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.

Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
25 30 N, 51 15 E
Middle East
total: 11,437 sq km ; land: 11,437 sq km ; water: 0 sq km
slightly smaller than Connecticut
total: 60 km ; border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
563 km
territorial sea: 12 nm ; contiguous zone: 24 nm ; exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m ; highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
petroleum, natural gas, fish
arable land: 1.64% ; permanent crops: 0.27% ; other: 98.09% (2005)
130 sq km (2002)
0.1 cu km (1997)
Total: 0.29 cu km/yr (24%/3%/72%) ; Per capita: 358 cu m/yr (2000)
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution ; signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
907,229 (July 2007 est.)
0-14 years: 23.1% (male 106,853/female 102,713) ; 15-64 years: 72.9% (male 455,631/female 206,099) ; 65 years and over: 4% (male 26,689/female 9,244) (2007 est.)
total: 31.9 years ; male: 37.3 years ; female: 23.1 years (2007 est.)
2.386% (2007 est.)
15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female ; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female ; 15-64 years: 2.211 male(s)/female ; 65 years and over: 2.887 male(s)/female ; total population: 1.852 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
total: 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births ; male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births ; female: 14.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total population: 74.14 years ; male: 71.6 years ; female: 76.82 years (2007 est.)
2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)
0.09% (2001 est.)
NA
NA
noun: Qatari(s) ; adjective: Qatari
Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
definition: age 15 and over can read and write ; total population: 89% ; male: 89.1% ; female: 88.6% (2004 census)


conventional long form: State of Qatar ; conventional short form: Qatar ; local long form: Dawlat Qatar ; local short form: Qatar ; note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
emirate
name: Doha ; geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E ; time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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

3 September 1971 (from UK)
Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces ; head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007) ; cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch ; elections: none; the monarch is hereditary ; note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed) ; note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every four years since; the new constitution, which came into force on 9 June 2005, provides for a 45-member Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura
Courts of First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation; note - the Amir appoints all judges - based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council - for renewable three-year terms
none
none
ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Fahad al-Shahwany al-HAJRID ; chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 ; telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603 ; FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 ; consulate(s) general: Houston
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); charge d'Affaires Michael A. RATNEY ; embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha ; mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha ; telephone: [974] 488 4298 ; FAX: [974] 488 4176





Qatar is in the midst of an economic boom supported by its expanding production of natural gas and oil. Economic policy is focused on development of Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors. Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar one of the world's faster growing and higher per-capita income countries - equal to the EU in 2007 per-capita income. Sustained high oil prices and increased natural gas exports in recent years have helped build Qatar's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Proved oil reserves of more than 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 22 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are roughly 25 trillion cubic meters, about 15% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and became the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007.
$68.87 billion (2007 est.)
$33.93 billion (2007 est.)
7.8% (2007 est.)
$75,900 (2007 est.)
agriculture: 0.1% ; industry: 73.5% ; services: 26.4% (2007 est.)
638,000 (2007 est.)

0.7% (2007 est.)
NA%
lowest 10%: NA% ; highest 10%: NA%

12% (2007 est.)
43.5% of GDP (2007 est.)
revenues: $23.5 billion ; expenditures: $19.61 billion (2007 est.)
23.2% of GDP (2007 est.)
fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
8% (2007 est.)
13.54 billion kWh (2005)
fossil fuel: 100% ; hydro: 0% ; nuclear: 0% ; other: 0% (2001)
12.52 billion kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
0 kWh (2005)
1.111 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
95,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)
960,600 bbl/day (2004)
0 bbl/day (2004)
15.21 billion bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
43.93 billion cu m (2005 est.)
17.93 billion cu m (2005 est.)
25.99 billion cu m (2005 est.)
0 cu m (2005)
24.73 trillion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
$7.733 billion (2007 est.)
$33.28 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
Japan 40.5%, South Korea 16.5%, Singapore 6.6%, Thailand 4.2% (2006)
$15.32 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
France 13.4%, Japan 10.2%, US 9.3%, Italy 8.9%, Germany 7.8%, UK 6.3%, Saudi Arabia 5.8%, South Korea 4.7% (2006)

$6.368 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$31.07 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
$10.63 billion (2006 est.)
$2.525 billion (2006 est.)
$61.56 billion (2006)
Qatari rial (QAR)
QAR
Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003)
1 April - 31 March
$2.18 million (2004)
228,300 (2006)
919,800 (2006)
general assessment: modern system centered in Doha ; domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is roughly 130 telephones per 100 persons ; international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)
256,000 (1997)
1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)
230,000 (1997)
.qa
19 (2007)
1 (2000)
289,900 (2006)

5 (2007)
total: 3 ; over 3,047 m: 2 ; 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
total: 2 ; 914 to 1,523 m: 1 ; under 914 m: 1 (2007)
1 (2007)
condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 844 km (2006)

total: 1,230 km ; paved: 1,107 km ; unpaved: 123 km (1999)

total: 20 ships (1000 GRT or over) 574,969 GRT/856,057 DWT ; by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 1 ; foreign-owned: 7 (Kuwait 7) ; registered in other countries: 3 (Liberia 2, Panama 1) (2007)
Doha, Ra's Laffan

Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2007)
18 years of age for voluntary military service; land forces enlisted personnel are largely unprofessional foreign nationals (2005)
males age 18-49: 302,873 ; females age 18-49: 137,856 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 238,566 ; females age 18-49: 116,595 (2005 est.)
males age 18-49: 7,851 ; females age 18-49: 7,040 (2005 est.)
10% (2005 est.)

none


current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers; the problem of trafficking of foreign children as camel jockeys was thoroughly addressed by government action in 2005, but independent confirmation of the problem's complete elimination is not yet available ; tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Qatar has made noticeable progress in rescuing and repatriating child camel jockeys, establishing a shelter for abused domestic workers, and creating hotlines to register complaints; however, Qatar is placed on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide sufficient evidence of increasing efforts to combat trafficking in persons in 2005, particularly with regard to labor exploitation
