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. Qatar has not experienced the level of unrest or violence seen in other Near Eastern and North African countries in 2010-11 due in part to its immense wealth. Qatar's international image is bolstered in part by the Doha-based Al Jazirah news network which has provided comprehensive coverage of the Near East and North African Arab revolutions. Additionally Qatar played a significant role in the Libyan revolution by pressing the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League to ass


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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

Area
Rank: 166
Comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims

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

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

Elevation

Natural resources: petroleum natural gas fish

Land use

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: 1,951,591 (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 147
Growth rate: 4.93% (2012 est.)
Growth rate rank: 1
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

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

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 4.93% (2012 est.)
Rank: 1

Birth rate: 10.23 births/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 191

Death rate: 1.55 deaths/1000 population (July 2012 est.)
Rank: 224

Net migration rate: 40.62 migrant(s)/1000 population (2012 est.)
Rank: 1

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 164

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 55

Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2012 est.)
Rank: 137

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.757 physicians/1000 population (2006)

Hospital bed density: 1.4 beds/1000 population (2008)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 149
People living with hivaids: fewer than 200 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 159
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 128

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)
Rank: 120

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

Government type: emirate

Capital

Administrative divisions: 7 municipalities (baladiyat singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah Al Khawr wa adh Dhakhirah Al Wakrah Ar Rayyan Ash Shamal Az Za'ayin Umm Salal

Dependent areas

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day 18 December (1878) (anniversary of Al Thani family accession to the throne)

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

Legal system: mixed legal system of civil law and Islamic law (in family and personal matters)

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (45 seats; 15 members appointed; 30 members to be elected by popular vote beginning mid- or late 2013 per the 2003 constitutional referendum)

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 AFESD AMF CAEU CD CICA (observer) EITI (implementing country) FAO G-77 GCC IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM (observer) IPU ISO ITSO ITU LAS MIGA NAM OAPEC OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OPEC PCA UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNIFIL UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WIPO WMO WTO

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side; maroon represents the blood shed in Qatari wars white stands for peace; the nine-pointed serrated edge signifies Qatar as the ninth member of the 'reconciled emirates' in the wake of the Qatari-British treaty of 1916

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Qatar has prospered in the last several years with continued high real GDP growth. Throughout the financial crisis Qatari authorities sought to protect the local banking sector with direct investments into domestic banks. GDP had rebounded in 2010 largely due to the increase in oil prices and 2011's growth was supported by Qatar's investment in expanding its gas sector. GDP slowed to 6.3% in 2012 as Qatar's gas sector expansion moved toward completion. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP roughly 85% of export earnings and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar the world's highest per-capita income country and the country with the lowest unemployment. Proved oil reserves in excess of 25 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 57 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters more than 13% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar's successful 2022 world cup bid will likely accelerate large-scale infrastructure projects such as Qatar's metro system and the Qatar-Bahrain causeway.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 58

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 34

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 1

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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

Industries

Industrial production growth rate: 27.1% (2010 est.)
Rank: 1

Labor force: 1.338 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 133

Unemployment rate: 0.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 2

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Surplus or deficit: 6.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 11

Taxes and other revenues: 33.9% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 76

Public debt: 34% of GDP (2011 est.)
Rank: 108

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.9% (2011 est.)
Rank: 26

Central bank discount rate: 5.5% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 65

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 4.6% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 161

Stock of narrow money: $22.49 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 63

Stock of broad money: $85.16 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 55

Stock of domestic credit: $121.5 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 47

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 38

Current account balance: $51.98 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 10

Exports: $114.3 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 34
Commodities: liquefied natural gas (LNG) petroleum products fertilizers steel
Partners: Japan 25.7% South Korea 17.7% India 9.6% Singapore 6.3% UK 6.2% (2011)

Imports: $26.93 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 72
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment food chemicals
Partners: US 12.7% UAE 12.3% Saudi Arabia 9.3% UK 6.2% China 5.4% Germany 5.2% Japan 4.6% France 4.6% Italy 4.5% (2011)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $16.82 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 53

Debt external: $125.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 35

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $38.6 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 58

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $31.56 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 39

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Production: 22.28 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 69
Consumption: 17.33 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 72
Exports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 120
Imports: 0 kWh (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 123
Installed generating capacity: 3.893 million kW (2009 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 80
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 33
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 165
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 192
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 177

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1.631 million bbl/day (2011 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 19
Crude oil exports: 704,300 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 18
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 113
Crude oil proven reserves: 25.57 billion bbl (1 January 2012 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 14

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 153,800 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products production rank: 66
Products consumption: 169,900 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 64
Products exports: 53,230 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products exports rank: 56
Products imports: 11,940 bbl/day (2008 est.)
Products imports rank: 129

Natural gas
Production: 116.7 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Production rank: 7
Consumption: 21.8 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 36
Exports: 94.9 billion m³ (2010 est.)
Exports rank: 4
Imports: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Imports rank: 121
Proven reserves: 25.2 trillion m³ (1 January 2012 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 4

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 64.68 million Mt (2010 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 52

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 306,700 (2011)
Main lines in use rank: 114
Mobile cellular: 2.302 million (2011)
Mobile cellular rank: 135

Telephone system

Broadcast media: TV and radio broadcast media are state controlled; home of the satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera which was originally owned and financed by the Qatari Government; Al-Jazeera claims editorial independence in broadcasting; transmissions of several international broadcasters are accessible on FM in Doha (2007)

Internet
Country code: .qa
Hosts: 897 (2012)
Hosts rank: 173
Users: 563,800 (2009)
Users rank: 117

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 10% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 2

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2010)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 6 (2012)
Rank: 171

Heliports: 1 (2012)

Pipelines: condensate 145 km; condensate/gas 132 km; gas 980 km; liquid petroleum gas 90 km; oil 382 km (2010)

Railways

Roadways
Rank: 143

Waterways

Merchant marine
Rank: 87

Ports and terminals: Doha Mesaieed (Umaieed) Ra's Laffan


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs