Map of Qatar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: During the late 1980s and early 1990s the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the amir who had ruled the country since 1972.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: 60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims: Continental shelf:not specific;

Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Elevation

Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish

Land use: NEGL% arable land; 0% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 0% forest and woodland; 95% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major crude oil sources


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Population: 490,897 (July 1990), growth rate 5.7% (1990)

Nationality: noun--Qatari(s; adjective--Qatari

Ethnic groups: 40% Arab, 18% Pakistani, 18% Indian, 10% Iranian, 14% other

Languages: Arabic (official; English is commonly used as second language

Religions: 95% Muslim

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 22 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 3 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: 38 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 4.2 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 40%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: State of Qatar

Government type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Doha

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970

Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government--Amir and Prime Minister Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI (since 22 February 1972; Heir Apparent Hamad bin Khalifa AL THANI (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Department

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Ambassador Hamad Abd al-Aziz AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington DC 20,037; telephone (202) 338-0111; US--Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Embassy at Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box 2,399, Doha; telephone p974o 864,701 through 864,703

Flag description: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for 90% of export earnings and more than 80% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about 25 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP of about $17,000, among the highest in the world.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported

Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel, cement

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (1987)

Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $1.7 billion; expenditures $3.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products 90%, steel, fertilizers
Partners: France, FRG, Italy, Japan, Spain

Imports: $1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.), excluding military equipment
Commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and equipment
Partners: EC, Japan, Arab countries, US, Australia

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1--3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)


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Electricity
Capacity: 1,514,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced, 8,540 kWh per capita (1989)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil, 235 km; natural gas, 400 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 12 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 273,318 GRT/420,227 DWT; includes 7 cargo, 3 container, 2 petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: boundary with UAE is in dispute; territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs