QATAR
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 11,000 km2; land area: 11,000 km2
Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries: 60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km
Coastline: 563 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: not specific;
Territorial sea: 3 nm
Disputes: boundary with UAE is in dispute; territorial dispute with
Bahrain over the Hawar Islands
Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and
gravel
Natural resources: crude oil, natural gas, fish
Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and
pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%
Environment: haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited
freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale
desalination facilities
Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near
major crude oil sources
PEOPLE
Population: 518,478 (July 1991), growth rate 5.3% (1991)
Birth rate: 21 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 3 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: 35 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 74 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Qatari(s); adjective--Qatari
Ethnic divisions: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%,
other 14%
Religion: Muslim 95%
Language: Arabic (official); English is commonly used as second
language
Literacy: 76% (male 77%, female 72%) age 15 and over can
read and write (1986)
Labor force: 104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)
Organized labor: trade unions are illegal
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: State of Qatar
Type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
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
National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Executive branch: amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch: unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
Leaders:
Chief of State and Head of Government--Amir and Prime Minister
Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI (since 22 February 1972); Heir Apparent Hamad
bin Khalifa AL THANI (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir)
Political parties and leaders: none
Suffrage: none
Elections:
Advisory Council--constitution calls for elections for part
of this consultative body, but no elections have been held;
seats--(30 total)
Member of: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, IDB, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC,
ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Hamad Abd al-Aziz
AL-KAWARI, Chancery at Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW,
Washington DC 20037; telephone (202) 338-0111;
US--Ambassador Mark G. HAMBLEY; Embassy at 149 Ali Bin Ahmed St.,
Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address
is P. O. Box 2399, Doha); telephone 0974 864701 through 864703
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 85% of export earnings and roughly 75% 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 of about $12,500, among the highest in the world outside the OECD
countries.
GDP: $6.6 billion, per capita $12,500 (1989 est.); real growth
rate 5.0% (1988)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.9% (1988 est.)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $1.8 billion; expenditures $3.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $400 million (FY89 est.)
Exports: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
commodities--petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers;
partners--Japan, Italy, Thailand, Singapore
Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1989 est.), excluding military
equipment;
commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils,
chemicals, machinery and equipment;
partners--Japan, UK, US, Italy
External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production: growth rate 0.6% (1987); accounts
for 64% of GDP, including oil
Electricity: 1,514,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced,
8,540 kWh per capita (1989)
Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers,
petrochemicals, steel, cement
Agriculture: farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of
GDP; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported
Economic aid: donor--pledged $2.7 billion in ODA to less developed
countries (1979-88)
Currency: Qatari riyal (plural--riyals); 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
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 1,500 km total; 1,000 km bituminous, 500 km gravel or
natural surface (est.)
Pipelines: crude oil, 235 km; natural gas, 400 km
Ports: Doha, Umm Said, Halul Island
Merchant marine: 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 465,371
GRT/707,089 DWT; includes 12 cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum, oils, and
lubricants (POL) tanker
Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
Airports: 4 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
1 with runways over 3,659 m; none with runways 2,440-3,659 m;
2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: modern system centered in Doha; 110,000
telephones; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 3 TV;
earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT,
1 ARABSAT
DEFENSE FORCES
Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Department
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 235,516; 125,591 fit for
military service; 4,243 reach military age (18) annually
Defense expenditures: $500 million, 8% of GDP (1989)