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Established in 1971, the United Arab Emirates is a relatively young Arab country that has experienced a huge surge in prosperity in recent years. Guided by wise leadership, the economic boom has fostered a stable, cosmopolitan society that has successfully integrated traditional Islamic values into a determined development programme, enabling the country to take its place amongst the emerging nations of the world. Physically, the UAE is a land of contrasts: massive sand-dunes, fertile palm-filled oases, vast stretches of mesmerising desert, low-lying coastal plains, sandy beaches, hundreds of natural islands, and rugged rocky mountains are just some of the dramatic landscapes encountered in its territory. Politically, the UAE is a federation of seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Qaiwain, Ra's al-Khaimah and Fujairah) with a constitutionally-based political system that is a unique blend of the traditional and modern. Abu Dhabi City is the capital of the UAE and the seat of the federal government. HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi, is the current President of the UAE and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, is Vice President and Prime Minister. The Supreme Council, made up of the hereditary rulers of the seven emirates, is the top policy-making body in the state, whilst a Council or Cabinet of ministers, four of whom are women, acts as the executive authority for the federation. The UAE's parliament, the Federal National Council, a section of which is indirectly elected and nine of whose members are women, has both a legislative and supervisory role. In addition, each of the seven emirates has its own local government, the complexity of which differs according to the size and population of individual emirates. Although a comparatively young nation, the UAE has taken its place on the world stage, guided by a principled foreign policy that is based on support for and engagement with international institutions such as the United Nations. When the federation was formed in 1971, the UAE had little or no physical infrastructure, health care or educational facilities, industry was non-existent and most of the country's scant population lived in the desert or in the foothills of the mountains. It has come a long way since then: rapid urbanisation has been the norm (over 80 per cent of the country's residents live in major towns and cities) and the UAE's infrastructure is world-class. Rich natural resources in the form of oil, which was first exported in the 1960s, has enabled much of this prosperity: today, the UAE boasts a vibrant free economy and successful efforts have been made to diversify away from dependence on oil and gas exports. So much so that a solid industrial base has been created together with a very strong services sector, enabling the country to meet the challenges and opportunities of the new era.