Map of Qatar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | 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. He was overthrown in a bloodless coup by his own son in 1995. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.


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Location: Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 25 30 N, 51 15 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 11,437 km²
Land: 11,437 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 60 km
Border countries: (1) Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Extremes highest point: Qurayn Aba al Bawl 103 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: NA%
Permanent pastures: 5%
Forests and woodland: NA%
Other: 94% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 80 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common

Geography
Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits


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Population: 670,274 (July 1997 est.)
Note: includes 516,508 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 4.04% (1997 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
0-14 years: 28% (male 95,145; female 91,338)
15-64 years: 70% (male 339,892; female 131,429)
65 years and over: 2% (male 8,567; female 3,903) (July 1997 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 4.04% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 17.26 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 3.5 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 26.64 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.59 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.2 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 18.9 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.56 years
Male: 71.06 years
Female: 76.18 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.57 children born/woman (1997 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
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79.4%
Male: 79.2%
Female: 79.9% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Qatar
Conventional short form: Qatar
Local long form: Dawlat Qatar
Local short form: Qatar
Note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like ka-tar (rhymes with guitar)

Government type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Doha

Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah; Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batnah, Ash Shamal, Umm Salal

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972

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: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the amir (selected crown prince by the amir 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces
Head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the amir (since 30 October 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the amir
Elections: none; the amir is an absolute monarch

Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed by the amir)
Note: the constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held since 1970, when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador-designate Saad Muhammad al-KUBAYSI
In the us chancery: Suite 200, 4,200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick N. THEROS
From the us embassy: 149 Ahmed Bin Ali St., Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 2,399, Doha; pouch address - AMEMB Doha, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-6,130
From the us telephone: [974] 864,701 through 864,703
From the us FAX: [974] 861,669

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 more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 66% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of off-shore petroleum and the diversification of the economy.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 45%
Services: 54% (1993 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish (all on small scale)

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: total:233,000 (1993 est.)
Note: 83.49% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1997 est.)

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: $3 billion
Expenditures: $3.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (FY96/97)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

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
Total value: $4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products 80%, steel, fertilizers
Partners: Japan 54%, Singapore 7%, South Korea 6%, Australia 3%, UAE 3% (1995 est.)

Imports
Total value: $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals
Partners: Italy 16%, Germany 11%, Japan 10%, UK 9%, France 9% (1995 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $5.7 billion (1995 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 access

Electricity production: 5.5 billion kWh (1994)

Electricity consumption
Per capita: 10,095 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system: modern system centered in Doha
Domestic: NA
International: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $400 million (1996 est.)
Percent of gdp: 3.5% (1996 est.)

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: 3 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 2
Over 3047 m: 1
Under 914 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 1
914 to 1523 m: 1 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1996 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 512,456 GRT/850,858 DWT
Ships by type: combination ore/oil 2, container 3, cargo 11, oil tanker 3 (1996 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Bahrain; in 1996, agreed with Saudi Arabia to demarcate border per 1992 accord; that process is ongoing

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs