I will start to periodically feed this blog with series of articles filled with information about Dubai, aiming to eventually touch on the environmental issues, trying on one side, to highlight the importance and beauty of this unique city, and on the other side, to provide Dubai Green Map project with a backup of database, information and facts, about the city's natural, cultural and green locations, address the sustainability matter, and increase public awareness of the necessity to care about Dubai and preserve its environment.

Articles will include information and facts that are gathered from different resource, which will be stated respectively.

According to Wikipedia – The free encyclopedia, Dubai page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai - says:

Dubai

Dubai (in Arabic: دبيّ‎, transliteration: dubaīy) is one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and is one of the country's main cities, sometimes called "Dubai City" to distinguish it from the emirate.

The modern emirate of Dubai was created consequent with the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971. However, written accounts documenting the existence of the city have existed at least 150 years prior to the formation of the UAE.
Dubai shares legal, political, military and economic functions with the other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has jurisdiction over some functions such as civic law enforcement and provision and upkeep of local facilities. Dubai has the largest population and is the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the only two emirates to possess veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature. Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum dynasty since 1833. The emirates' current ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, is also the Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE.

A majority of the emirate's revenues are from trade, manufacturing and financial services. Revenues from petroleum and natural gas contribute less than 6% (2006) of Dubai's US$ 37 billion economy (2005). Dubai has attracted world-wide attention through innovative real estate projects and sports events. This increased attention, coinciding with its emergence as a world business hub, has also highlighted human rights issues concerning its largely foreign workforce.

Etymology

In the 1820s, Dubai was referred to as Al Wasl by British historians. However, few records pertaining to the cultural history of the UAE or its constituent emirates exist due to the region's vocal traditions in recording and passing down folklore and myth. The linguistic origins of the word Dubai are also in dispute, as some believe it to have originated from Persian, while some believe that Arabic is the linguistic root of the word.
According to Fedel Handhal, researcher in the history and culture of the UAE, the word Dubai may have come from the word Daba (a derivative of Yadub), which means to creep; the word may be a reference to the flow of Dubai Creek inland.

Facts & Statistics

Country: United Arab Emirates
Emirate: Dubai
Incorporated (town): June 9, 1833
Incorporated (emirate): December 2, 1971
Founder: Maktoum bin Bati bin Suhail (1833)
Ruler: Sh. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Crown Prince: Sh. Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum
Government Type: Constitutional monarchy [citation needed]
Emirate Area: 4,114 km² (1,588.4 sq mi)
Metro: 1,287.4 km² (497.1 sq mi)
Population (2008): 2,261,995
Density: 408.18/km² (1,057.2/sq mi)
Nationalities:
42.3% Indian
17% Emirati
13.3% Pakistani
9.1% Arab (other)
7.5% Bangladeshi
10.8% Others
Time zone: UAE standard time (UTC+4)

Posted by: R. A. Sanam
Jun 24, 2008 - Dubai, UAE