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Guide to Qatar

Introduction

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. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

Geography

Location: Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 25 30 N, 51 15 E
Map references: Middle East
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
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
Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 130 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

People

Population: 863,051 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 2.61% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 15.54 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 4.61 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: 15.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 2.87 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions: Muslim 95%
Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Literacy: definition

Government

Country name: conventional long form
Government type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
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
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Constitution: ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Emir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
Legal system: discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed) note
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal note
Political parties and leaders: none
Political pressure groups and leaders: none
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side

Economy

Economy - overview: Oil and gas account for more than 55% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have given Qatar a per capita GDP about 80% of that of the leading West European industrial countries. Proved oil reserves of 16 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 14 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total and third largest in the world. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves to offset the ultimate decline in oil production. In recent years, Qatar has consistently posted trade surpluses largely because of high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, becoming one of the world's fastest growing and highest per-capita income countries.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $19.49 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 8.7% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 140,000 (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2001)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 22.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: NA
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: 10% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production: 9.727 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 9.046 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 790,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption: 30,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Oil - proved reserves: 16 billion bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production: 32.4 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 15.86 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 18.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves: 14.41 trillion cu m (2004)
Current account balance: $5.187 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $15 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Exports - partners: Japan 41.9%, South Korea 15.8%, Singapore 9.1%, India 5.4% (2004)
Imports: $6.15 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
Imports - partners: France 26.6%, US 9.5%, Saudi Arabia 9.4%, UAE 6.3%, Germany 5.2%, Japan 5.2%, UK 5.1% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $3.351 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $18.62 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: NA
Currency (code): Qatari rial (QAR)
Currency code: QAR
Exchange rates: Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003), 3.64 (2002), 3.64 (2001), 3.64 (2000)
Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 184,500 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 376,500 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 256,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus three repeaters) (2001)
Televisions: 230,000 (1997)
Internet country code: .qa
Internet hosts: 221 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)
Internet users: 126,000 (2003)

Transportation

Highways: total
Pipelines: condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 702 km; oil/gas/water 41 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Doha
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Heliports: 1 (2004 est.)

Military

Military branches: Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; Land Force's enlisted personnel are largely nonprofessional foreign nationals (2005)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $723 million (FY00)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (FY00)

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: none
Last updated: 20 October, 2005


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