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Abu Dhabi is the national capital of the United Arab Emirates, a union of seven Arab states on the Arabian Peninsula. It is also the capital of Abu Dhabi kingdom, the largest of the seven states. The city's rich oil reserves have enabled it to develop into a modern city.
Location
The city of Abu Dhabi occupies most of the triangular island of the same name, which is just off the southeastern Persian Gulf coast. The island is connected to the mainland by a short bridge.
Transportation and Economy
Rich oil fields were discovered in Abu Dhabi in 1958. Commercial production of oil began in 1962. The opening of Port Zayed in the early 1970s encouraged the city's economic development. Its primary exports are petroleum and petroleum products.
Motor roads link Abu Dhabi with the city of Dubai in the northeast and with Qatar in the west. An international airport is located at the south end of the island.
History
Local tribesmen settled Abu Dhabi in 1761. Through most of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the town remained small and undeveloped. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population was estimated at 6,000. Pearl diving and local trade were the bases of the economy.
Beginning in the late 1960s, oil revenues were used to modernize the town. Electricity, running water, and a central sewage system were installed. Modern government buildings, hotels, housing projects, and a new port extension were built. With modernization, the population grew.
The United Arab Emirates achieved independence from Great Britain in 1971. Abu Dhabi became the provisional capital of the federation. It was made the permanent capital in the early 1990s. Population (1989 estimate), 363,432.
