Qatar

traditional monarchyIndependence 3 September 1971 (from UK)

Qatar as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 67 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
1991

Every edition of Qatar

Populationas each edition published it
518,478 people July 1991 · 490,897 in 1990
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 children per woman 1991 · 4.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
24 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 25 in 1990
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

11 fields
Total area
11,000km2
land area: 11,000 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries
60km total
Saudi Arabia 40 km, UAE 20 km

Coastline

563 km 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

14 fields
Population
518,478
(July 1991), growth rate 5.3% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth
21Death
3Net migration
35

Ethnic divisions

Arab 40%Pakistani 18%Indian 18%Iranian 10%other 14%
Literacy
76%
(male 77%, female 72%) age 15 and over can read and write (1986)

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

Religion

Muslim 95%

Language

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

Labor force

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

Organized labor

trade unions are illegal

Government

Traditional monarchy

16 fields

Long-form name

State of Qatar

Type

traditional monarchy

Independence

3 September 1971 (from UK)

Constitution

provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970

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 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

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

Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 85% of export earnings and roughly 75% of government revenues.

16 fields
GDP, purchasing power parity
$6.6billion
per capita $12,500 (1989 est.); real growth rate 5.0% (1988)
External debt
$1.1billion
(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues
$1.8 billionExpenditures
$3.4 billion
expenditures, including capital expenditures of $400 million (FY89 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 $12,500, among the highest in the world outside the OECD countries.

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

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

7 fields

Merchant marine, 20 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 12container 5petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 320 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 465,371 GRT/707,089 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
2

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

Civil air

3 major transport aircraft

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

Army, Navy, Air Force, Police Department

3 fields
Defense expenditures
$500million
8% of GDP (1989)

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

Central Intelligence Agency. “Qatar.” The World Factbook 1991. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/qatar/1991.

How to cite ← 1990 edition 1992 edition →