The United Arab Emirates are a union of seven tiny emirates formed in 1971 along the eastern Persian Gulf coast of the Arabian peninsula. They are bordered by Qatar on the northwest, by Saudi Arabia on the west and south and by Oman on the east and northeast. Abu Dhabi is the largest stretching along the Persian Gulf coast and comprising about 90% of the Emirates’ territory. The other six emirates are Dubayy, ‘Ajman, Ash-Shariqah, Umm Al-Qaywayn and Ra’s al-Khaymah on the Persian Gulf and Al-Fujayrah on the Gulf of Oman side. Several emirates have enclaves within other emirates.
     The stamps were issued in 2000 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the World Meterological Organization. They show the location of the Emirates on coast of the Arabian peninsula. The first stamp shows a political map with the Emirates colored brown. On this map Saudi Arabia is a light sand color, and Oman and Qatar a reddish brown. The capital Abu Dhabi city is on the coast next to the large island. The other stamp shows the area from an unidentified antique map.