Qatar

Qatar Background

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. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, 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 a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.

Qatar Information

• Population: 840,290 (July 2004 est.)
• Nationality: noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari
• Location:: Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
• Religions:: Muslim 95%
• Ethnic Groups:: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
• Land Boundaries:: total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
• Area: total: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 11,437 sq km
• Coast Line: 563 km
• Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
• Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
• Maritime Claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
• Land Use: arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2001)
• Environmental Issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
• Natural Resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish
• Highways: total: 1,230 km paved: 1,107 km unpaved: 123 km (1999 est.)
• Railways:
• Ports & Harbours: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id)
• Airports: 4 (2003 est.)