United Arab Emirates: map, flag, capital and key facts
The United Arab Emirates is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 11.5 million people (2025) and an area of 98,648 square kilometres. Its capital is Abu Dhabi, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of the United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of the United Arab Emirates's 4, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 4
A desert federation perched on a critical strait
The UAE occupies a stretch of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula along the Persian Gulf, with a small enclave on the Gulf of Oman that reaches the Indian Ocean without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20 percent of the world's oil transits Hormuz, and the UAE's Fujairah port on the east coast provides the bypass. The country is mostly flat desert, but its position between Asia, Africa, and Europe, all within an eight-hour flight, has made it a major logistics and aviation hub.
More on Fujairah
The only UAE emirate with no Persian Gulf coastline, Fujairah sits on the Gulf of Oman and hosts a major oil storage and bunkering facility where ships refuel.
3 more lenses on the United Arab Emirates in the app
STORY A country where citizens are the minority
NOW The UAE is buying its way to global indispensability
THREAD The UAE projects influence far beyond its size
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of the United Arab Emirates?
The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi lies at about 24.5 degrees north and 54.4 degrees east. The United Arab Emirates is in Asia, in the region often called Middle East. It is home to about 11.5 million people.
What is the population of the United Arab Emirates?
About 11.5 million people live in the United Arab Emirates, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 85th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 98,648 square kilometres, that is about 117 people per square kilometre.
What countries border the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates shares land borders with 2 countries: Oman and Saudi Arabia. The map on this page outlines each of them around the United Arab Emirates. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake.
How big is the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates covers 98,648 square kilometres, or about 38,088 square miles. That makes it the 109th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 11.5 million gives a density of 117 people per square kilometre.
The United Arab Emirates is a country in Asia, in Middle East, with about 11.5 million people (2025) and an area of 98,648 square kilometres. Its capital is Abu Dhabi, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Abu Dhabi
Continent
Asia
Region
Middle East
Population
11,513,149 2025, World Bank. 85th of 195.
Area
98,648 km² (38,088 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 109th largest of 195.
Population density
117 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: Oman, Saudi Arabia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A desert federation perched on a critical strait
The UAE occupies a stretch of the southeastern Arabian Peninsula along the Persian Gulf, with a small enclave on the Gulf of Oman that reaches the Indian Ocean without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Roughly 20 percent of the world's oil transits Hormuz, and the UAE's Fujairah port on the east coast provides the bypass. The country is mostly flat desert, but its position between Asia, Africa, and Europe, all within an eight-hour flight, has made it a major logistics and aviation hub.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/united-arab-emirates/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
United Arab Emirates
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Colour the United Arab Emirates on the map, then fill in what you find.
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Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/united-arab-emirates/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
