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. He was overthrown by his son the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001 Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.

Geographic coordinates: 25 30 N 51 15 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 11,437 km²
Water: 0 km²
Land: 11,437 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: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Territorial sea: 12 NM

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: 1.27%
Permanent crops: 0.27%
Other: 98.46% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 130 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: haze dust storms sandstorms common

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

Population: 793,341 (July 2002 est.)
Growth rate: 3.02% (2002 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Qatari
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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 102,110; female 98,053)
15-64 years: 72.1% (male 403,508; female 168,428)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 15,299; female 5,943) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.02% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 15.78 births/1000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.34 deaths/1000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 18.75 migrant(s)/1000 population (2002 est.)

Environment
Current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 2.4 male/female
65 years and over: 2.57 male/female
Total population: 1.91 male/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.73 deaths/1000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.88 years
Female: 75.48 years (2002 est.)
Male: 70.4 years

Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (1999 est.)
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 79%
Male: 79%
Female: 80% (1995 est.)

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

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 Batinah Madinat ash Shamal Umm Salal

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day 3 September (1971)

Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution

Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters

Suffrage: suffrage is limited to municipal elections

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 monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 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 monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
Elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Note: in March 1999, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council, which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services

Legislative branch
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: none

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600
In the us consulates general: Houston
In the us fax: [1] (202) 237-0061
In the us chancery: 4,200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,016
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen E. QUINN
From the us embassy: Al-Luqtas District, 22 February Road, Doha
From the us mailing address: P. O. Box 2,399, Doha
From the us telephone: [974] 488 4,101
From the us fax: [974] 488 4,298

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

Economy overview: Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP roughly 80% of export earnings and 58% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of 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 offshore natural gas reserves. In 2000 Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $7 billion due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports and managed to maintain the surplus in 2001.

Real gdp growth rate: 5.6% (2001 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2001 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 49%
Services: 50% (1996 est.)

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 280,122 (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2001)

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $5 billion
Expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $900 million (FY01/02 est. )

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2% (2001)

Exports: $11 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: petroleum products 80% fertilizers steel
Partners: Japan 43% Singapore 8% South Korea 6% US 4% UAE 2% (1999)

Imports: $3.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Commodities: machinery and transport equipment food chemicals
Partners: UK 10% Japan 8% Germany 6% Italy 6% US 6% (1998)

Debt external: $13.1 billion (2000 est.)

Exchange rates: Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400 (fixed rate)

Electricity
Production: 9.2 billion kWh (2000)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (2000)
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Consumption: 8.556 billion kWh (2000)
Exports: 0 kWh (2000)
Imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 142,000 (1997)
Mobile cellular: 43,476 (1997)

Telephone system
General assessment: 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

Internet
Country code: .qa
Service providers isps: 1 (2000)
Users: 75,000 (2001)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $723 million (FY00/01)
Percent of gdp: 10% (FY00/01)

Airports: 4 (2001)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (2002)
With unpaved runways total: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2002)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1

Heliports: 1 (2002)

Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km

Railways: 0 km

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 679,081 GRT/1,051,088 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 6
Note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Kuwait 1, United Arab Emirates 3 (2002 est.)

Disputes international: none