| Geographical Information |
| Map Location |
Middle East |
| Geographical Location |
25° 30' North Latitude
51° 15' East Longitude |
| Surface Area |
11,437 sq km |
| Climate |
Arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
| Natural Resources |
Petroleum, natural gas, fish |
|
| Political Information |
 |
|
| Country Name |
State of Qatar |
| Capital City |
Doha |
| Government Type |
Traditional monarchy |
| Administrative Divisions |
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 |
| Independence Day |
3 September 1971 (from UK) |
|
| Demographical Information |
|
|
| Population |
863,051 (July 2005 est.) |
| Nationality |
Qatari |
| Ethnic Groups |
Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% |
| Religion |
Muslim 95% |
| Languages |
Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language |
| Population Growth Rate |
2.61% (2005 est.) |
|
| Economical Information |
|
|
| Currency |
Qatari rial (QAR) |
| Industries |
Crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair |
| Labor Force |
140,000 (2004 est.) |
| Labor Force by Sectors |
- |
| Agriculture Products |
Fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish |
| Export Commodities |
Liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel |
| Export Partners |
Japan 43.8%, South Korea 16.1%, Singapore 10.8% (2004) |
| Import Commodities |
Machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals |
| Import Partners |
France 24.4%, UK 8.9%, Germany 8.8%, Japan 8.7%, US 6.2%, Italy 5.5%, UAE 4.1% (2004) |
|
| Transportation |
|
|
| Railways |
- |
| Highways |
1,230 km |
| Pipelines |
Condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 702 km; oil/gas/water 41 km (2004) |
| Airports |
4 (2004 est.) |
| Ports and Harbors |
Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id) |
|
| Communication |
|
|
| Phone Code |
+974 |
| Internet Abbreviation |
.qa |
|
| Other |
|
|
| Short History |
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. |
|
