Country Facts - Qatar

The People

Nationality

Qatari(s)

Ethnic Composition

Arab	40%
Pakistani	18%
Indian	18%
Iranian	10%
Other	14%

Religious Composition

Muslim	95%
Other	5%

Languages Spoken

Arabic and English are widely spoken.

Education and Literacy

Qatar's overall adult literacy is 79.4 percent. Among males it is 79.2 percent and females 79.9 percent.

Labor Force

Total: 280,122 (1997)

Geography

Land Mass Total

4,415 sq mi (11,437 sq km)

Land

4,415 sq mi (11,437 sq km)

Land Boundaries

Total: 37 mi (60 km)

Border countries: Saudi Arabia 37 mi (60 km)

Coastline

349 mi (563 km)

Maritime claim

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: As determined by bilateral agreements, or the median line
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate/Weather

Desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Terrain

Mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel.

Elevation extremes

Lowest: Persian Gulf 0 ft (0 m)
Highest: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 337 ft (103 m)

Natural Resources

Petroleum, natural gas, fishh

Land use

Arable land	1%
Permanent crops	0%
Other	99%

(1998)

Natural hazards

Haze, dust storms, sandstorms are common.

Environment - current issues

Limited natural freshwater resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities.

Geography Note

Strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits.

Demographics

Population

793,341 (July 2002)

Age structure

0-14 years:	25.2%	Male: 102,110	Female: 98,053
15-64 years:	72.1%	Male: 403,508	Female: 168,428
65 years and over:	2.7%	Male: 15,299	Female: 5,943

(2002))

Growth Rate

3.02% (2002)

Life Expectancy

72.88 years (2002)
Female: 75.48 years
Male: 70.4 years

GDP Per Capita

Purchasing power parity
US$21,200 (2001)

Infant Mortality

20.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002)

Sex ratio

At birth:	1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years:	1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:	2.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over:	2.57 male(s)/female
Total population:	1.91 male(s)/female

(2002)

Net migration rate

18.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002)

Economy & Trade

Oil accounts for more than 30 percent of GDP, roughly 80 percent of export earnings, and 58% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5 percent of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore natural gas reserves. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $7 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports, and managed to maintain the surplus in 2001. GDP growth for 2002 was 3.4 percent and is predicted to reach 5.8 percent by the end of 2003. Qatar will have a current account surplus of over US$5 billion in 2003 primarily as a result of high oil pricing, which will assist the government in maintaining its debt service schedule.

Unemployment

2.7% (2001)

Inflation Rate

2% (2001)

Industries

Crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel-reinforcing bars, cement

Exports

US$11 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Imports

US$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001)

Total Trade

Purchasing power parity
GDP US$16.3 billion (2001)

Top Export Partners

Japan 43%, Singapore 8%, South Korea 6%, US 4%, UAE 2% (1999)

Top Import Partners

UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, Italy 6%, US 6% (1998)

Top Exports

Petroleum products 80%, fertilizers, steel

Top Imports

Machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals

Debt - external

US$13.1 billion (2000)

Economic aid

N/A

Fiscal Year:

April 1 to March 31

Business Workweek

	Saturday - Thursday (Islamic workweek)	Friday
Offices	8a.m. to 12:30p.m., and 3p.m. to 6:30p.m.	Closed
Retail	8a.m. to noon, and 4p.m. or 5p.m. to 7p.m. or later.	Friday 8a.m. to noon.
Banks	Monday to Thursday, 7:30a.m. to 11:30a.m.	Closed
Government	7a.m. to 12:30p.m.	Closed

Holidays

Official Holidays

Holidays	2003	2004	2005
Festival of Sacrifice (Eid Al Adha)¹	February 12	February 2	January 21
Islamic New Year²	March 5	February 22	February 22
Birthday of Prophet Mohammad (Mawlid an Nabi)³	May 14	May 2	April 21
Anniversary of Succession of Amir Sheikh Hamad	June 27	June 27	June 27
Independence Day	September 3	September 3	September 3
Start of Ramadan*¹	October 27	October 15	October 4
End of Ramadan (Eid Al Fitr)*²	November 26	November 14	November 3

¹	Culmination of the Haj or Holy Pilgrimage.
²	The lunar Islamic Hijra calendar is made up of 12 months, each month alternating between 29 and 30 days per month, culminating in a total of 354 days per year. The Hijra calendar is based on the cycles of the moon and annually moves 11 days backward through the seasons.
³	The Birthday of the Prophet Mohammad is celebrated on the twelfth day in the month of Rabi'l of the Islamic calendar.
*¹	Ramadan (the month of fasting) begins with the first appearance of the new moon in the ninth month of the lunar Islamic Hijra calendar, and lasts 30 days. Dates for the start of Ramadan will vary from country to country, depending on the first appearance of the moon.
*²	Feasting that officially marks the end of Ramadan, and commonly lasts for 3 days.

Country information used by permission of World Trade Press