The World Factbook (1982)/Qatar

by the Central Intelligence Agency

QATAR

(See reference map VI)

LAND

About 10,360 km²; negligible amount forested; mostly desert, waste, or urban

Land boundaries: 56 km

WATER

Limits of territorial waters (claimed): 3 nm

Coastline: 563 km

PEOPLE

Population: 258,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 4.0%

Nationality: noun—Qatari(s); adjective—Qatari

Ethnic divisions: 25% Qatari, 20% other Arab, 34% South Asian, 16% Iranian, 5% others

Religion: Muslim

Language: Arabic, English is commonly used as second language

Literacy: 25%

Labor force: 100,000 (1980 est.); 90% non-Qatari

GOVERNMENT

Official name: State of Qatar

Type: traditional monarchy; independence declared in 1971

Capital: Doha

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

National holiday: 3 September

Government leader: Amir Khalifa bin Hamad Al THANI

Suffrage: no specific provisions for suffrage laid down

Elections: constitution calls for elections for part of State Advisory Council, a consultative body, but none have been held

Political parties and pressure groups: none; a few small clandestine organizations are active

Branches: Council of Ministers; appointive 30-member Advisory Council

Member of: Arab League, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMCO, IMF, ISCON, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OPEC, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

ECONOMY

GNP: $5.0 billion (1979), $29,900 plus per capita

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

Major industries: oil production and refining; crude oil production from onshore and offshore averaged 473,000 b/d (1980); 100% takeover was announced in October 1976 of the Qatar Petroleum Company, still negotiating with Qatar Shell about offshore fields; oil revenues accrued $4.7 billion (est.) in 1980, representing 91% of government/royal family income; major development projects include $7 million harbor at Ad Dawhah, fertilizer plant, two desalting plants, refrigerated storage for fishing, and a cement plant

Electric power: capacity 903,900 kW (1980); 2.416 billion kWh produced (1980), 10,737 kWh per capita

Exports: crude oil dominates; exports $6.2 billion (1980) of which petroleum is $5.8 billion

Imports: $1.4 billion (c.i.f., 1980)

Budget: (1980) revenue $5.2 billion, expenditure $3.0 billion

Monetary conversion rate: 1 Qatar riyal=US$0.27 (1980)

Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March

COMMUNICATIONS

Railroads: none

Highways: 805 km total; 442 km bituminous; 362 km gravel; undetermined mileage of earth tracks

Pipelines: crude oil, 169 km; natural gas, 97 km

Ports: 1 major (Ad Dawhah), 1 minor

Airfields: 4 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways, 1 with runways over 3,659 m, 1 with runways, 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft, including 1 leased in

Telecommunications: good urban facilities; 29,000 telephones (15.4 per 100 popl.); international service through an Indian Ocean satellite station and a troposcatter link to Bahrain; 2 AM, 1 FM, and 2 TV stations

DEFENSE FORCES

Military manpower: males 15-49, about 115,000; about 62,000 fit for military service

Military budget: for fiscal year ending 31 December 1978, $157 million; 7.3% of central government budget