Qatar

Geography

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

Map references: Middle East

Area:
total area: 11,000 sq km
land area: 11,000 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries: total 60 km, Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Bahrain

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

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

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 sq km

Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law of the Sea

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

People

Population: 533,916 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (female 81,443; male 80,591)
15-64 years: 68% (female 104,921; male 258,135)
65 years and over: 2% (female 2,941; male 5,885) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.74% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.72 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.59 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.03 years
male: 70.45 years
female: 75.5 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.63 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari

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

Religions: Muslim 95%

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

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
total population: 76%
male: 77%
female: 72%

Labor force: NA

Government

Names:
conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
local short form: Qatar

Digraph: QA

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 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

Suffrage: none

Executive branch:
chief of state and head of government: Amir and Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani (since 22 February 1972); Crown Prince HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir and Minister of Defense)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the amir

Legislative branch: unicameral
Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura): constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held; seats - (30 total)

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none

Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador ABD AL-RAHMAN bin Saud bin Fahd Al Thani
chancery: Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
telephone: [1] (202) 338-0111

US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kenton W. KEITH
embassy: 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha
mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha
telephone: [974] 864701 through 864703
FAX: [974] 861669

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

Economy

Overview: Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 75% of export earnings, and 70% 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 comparable to the leading West European industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of off-shore oil and the diversification of the economy.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $10.7 billion (1994 est.)

National product real growth rate: -1% (1994 est.)

National product per capita: $20,820 (1994 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1993 est.)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget:
revenues: $2.5 billion
expenditures: $3 billion, including capital expenditures of $440 million (1992 est.)

Exports: $3.13 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: petroleum products 75%, steel, fertilizers
partners: Japan 57%, South Korea 9%, Brazil 4%, UAE 4%, Singapore 3% (1992)

Imports: $1.75 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)
commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals
partners: Japan 16%, UK 11%, US 11%, Germany 7%, France 5% (1992)

External debt: $1.5 billion (1993 est.)

Industrial production: accounts for 50% of GDP, including oil

Electricity:
capacity: 1,520,000 kW
production: 4.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 8,415 kWh (1993)

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

Agriculture: 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

Economic aid:
donor: pledged in ODA to less developed countries (1979-88), $2.7 billion

Currency: 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams

Exchange rates: Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1 - 3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Transportation

Railroads: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,190 km
paved: 1,030 km
unpaved: 160 km (1988 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km

Ports: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id

Merchant marine:
total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 463,227 GRT/763,507 DWT
ships by type: combination ore/oil 1, container 3, cargo 11, oil tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 1

Airports:
total: 6
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3

Communications

Telephone system: 110,000 telephones; modern system centered in Doha
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station

Radio:
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
radios: NA

Television:
broadcast stations: 3
televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security

Manpower availability: males age 15-49 219,442; males fit for military service 115,103; males reach military age (18) annually 3,915 (1995 est.)

Defense expenditures: $NA, NA%, of GDP