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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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United_Arab_Emirates
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Federation in SW Asia, on the Arabian Gulf,
bounded to the SW by Saudi Arabia and to the
SE by Oman. government A provisional
constitution for the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) has been in effect since Dec 1971 and
provides a federal structure for a union of
seven sheikdoms. The highest authority is the
Supreme Council of Rulers, which includes all
seven sheiks. Each is a hereditary emir and
an absolute monarch in his own country. The
council elects two of its members to be
president and vice president of the federal
state for a five-year term. The president
then appoints a prime minister and council of
ministers. There is a federal National
Council of 40 members appointed by the
emirates for a two-year term and this
operates as a consultative assembly. There
are no political parties. history For early
history, see Arabia. In 1952 the seven
sheikdoms of Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai,
Fujairah, Ras al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Umm al
Qaiwain set up, on British advice, the
Trucial Council, consisting of all seven
rulers, with a view to eventually
establishing a federation. In the 1960s the
Trucial States, as they were known, became
very wealthy through the exploitation of oil
deposits. The whole area was under British
protection but in 1968 the British government
announced that it was withdrawing its forces
within three years. The seven Trucial States,
with Bahrain and Qatar, formed the Federation
of Arab Emirates, which was intended to
become a federal state, but in 1971 Bahrain
and Qatar seceded to become independent
nations. Six of the Trucial States then
combined to form the United Arab Emirates.
The remaining sheikdom, Ras al Khaimah,
joined Feb 1972. Sheik Zayed Bin al-Nahayan,
the ruler of Abu Dhabi, became the first
president. In 1976 Sheik Zayed, disappointed
with the slow progress towards
centralization, was persuaded to accept
another term as president only with
assurances that the federal government would
be given more control over such activities as
defence and internal security. In recent
years the United Arab Emirates has played an
increasingly prominent role in Middle East
affairs and in 1985 it established diplomatic
and economic links with the USSR and China.
Supreme Council of Rulers: Abu Dhabi Sheik
Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahayan (1966); Dubai
Sheik Rashid Bin Said al-Maktoum (1958);
Sharjah Sheik Sultan Bin Muhammad al-Quasimi
(1972); Ras al Khaimah Sheik Saqr Bin
Muhammad al-Quasimi (1948); Umm al Qaiwain
Sheik Rashid Bin Ahmad al-Mu'alla (1981);
Ajman Sheik Humaid Bin Rashid al-Nuami
(1981); Fujairah Sheik Hamad Bin Muhammad
al-Sharqi (1974).