Airports [time series]

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 [time series]

3 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

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 [time series]

crude oil 235 km, natural gas 400 km

Ports [time series]

Doha, Umm Sa'id, Halul Island

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

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

Manpower availability [time series]

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

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

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

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April - 31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

$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 (Industrial production) [time series]

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

Industries [time series]

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

4.9% (1988 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Coastline [time series]

563 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly smaller than Connecticut

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

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 - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

11,000 km2

Land boundaries [time series]

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

Land use [time series]

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

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

crude oil, natural gas, fish

Note [time series]

strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major crude oil sources

Terrain [time series]

mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Area (Total area) [time series]

11,000 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

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 [time series]

Doha

Constitution [time series]

provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)

Flag [time series]

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

Independence [time series]

3 September 1971 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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 [time series]

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

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

State of Qatar

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

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 [time series]

Independence Day, 3 September (1971)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

none

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

traditional monarchy

Birth rate [time series]

21 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

24 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

69 years male, 74 years female (1992)

Literacy [time series]

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

Nationality [time series]

noun - Qatari(s); adjective - Qatari

Net migration rate [time series]

15 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

trade unions are illegal

Population [time series]

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

Religions [time series]

Muslim 95%

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.0 children born/woman (1992)