United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates is situated at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula, with Abu Dhabi as its capital and Dubai, the most populous city, as its international hub. It is a federation of seven emirates, comprising Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. The Emirates have Islam as the official religion and Arabic as the official language. The United Arab Emirates has the sixth and seventh largest oil and gas reserves in the world. The area is made up of a mixed environment of rocky deserts, coastal plains and wetlands, and waterless mountains. The coast is a haven for migratory waterfowl and attracts birdwatchers from all around the world. The country's pristine beaches and lavish resorts also attract international travelers. The country provides a variety of habitats for wildlife, including coastline, offshore islands, mangroves, mudflats, salt pans, sand and gravel plains, sand dunes, hillsides, wadis and rocky peaks. The diversity of the terrain means that it is home to more plant and animal species than would be expected in this relatively small country. In the United Arab Emirates, more than four hundred species of birds have been documented, of which around ninety species breed regularly in the country, while the rest are winter visitors, migrants or vagrants. The waters of the Persian Gulf along Abu Dhabi are home to the largest Indo-Pacific Humpbacked Dolphin population in the world. And large terrestrial mammals still found in the UAE include the Arabian Tahr, the Arabian Oryx and the Sand Gazelle.