Qatar

traditional monarchyIndependence 3 September 1971 (from UK)

Qatar as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalDoha

Area11,000 km2

Populationas each edition published it

490,897 people July 1990 · 2.57m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.84% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 31.2 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 72.25 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4.2 children per woman 1990 · 1.9 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

25 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 6.2 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $17,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

15 fields

Total area

11,000km2

land area: 11,000 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut

Coastline

563km

Territorial sea: 3 nm

Land boundaries

60km total

Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km

Exclusive fishing zone

as delimited with neighboring states, or to limit of shelf, or to median line;

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

Land use

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

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

14 fields

Population

490,897

(July 1990), growth rate 5.7% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

22Death

3Net migration

Ethnic divisions

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

Literacy

40%

Language

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

Labor force

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

Government

Traditional monarchy

16 fields

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal 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)

Suffrage

none Advisory Council--constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held; seats--(30 total)

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, 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 Fariq Bin Omran (opposite the television station), Doha (mailing address is P. O. Box 2399, Doha);
telephone [974] 864701 through 864703

Flag

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

Economy

Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for 90% of export earnings and more than 80% of government revenues.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$5.4billion

per capita $17,070; real growth rate 9.0% (1987)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.6%

(1987)

External debt

$1.1billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.7 billionExpenditures

$3.4 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY88 est.)

Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for 90% of export earnings and more than 80% 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 $17,000, among the highest in the world.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Exports

$2.2 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--petroleum products 90%, steel, fertilizers;
partners--France, FRG, Italy, Japan, Spain

Imports

$1.0 billion (f.o.b., 1988 est.), excluding military equipment;
commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, animal and vegetable oils, chemicals, machinery and equipment;
partners--EC, Japan, Arab countries, US, Australia

Industrial production

growth rate 0.6% (1987)

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

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

7 fields

Merchant marine, 12 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 7container 3petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 212 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 273,318 GRT/420,227 DWT

Airports, 4 total, 4 usable

permanent-surface runways

1runways over 3,659 m

1runways 2,440-3,659 m

nonerunways 1,220-2,439 m

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;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT