GEOGRAPHY

Area: 11,581 sq. km. (4,471 sq. mi.); about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Cities: Capital–Doha 1,351,000 (2016). Other cities–Umm Said, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Ruwais. Terrain: Mostly desert, flat, barren. Climate: Hot and dry, some humidity in summer.

PEOPLE

Nationality: Noun and adjective–Qatari(s). Population (2016): 2,675,522. Break-up of local and expatriate is not available. Population growth rate: 3.5% Ethnic groups: Qatari 12.10%, Indian 25,00%, Pakistani 4.80%, Iranian 1.50%Religion: Islam 67.7% (the majority Salafi Sunni), Hindu 13.8%, Christian 13.8%, Buddhist 3.1%. Languages: Arabic (official), English (widely spoken), Hindi and Urdu (commonly used among South Asian immigrants). Education: Qatar’s UNDP HDI (Human Development Indicator) ranking is 32. Estimated net primary school enrolment ratio (2016) is 104%. Adult literacy rate (% age 15 and over HDI (2017)) is 96.6% for the overall population. Adult literacy rate (% ages 15 and above) male is 96.7% and female 96.2%. Health: Infant mortality rate (2012) –6/1,000 live births. Life expectancy at birth (2016) 78.7 years with male life expectancy at birth at 76.7 years (2016) and females at 80.8 years (2016). The crude death rate is 11.2 per 1000 population (Unicef, 2016). The under-five year mortality rate is 7 per 1000 live births (2016). There are 88.1 internet users (2016) per 1000 people.

GOVERNMENT

Type: Constitutional Monarchy. Independence: September 3, 1971. Constitution: 1970 Basic Law, revised 1972; currently under complete review. Branches: Executive–Council of Ministers. Legislative–Advisory Council (appointed; has assumed only limited responsibility to date). Judicial–independent. Subdivisions: Fully centralized government; seven municipalities. Political parties: None; political parties are banned. Suffrage: Universal over age 18, since 1999. Flag: Maroon with white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side.

ECONOMY

Foreign direct investment flows into Qatar were $774 million in 2016. Current GDP (2017): $404.1billion. In 2016, GDP growth rate was 2.2%, while per capita GDP stood at $66,415.30. GDP by sector (2015): Agriculture (0.1%), Industry (58.8%), Services (41.1%). In 2016, government budget was 9% of GDP, with a 7.5 billion riyals surplus. Trade balance, was 41.7% of GDP. Exports stood at $79.9 billion in 2015, of which the top exports were Petroleum Gas ($44.3B), Crude Petroleum ($17.3B), Refined Petroleum ($6.47B), Ethylene Polymers ($2.26B) and Nitrogenous Fertilizers ($1.22B). Major export markets included Japan ($15.6B), South Korea ($15.4B), India ($10B), China ($5.14B) and Other Asia ($3.79B). Imports stood at $34.7 in 2015 billion and included consumer goods, machinery and food. Major suppliers included China ($3.51B), France ($3.23B), the United Kingdom ($3.08B), the United States ($2.96B) and the United Arab Emirates ($2.76B). With a score of 61, Qatar ranks 31st on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index in 2016.

PEOPLE

Natives of the Arabian Peninsula, most Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century to escape the harsh conditions of the neighboring areas of Nejd and Al-Hasa. Some are descended from Omani tribes. Qatar has more than 2,600,000 people, the majority of whom live in Doha, the capital. Foreign workers with temporary residence status make up about 88% (2017) of the population. Most of them are Indians, but there is also a good-sized population of Nepalis, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Egyptians, Sri Lankans, and Pakistanis, among other nationalities. About 15,000 U.S. citizens resided there as of 2017.

For centuries, the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing, and trade. At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the Persian Gulf fishing fleet. With the Great Depression and the introduction of Japan’s cultured-pearl industry, pearling in Qatar declined drastically.

The Qataris are mainly Sunni “Wahhabi” Muslims. Islam is the official religion, and Islamic jurisprudence is the basis of Qatar’s legal system. Arabic is the official language, and English is commonly used as a second language. Education is compulsory and free for all Arab residents 6-16 years old. Qatar has an increasingly high literacy rate. The adult literacy rate (%age 15 and over HDI (2017)) was 96.6% for the overall population.

HISTORY

Qatar has been inhabited for millennia. In the 19th century, the Bahraini Al Khalifa family dominated until 1868 when, at the request of Qatari nobles, the British negotiated the termination of the Bahraini claim, except for the payment of tribute. The tribute ended with the occupation of Qatar by the Ottoman Turks in 1872.

When the Turks left, at the beginning of World War I, the British recognized Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani as Ruler. The Al Thani family had lived in Qatar for 200 years. The 1916 treaty between the United Kingdom and Sheikh Abdullah was similar to those entered into by the British with other Gulf principalities. Under it, the Ruler agreed not to dispose of any of his territory except to the U.K. and not to enter into relationships with any other foreign government without British consent. In return, the British promised to protect Qatar from all aggression by sea and to lend their good offices in case of a land attack. A 1934 treaty granted more extensive British protection.

In 1935, a 75-year oil concession was granted to Qatar Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of the Iraq Petroleum Company, which was owned by Anglo-Dutch, French, and U.S. interests. High-quality oil was discovered in 1940 at Dukhan, on the western side of the Qatari Peninsula. Exploitation was delayed by World War II, and oil exports did not begin until 1949.

During the 1950s and 1960s gradually increasing oil reserves brought prosperity, rapid immigration, substantial social progress, and the beginnings of Qatar’s modern history. When the U.K. announced a policy in 1968 (reaffirmed in March 1971) of ending the treaty relationships with the Gulf sheikdoms, Qatar joined the other eight states then under British protection (the seven trucial sheikdoms–the present United Arab Emirates–and Bahrain) in a plan to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, however, the nine still had not agreed on terms of union, and the termination date (end of 1971) of the British treaty relationship was approaching. Accordingly, Qatar sought independence as a separate entity and became the fully independent State of Qatar on September 3, 1971.

In February 1972, the former Deputy Ruler and Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad, deposed his cousin, Emir Ahmad, and assumed power. This move was supported by the key members of Al Thani and took place without violence or signs of political unrest.

On June 27, 1995, former Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, deposed his father Emir Khalifa in a bloodless coup. Emir Hamad and his father reconciled in 1996. Since then, the Emir has announced his intention for Qatar to move toward democracy and has permitted a free and open press and municipal elections as a precursor to parliamentary elections, introduced inin 2004. Qatari citizens approved a new Constitution via public referendum in April 2003. The current Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, became Emir in 2013 after his father’s abdication. Unlike his father, Emir Tamim has returned attention to domestic affairs, expanded transportation avenues, and worked to diversify the country’s economy. In 2014, he passed a new cybercrime legislation to criminalize online insults of the region’s royal families, which has been criticized as having stripped the Qatar citizens of their human rights.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS

The ruling Al Thani family continued to hold power following the declaration of independence in 1971. The head of state is the Emir, and the right to rule Qatar is passed on within the Al Thani family. Politically, Qatar is evolving from a traditional society and government departments have been established to meet the requirements of social and economic progress. The Basic Law of 1970 institutionalized local customs rooted in Qatar’s conservative Wahhabi heritage, granting the Emir preeminent power. The Emir’s role is influenced by continuing traditions of consultation, rule by consensus, and the citizen’s right to appeal personally to the Emir. The Emir, while directly accountable to no one, cannot violate the Shari’a (Islamic law) and, in practice, must consider the opinions of leading notables and the religious establishment. Their position is institutionalized in the Advisory Council, an appointed body that assists the Emir in formulating policy. Elections in 1999 in which men and women participated resulted in the formation of a municipal council. One woman candidate was elected to the municipal council in 2003.

The influx of expatriate Arabs has introduced ideas that call into question the tenets of Qatar’s traditional society, but there has been no serious challenge to Al Thani rule. As the most visible sign of the move toward openness, the Al Jazeera satellite television station based in Qatar is considered the most free and unfettered broadcast source in the Arab world. In practice, however, Al Jazeera rarely criticizes the ruling Al Thani family.

PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

Emir, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, and Minister of DefenseHH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Deputy Ruler, Crown Prince, deputy Chief of the Armed Forces–HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Prime Minister–HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani

Minister of Foreign Affairs–H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State–Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud

DEFENSE

Qatar’s defense expenditures ($6.8 billion) accounted for approximately 1.5% of GNP in 2010. Qatar maintains a modest military force of about 42,800 men, including an army, navy, air force, and public security. Qatar also has signed defense pacts with the U.S., U.K., and France. Qatar plays an active role in the collective defense efforts of the Gulf Cooperation Council (the regional organization of the Arab states in the Gulf; the other five members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the U.A.E., and Oman). Qatari forces played an important role in the first Gulf War, and Qatar has supported U.S. military operations critical to the success of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Qatar hosts CENTCOM Forward Headquarters.

ECONOMY

Oil formed the cornerstone of Qatar’s economy well into the 1990s and still accounts for more than 70% of total government revenue. In 1973, oil production and revenues increased sizably, moving Qatar out of the ranks of the world’s poorest countries and providing it with one of the highest per capita incomes. Despite a marked decline in levels of oil production and prices since 1990, Qatar remains a wealthy country, thanks largely to burgeoning gas exports. Qatar’s economy was in a downturn from in the mid-1990s. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ quotas on crude oil production, the lower price for oil, and the generally unpromising outlook on international markets reduced oil earnings. In turn, the Qatari Government’s spending plans had to be cut to match lower income. The resulting recessionary local business climate caused many firms to lay off expatriate staff. With the economy recovering in the late 1990s, expatriate populations, particularly from Egypt and South Asia, have grown again.

Oil production will not long return to peak levels of 500,000 barrels per day (b/d), as oil fields are projected to be mostly depleted by 2023. However, large natural gas reserves have been located off Qatar’s northeast coast. Qatar’s proved reserves of gas are the third-largest in the world, exceeding 895 trillion cubic meters and Qatar has the largest single gas field in the world. The economy was boosted in 1991 by completion of the $1.5-billion Phase I of North Field gas development. In 1996, the Qatar gas project began exporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Japan. Further phases of North Field gas development costing billions of dollars are in various stages of planning and development, and agreements have been concluded in 2000 and 2001 with U.A.E., Bahrain, and Kuwait to expand gas via pipelines and to Korea, India, and China via ship.

Qatar’s heavy industrial projects, all based in Umm Said, include a refinery with a 50,000 b/d capacity, a fertilizer plant for urea and ammonia, a steel plant, and a petrochemical plant. All these industries use gas for fuel. Most are joint ventures between European and Japanese firms and the state-owned Qatar General Petroleum Corporation (QGPC). The U.S. is the major equipment supplier for Qatar’s oil and gas industry, and U.S. companies are playing a major role in North Field gas development and related energy and water infrastructure development.

Qatar pursues a vigorous program of “Qatarization,” under which all joint venture industries and government departments strive to move Qatari nationals into positions of greater authority. Growing numbers of foreign-educated Qataris, including many educated in the U.S., are returning home to assume key positions formerly occupied by expatriates. In order to control the influx of expatriate workers, Qatar has tightened the administration of its foreign manpower programs over the past several years. Security is the principal basis for Qatar’s strict entry and immigration rules and regulations.

FOREIGN RELATIONS

Qatar achieved full independence in an atmosphere of cooperation with the U.K. and friendship with neighboring states. Most Arab states, the U.K., and the U.S. were among the first countries to recognize Qatar, and the state promptly gained admittance to the United Nations and the Arab League. Qatar established diplomatic relations with the U.S.S.R. and China in 1988. It was an early member of OPEC and a founding member of the GCC.

In September 1992, tensions arose with Saudi Arabia when a Qatari border post was allegedly attacked by Saudi forces, resulting in two deaths. Relations have since improved, and a joint commission has been set up to demarcate the border as agreed between the two governments.

Qatar and Bahrain disputed ownership of the Hawar Islands. The International Court of Justice in The Hague issued a ruling in June 2001, which both sides accepted. In the agreement Bahrain kept the main Hawar Island but dropped claims to parts of mainland Qatar, while Qatar retained significant maritime areas and their resources.

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