Map of Qatar | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Ruled by the Al-Thani family since the mid-1800s Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. 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. His son the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al-Thani overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001 Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007 oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world.


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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
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line

Climate: arid; mild pleasant winters; very hot humid summers

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

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

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas fish

Land use
Arable land: 1.64%
Permanent crops: 0.27%
Other: 98.09% (2005)

Irrigated land: 130 km² (2002)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 0.1 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: haze dust storms sandstorms common

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


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Population: 824,789 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: 1.093% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Qatari
Adjective: Qatari

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

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

Religions: Muslim 77.5% Christian 8.5% other 14% (2004 census)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.8% (male 92,896/female 87,201)
15-64 years: 76.8% (male 451,127/female 182,330)
65 years and over: 1.4% (male 6,545/female 4,690) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 30.7 years
Male: 32.8 years
Female: 25.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.093% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 15.69 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 2.47 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.28 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 2.47 male/female
65 years and over: 1.4 male/female
Total population: 2.01 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.09 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 13.99 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 12.13 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.19 years
Male: 73.5 years
Female: 76.98 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.47 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.3% of GDP (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 89%
Male: 89.1%
Female: 88.6% (2004 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years
Male: 13 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

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 guitar

Government type: emirate

Capital
Name: Doha
Geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 10 municipalities (baladiyat singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah Al Ghuwayriyah Al Jumayliyah Al Khawr Al Wakrah Ar Rayyan Jarayan al Batinah Madinat ash Shamal Umm Sa'id Umm Salal

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day 18 December

Constitution: ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003 endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004 effective on 9 June 2005

Legal system: based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
Head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir Al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
Elections: the monarch is hereditary
Note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has limited consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999

Legislative branch
Note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every year since the new constitution came into force on 9 June 2005; the constitution provides for a new 45-member Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the Amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura

Judicial branch: Courts of First Instance Appeal and Cassation; an Administrative Court and a Constitutional Court were established in 2007; note - all judges are appointed by Amiri Decree based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council for renewable three-year terms

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA ACC AFESD AMF FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Fahad al-Shahwany al-HAJRI
In the us chancery: 2,555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20,037
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603
In the us fax: [1] (202) 237-0061
In the us consulates general: Houston
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
From the us embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 2,399, Doha
From the us telephone: [974] 488 4,161
From the us fax: [974] 488 4,150

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: Qatar is in the midst of an economic boom supported by its expanding production of natural gas and oil. Economic policy is focused on development of Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors. Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP roughly 85% of export earnings and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar the highest per-capita income country and one of the world's fastest growing. Sustained high oil prices and increased natural gas exports in recent years have helped build Qatar's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Proved oil reserves of more than 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 22 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are roughly 25 trillion cubic meters about 15% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and became the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $71.42 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 8.4% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $87,600 (2007 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.1%
Industry: 77.8%
Services: 22.1% (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: fruits vegetables; poultry dairy products beef; fish

Industries: crude oil production and refining ammonia fertilizers petrochemicals steel reinforcing bars cement commercial ship repair

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 881,000 (2007 est.)

Unemployment rate: 0.7% (2007 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $27.12 billion
Expenditures: $22.55 billion (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 11% of GDP (2007 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 13.7% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 7.43% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $30.52 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $61.56 billion (2006)

Current account balance: $10.41 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $42.02 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: liquefied natural gas (LNG) petroleum products fertilizers steel
Partners: Japan 39.9% South Korea 19.9% Singapore 9.9% India 5.1% Thailand 4.9% UAE 4% (2007)

Imports: $19.86 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment food chemicals
Partners: US 13.3% Italy 10.8% Japan 8.9% France 7.9% Germany 7.3% UK 5.7% South Korea 5.6% UAE 5.1% Saudi Arabia 4.3% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $9.752 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt external: $33.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $11.18 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $5.625 billion (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar - 3.64 (2007) 3.64 (2006) 3.64 (2005) 3.64 (2004) 3.64 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 14.41 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 13.19 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 59.8 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Consumption: 20.5 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 39.3 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 25.63 trillion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 237,400 (2007)
Mobile cellular: 1.264 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: modern system centered in Doha
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is roughly 165 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .qa
Hosts: 563 (2008)
Users: 351,000 (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 10% of GDP (2005 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 5 (2007)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Heliports: 1 (2007)

Pipelines: condensate 322 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1970 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 741 km (2007)

Railways

Roadways
Total: 7,790 km (2006)

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 22
By type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 4, petroleum tanker 4
Foreign owned: 7 (Kuwait 7)
Registered in other countries: 5 (Liberia 4, Panama 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Doha Ra's Laffan


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs