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

top of page


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.


top of page


Location: Middle East, peninsula jutting into the central Persian Gulf, between Iran and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 11,000 km²
Land: 11,000 km²

Land boundaries: total 60 km, Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline: 563 km
Continental shelf: not specified
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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

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

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 5%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 95%

Irrigated land: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


top of page


Population: 499,115 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 2.84% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Qatari(s)
Adjective: Qatari

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

Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Religions: Muslim 95%

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2.84% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 19.61 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 3.53 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: 12.36 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Current issues note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 22.7 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.25 years
Male: 69.73 years
Female: 74.68 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
Total population: 76%
Male: 77%
Female: 72%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


top of page


Country name
Conventional long form: State of Qatar
Conventional short form: Qatar
Local long form: Dawlat Qatar
Local short form: Qatar

Government type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Doha

Administrative divisions:

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: amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador 'Abd al-Rahman bin Sa'ud ALTHANI
In the us chancery: Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: (202) 338-0111
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kenton W. KEITH
From the us embassy: 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 2,399, Doha
From the us telephone: (0974) 864,701 through 864,703
From the us fax: (0974) 861,669

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


top of page


Economy overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 85% of export earnings and roughly 75% 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, comparable to the leading industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas is becoming increasingly important.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (1991 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $17,000 (1991 est.)

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; agricultural area is small and government-owned; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported

Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel (rolls reinforcing bars for concrete construction), cement

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate 0.6% (1987; accounts for 64% of GDP, including oil

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 $2.5 billion; expenditures $3.0 billion, including capital expenditures of $440 million (FY92 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: $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
Commodoties: petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers
Partners: Japan 61%, Brazil 6%, South Korea 5%, UAE 4%

Imports: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
Commodoties: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals
Partners: France 13%, Japan 12%, UK 11%, Germany 9%

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

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)


top of page


Electricity
Production: 1,596,000 kW capacity; 4,818 million kWh produced, 9,655 kWh per capita (1992)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


top of page


Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


top of page


Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA%, of GDP

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


top of page


National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 4
Usable: 4
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 1
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 2

Heliports

Pipelines: crude oil 235 km, natural gas 400 km

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:

Ports and terminals


top of page


Disputes international:

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs