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: 11,437 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone : 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Aba al Bawl 103 m

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish

Land use:
arable land: 1%
permanent crops : NA%
permanent pastures: 5%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: (1998 est.)

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 : Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Population: 793,341 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.2% (male 102,110; female 98,053)
15-64 years : 72.1% (male 403,508; female 168,428)
65 years and over: 2.7% (male 15,299; female 5,943) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.02% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 15.78 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 4.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth : 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years : 2.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 2.57 male(s)/female
total population: 2.57 male(s)/female

Infant mortality rate: 20.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.88 years
male: 70.4 years
female: 75.48 years (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.1 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari

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: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 79.4%
male : 79.2%
female: 79.9% (1995 est.)

Country name:
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 ka-tar (rhymes with guitar)

Data code: QA

Government type: traditional monarchy

National capital: Doha

Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batnah, Ash Shamal, Umm Salal

Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972

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: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces
head of government:Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary

Legislative branch: uunicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: the constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no 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

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: none

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA
chancery: Suite 200, 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016
telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Maureen E. QUINN (since September 2001)
embassy: 149 Ahmed Bin Ali St., Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha
mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha; pouch address - AMEMB Doha, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-6130
telephone: [974] 864701 through 864703
FAX: [974] 861669

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

Economy - overview: Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 58% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $7 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and managed to maintain the surplus in 2001.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $16.3 billion (2001 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 5.6% (2001 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2001 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 49%
services: 50% (1996 est.)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 2% (2001)

Labor force:
total: 280,122 (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 2.7% (2001)

Budget:
revenues : $5 billion
expenditures: $4.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $900 million (FY01/02 est.)

Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity - capacity: 1.3 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 9.2 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 8.556 billion kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish (all on small scale)

Exports:
total value: $11 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
commodities: petroleum products 80%, fertilizers, steel
partners: Japan 43%, Singapore 8%, South Korea 6%, US 4%, UAE 2% (1999)

Imports:
total value: $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
commodities : machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals
partners:UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, Italy 6%, US 6% (1998)

Debt - external: $13.1 billion (2000 est.)

Economic aid: $NA

Currency: 1 Qatari riyal (QAR) = 100 dirhams

Exchange rates: Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Telephones: 142,000 (1997)

Telephone system: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: NA
international : tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

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)

Railways: 0 km

Highways:
total: 1,230 km
paved : 1,107 km
unpaved: 123 km (1996)

Pipelines: crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km

Ports and harbors: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id

Merchant marine:
total: 25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 679,081 GRT/1,051,088 DWT
ships by type : cargo 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 6

Airports: 4 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 2 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m : 1 (2001)

Heliports: 1 (2001)

Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 316,885 - includes non-nationals (2002 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 166,214 (2002 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 6,797 (2002 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $723 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 10% (FY00/01)

Disputes - international: None