1987 Edition

Boundary disputes

UAE; territorial dispute with Bahrain over Hawar island and its ring of islets

Climate

desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Coastline

563 km

Comparative area

about the size of Connecticut

Continental shelf

not specific

Environment

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

Exclusive fishing zone

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

Extended economic zone

to median line

Land boundaries

56 km total

Land use

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

Special notes

strategic location in central Persian Gulf and close proximity to region’s important crude ail sources

Terrain

mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Territorial sea

8 nm

Total area

50 km 7 Persian Gulf Hawar Islands are disputed between ‘y Bahrain and Qatar Boundery representation ie 2 a

11,000 km?; land area: 11,000 km?

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

104,000 (1983); 85% nonQatari in private sector

Language

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

Life expectancy

72

Literacy

40%

Nationality

noun—Qatari(s); adjective— Qatari

Population

315,741 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 3.96%

Religion

95% Muslim

Branches

executive—Amir and Council of Ministers; legislature—State Advisory Council

Capital

Doha

Elections

constitution calls for elections for part of State Advisory Council, a consultative body, but no elections have been held Political parties and leaders: none

Government leader

Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI, Amir and Prime Minister (since February 1972)

Legal system

discretionary system of law controlled by the ruler, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters; a constitution was promulgated in 1970

Member of

Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, 1DB—Islamic Development Bank, IFAD, 1LO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

National holiday

Independence Day, 3 September

Official name

State of Qatar

Other political or pressure groups

a few small clandestine organizations

Suffrage

no specific provisions for suffrage laid down

Type

traditional monarchy; independence declared in 1971

Agriculture

farming and grazing on small scale; commercial fishing increasing in importance; most food imported; rice and dates staple diet

Budget

revenues, $2.8 billion; expenditures, $3.1 billion (FY86)

Electric power

1,305,000 kW capacity; 4,000 million kWh produced, 18,180 kWh per capita (1986)

Exports

$2.6 billion (f.0.b., 1986), of which petroleum accounted for $2.1 billion

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

GNP

$6.4 billion; $22,940 per capita (1984)

Imports

$1.1 billion (f.0.b., 1986)

Major industries

oil production and refining; crude oil production averaged 860,000 b/d (1986); oil revenues accrued $2.6 billion, representing 85% of government revenue (FY86 est.)

Monetary conversion rate

3.64 Qatar riyals=US$1 (October 1986)

Natural resources

petroleum, natural gas, fish

Airfields

4 total, 4 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; ] with runways over 3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,489 m

Highways

840 km total; 490 km bituminous; 350 km gravel; undetermined mileage of earth tracks

Pipelines

crude oil, 235 km; natural gas, 400 km

Ports

2 major (Doha, Musay‘id), 1 minor Civil air; 3 major transport aircraft

Railroads

none

Telecommunications

modern system centered in Doha; 96,000 telephones (37 per 100 popl.); 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean satellite station; 1 Arab satellite station under construction; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; radio-relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; 2 AM, 1 FM, 8 TV stations

Branches

Army, Sea Arm, Air Force, Police Department

Military manpower

males 15-49, 122,000; 66,000 fit for military service