: polity, economy, population, purchasing power parities, life expectancy, ethnic groups, capital, political rights, civil liberties, and status. The chapter discusses the progress and decline of political rights and civil liberties in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Citizens of the UAE cannot change their government democratically. There are no elections at any level, political parties are illegal, and the Federal Supreme Council holds all executive and legislative authority. In January 2001, The Economist reported that the government-funded UAE Marriage Fund warned that marriages between UAE nationals and non-nationals were a threat to social stability, particularly if they involve non-Muslims. Islam is the official religion of the UAE. About 85 percent of citizens are Sunni Muslim, and 15 percent Shiite. About 95 percent of Sunni mosques are government funded or subsidized.
