Qatar

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

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

Highways

1,500 km total; 1,000 km paved, 500 km gravel or natural surface (est.)

Merchant marine

23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 473,042 GRT/716,039 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 5 container, 3 petroleum tanker, 1 refrigerated cargo

Pipelines

crude oil 235 km, natural gas 400 km

Ports

Doha, Umm Sa'id, Halul Island

Telecommunications

modern system centered in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA%, of GDP

Manpower availability

males 15-49, 211,812; 112,250 fit for military service; 3,414 reach military age (18) annually

Agriculture

farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported

Budget

revenues $2.1 billion; expenditures $3.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $490 million (FY91 est.)

Currency

Qatari riyal (plural - riyals); 1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams

Economic aid

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

Electricity

1,520,000 kW capacity; 4,200 million kWh produced, 8,080 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers partners: Japan 61%, Brazil 9%, UAE 3%, Singapore 3%

External debt

$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $7.4 billion, per capita $15,000; real growth rate NA (1990)

Imports

$1.5 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and equipment partners: UK 13%, Japan 11%, US 8%, Italy 8%

Industrial production

growth rate 0.6% (1987); accounts for 64% of GDP, including oil

Industries

crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel, cement

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

4.9% (1988 est.)

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 $15,000, comparable to the leading industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas is becoming increasingly important.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Coastline

563 km

Comparative area

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Disputes

location and status of Qatar's southern boundaries with Saudi Arabia and UAE are unresolved; territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Bahrain

Environment

haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities

Land area

11,000 km2

Land boundaries

60 km total; Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km

Land use

arable land NEGL%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 5%; forest and woodland 0%; other 95%

Maritime claims

*** No entry for this item *** Continental shelf: not specific Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

crude oil, natural gas, fish

Note

strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major crude oil sources

Terrain

mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Total area

11,000 km2

Administrative divisions

there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Rayyan, Al Wakrah, Ash Shamal, Jarayan al Batnah, Umm Salal

Capital

Doha

Constitution

provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970

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 Kenton W. KEITH; 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; FAX (0974) 861669

Elections

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

Executive branch

amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag

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

Independence

3 September 1971 (from UK)

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)

Legal system

discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters

Legislative branch

unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)

Long-form name

State of Qatar

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Political parties and leaders

none

Suffrage

none

Type

traditional monarchy

Birth rate

21 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%

Infant mortality rate

24 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

104,000; 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)

Languages

Arabic (official); English is commonly used as second language

Life expectancy at birth

69 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Literacy

76% (male 77%, female 72%) age 15 and over can read and write (1986)

Nationality

noun - Qatari(s); adjective - Qatari

Net migration rate

15 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

trade unions are illegal

Population

484,387 (July 1992), growth rate 3.2% (1992)

Religions

Muslim 95%

Total fertility rate

4.0 children born/woman (1992)