Despite being a relatively young country, people have inhabited the UAE region for thousands of years. The first inhabitants were the Bedouin. They farmed, traded, and even dove for pearls. For example, the world’s oldest pearl was discovered in the emirate of Umm Al Quwain. Over the centuries, the Portuguese, the British, and of course the prophet Muhammad and his new religion, Islam, influenced the development of the region. The 1950’s marked the discovery of oil. Then, in the 1970’s the UAE as we know it today was founded. Remember though, modernization does not necessarily mean westernization! Did you know that Emiratis make up less than 20% of the UAE population? (There is a very high expat population.) Or that the government funds Mosques in the country? What about the fact that status is often displayed through jewelry, license plates, houses, and clothes? Or that it is a cultural norm to avoid making eye contact with strangers! Finally, a fun fact is that there is no postal code system in use. So use 00000 or the MAKANI system. Do you want to see how much you know about this country? Test your knowledge with our fun UAE quiz now!