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- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- Government
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- Economy
- Exchange rates:
- Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1 - 3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
- Fiscal year:
- 1 April - 31 March
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
- THE WORLD FACTBOOK
- Qatar
- 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
-