Unit 1
Unit 1 of human geography consists of the geography, location, climate, and the physical characteristics of a place. Based on information collected about the United Arab Emirates (UAE), each of these concepts can be applied to it. In this report, each of these concepts that are listed will be presented to fit the present United Arab Emirates.
The United Arab Emirates is situated in the Middle East/Southwest Asia bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Its coordinates that consist of latitude and longitude are 23.4241° N, 53.8478° E. The United Arab Emirates is bordered by 3 countries—Saudi Arabia, Oman, and it has maritime borders with Iran. It is made up of a mainland and a few islands, some which are natural and some which are man-made. Most of the mainland is a desert wasteland with rolling sand dunes with a few oases. The landscape is mostly flat in exception of the mountains in the northeast, which range up to a height of 2,500 meters. It also has mangrove coasts which are found on seacoasts. Including its islands, the total area of the United Arab Emirates is 32,278 mi².
Because of being mostly desert, the climate of the United Arab Emirates is generally hot and dry. The months when it is driest and hottest are July and August, and the months when it is coolest are January and February, typically in the mountains. The average temperature on the coastal plain is 97℉, while the average temperature in the mountains is 50℉. Summers are extremely hot, having an average temperature of 106℉, while during the winter the average temperature is 75℉. The region is also prone to dust storms and violent winds. Dust storms are common in the desert wasteland and can severely reduce visibility, prolonging trips. During late summer, a southeastern wind known as the sharqi humidifies the land, making travelling and settling uncomfortable during its duration.
To conclude, the concepts of geography, location, climate, and different physical characteristics can apply to the United Arab Emirates.
Unit 2
Unit 2 of human geography consists of population and migration. With various sources the population and migration trends can be found and presented for the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
From the 2016 national census, the population in the United Arab Emirates was estimated at 9.27 million people. Since 2016, the annual change has been an increase of 1.2%, which indicated an increase in migrants because the United Arab Emirates had a below average total fertility rate (TFR). According to the population pyramid of 2018, a large portion , typically in their 30s or 40s. Migrants usually are from lesser developed countries, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India. Most migrants come to the United Arab Emirates because of its demand of foreign labor from men in neighboring countries. Because the population of the United Arab Emirates was low during the time when the country is starting to develop, the demand for work increases. However, because most of the migrants came from countries where Islam is the dominant religion, the United Arab Emirates’s primary religion is Islam, influenced by all the migrants that settled in the country. Besides the demand for labor, there are other pull factors that affected the population of the country. One example is cultural diversity and religious freedom, As mentioned before, the primary religion of the United Arab Emirates is Islam, therefore being a relatively safe place for Islamic migrants. Another pull factor is a very low rate of crime and gender equality. According to GulfNews.com, the country has one of the lowest rates of crime with a rate of 16, and is ranked one of the highest for treating women with respect and female empowerment. On the other hand, the United Arab Emirates have some push factors as well, such as harsh climate and work bans, which also affect the population in a negative way.
All in all, the concepts of population and migration are explained from data collected from different sources, and explains how the population increased and decreased through migration in time.
Unit 3
Unit 3 of human geography describes the aspects of culture, religion,, ethnicity, and race of a country. These terms can also be applied to the United Arab Emirates through various examples and data provided through different sources.
Culturally, the United Arab Emirates have been heavily influenced by Islamic, Persian, and Arabian cultures, showing traces of all in the country’s own culture. Examples of types of culture that are influenced by these parent cultures include folk music, architecture, food, and lifestyle. Folk music is considered as a popular culture in the United Arab Emirates. A type of folk music that is popular is liwa, which is a type of music and dance that is performed in communities where the descendants of the Bantu people of the African Great Lakes region reside. The country also has popular music which has diffused from around the world, such as rock and metal, and eventually bands were formed to produce these kinds of music.
The primary religion of the United Arab Emirates is Islam, which consists of the entire population. However, 85% of the population is Sunni Muslim, while the remaining 15% of the population is Shi’a. In terms of ethnic makeup, 11.6% of the population is Emirati, 59.4% is South Asian, 38.2% Indian, 10.2% Egyptian, 9.4% Pakistani, 6.1% Filipino, and 12.8% other
To conclude, the concepts of culture, religion, race, and ethnicity are present in the United Arab Emirates.
Unit 4
Unit 4 of human geography presents the political geography of a country. With sources and maps, the political geography of the United Arab Emirates can be described.
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of 7 states, and is considered part of the Arabian Peninsula. Its capital is Abu Dhabi, which is located on the northern coast of the country. The United Arab Emirates have two borders–the northern border being the Persian Gulf, and the southern border consists of geometric boundaries that separates the country from Saudi Arabia and Oman. The country is involved in several supranational organizations such as the United Nations, Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), and the Non-Aligned Movement. These organizations show how the United Arab Emirates are involved in international affairs.
The United Arab Emirates is a federal absolute monarchy sovereign state, which is ruled by a single monarch over all 7 states. During the British Era, the British invaded the 6 emirates. However, at December 2, 1971, the 6 emirates–Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Al Fujayrah, Sharjah, and Quwayn–declared their independence, thus forming the United Arab Emirates. The United Arab Emirates is an example of a nation state, which is a country that is homogenous to language and common heritage. The concept nation-state applies to the United Arab Emirates because the primary language in the country is Arabic, while most of its citizens are identified as Arabic. Before the United Arab Emirates was even formed, there was little signs of nationalism within the population. But because of the large influx of immigrants from neighboring countries, it strengthened the sense of nationalism within the population.
To conclude, the political and nationalistic aspect of the United Arab Emirates can be explained through various sources and historical facts.
Unit 5
Unit 5 of human geography describes the topic of agriculture. Every country has an unique agriculture, and the United Arab Emirates is no exception. In this paper the agriculture of the United Arab Emirates will be explained, as well as other details.
In the late 1900s, agriculture in the United Arab Emirates was a minor part of the economy, only contributing less than 4% of the country’s GDP (gross domestic product). Part of the problem is that only 0.44856% of the land is arable. Besides lack of arable land, intense heat and limited water supplies also made agriculture difficult in the region. However, as the country developed, the demand of fresh and organic produce encouraged agriculture development. As a result, crops such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant, and cauliflower are grown. Because of the limiting factors that prevented the advancing of agricultural development, the use of the latest technology is heavily depended on. An example of this kind of technology is hydroponic technology, which relied on nutrient-rich waters to grow plants with the use of little to no soil. This kind of technology allowed for the obstacles of agricultural development to be overcome.
The use of GMOs have been a controversial topic for many countries for several decades. Many people in the United Arab Emirates do not support the use and consumption of genetically modified foods, but officials say that there is little reason to keep GMOs outside of the country. Because agriculture is very limited in the United Arab Emirates, officials believe that the use of GMOs can increase the food available, and can be produced better in the harsh conditions of the country.
In conclusion, the agriculture of the United Arab Emirates was initially difficult to advance, but with the use of recent technology, these barriers were overcome.
Unit 6
Unit 6 of human geography covers the topics of development, industry, and services. These that are listed are found in almost every country in the world, including the United Arab Emirates. With data collected from different sources we can find out the current status of development, industries, and services in the United Arab Emirates.
Currently, the United Arab Emirates is considered one of the most developed countries in the world. Some factors to its development include satisfied citizens and sustainable progress in many fields such as its economy, trade, technology, tourism, infrastructure, and human and social development. From these different factors, we can conclude that the United Arab Emirates is a MDC, currently at Stage 3 of the Demographic Transition Model. An MDC is a country that is at the later stages of development. It is typically indicated by high levels of income and industrialization, in which the United Arab Emirates shows both. The United Arab Emirates has a gross national income of 675.3 billion PPP dollars and a gross domestic product of 348.7 billion USD. Over time the country has shown significant growth in gender equality and in the political and economical empowerment in women. In addition, the oil and gas industries provides about a third of the United Arab Emirates GDP, playing a big role in the country’s economy. Since the discovery of oil, women had more opportunities open to them besides being having an important role in family and in households. Although around 80% of the women living in the United Arab Emirates are considered as housewives, the United Arab Emirates have the most businesswomen in the Middle East.
As mentioned before, the reasons why the United Arab Emirates is considered a MDC is because of its high levels of income and its stage in industrialization. A big factor of its industry is its oil reserves. The United Arab Emirates possesses 37% of the Middle East’s petroleum and gas industries. It is the 3rd largest producer of “black gold”, also known as oil. The country’s oil and gas industries alone provided the United Arab Emirates with a high level of per capita income, and replaced many traditional jobs such as pearl fishing, date farm plantations, and fishery. Another factor of the United Arab Emirates’s success is its variety of services. One service that is essential to the country is the healthcare service. The health service is government-funded, and gives a high standard of health care to the population. Its success increased the average life expectancy to 76.8 years, which is similar to the life expectancies to European and North American countries. A second service that is also critical to the United Arab Emirates’s success is education. Although the education system there is fairly new, it has developed quickly from the 1960s to the present, and is available for both men and women.
To conclude, the concepts of development, industry, and services apply to the United Arab Emirates. Because of its high level of these concepts, it is considered as an MDC and it is still going to develop over time.
Unit 7
Unit 7 of human geography consists of the aspects of cities, and in this presentation the cities of the United Arab Emirates will be explained.
There are 7 states, each having its own primate city, which is the city where it is known the best and has the most influence. The primate cities also have the largest population out of all the other surrounding cities. Each emirate is ruled by a single monarch, and each has its own laws and regulations depending on which emirate it is. Rather than being like a separate country, each emirate is more like a large city, with it monarch being the mayor. However, there is only one capital of the United Arab Emirates, namely being Abu Dhabi. Some primate cities of the United Arab Emirates include Abu Dhabi and Dubai, one of the most known because of its high level of development. The cities of the United Arab Emirates are described through the Sub-Saharan model being influenced by African architecture.
Most of the United Arab Emirates’s cities are based on the Sub-Saharan Model, which was created in 1962 by geographer Harm de Blij. It consists of three CBDs (central business districts). Colonial, traditional, and market zone are the types of CBDs present. Outside the CBDs, there are many ethnic and mixed-race neighborhoods, which are typically poor and are not recently urbanized. However, there also many parts of the city that are highly urbanized and rival with cities like Los Angeles and New York City, such as Dubai. It is also recognized that most of the major cities are located on the coasts of the United Arab Emirates, which indicates that the country is heavily dependent on sea trade.
To conclude, the cities of the United Arab Emirates can be described through various examples and data provided from maps and models.