The United Arab Emirates or U A E is a small country in the Middle East At 32,278 square miles 83,600 square kilometers it is smaller than Portugal or the U S state of Maine Oman shares part of the U A E s eastern border as well as a tiny tip of the north edge The Gulf of Oman lines the remainder of the U A E s eastern side Saudi Arabia borders the country to the south and west The Persian Gulf forms the country’s northern shore The United Arab Emirates is a young country formed by seven independent areas called emirates Abu Dhabi sits along the Persian Gulf It is the capital of the country It is also the name of the largest emirate 4 Where Is the United Arab Emirates
Oman Gulf of Oman Oman N S E 5 W Persian Gulf Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates Saudi Arabia
Al Hajar Mountains Almost all of the U A E s land is covered by the Arabian Desert Its sand dunes and salt flats are interrupted by a few oases In the south Liwa Oasis has some small farmland The Al Hajar Mountains near Oman also break up the flat empty land The tropical desert climate is usually hot and sunny A strong wind called shamal can cause sandstorms and high coastal waves 6 The Land
The Persian Gulf coast is home to numerous islands and coral reefs The U A E has used land building to create more islands and shorelines Irrigation technology brings some new crops and plants to the land Scientists are also working to grow plants in the U A E s northern salt marshes 7
