Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/197.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 7.7 KB | 321 lines

@node Geography (Qatar)
@section Geography (Qatar)

@display

Location:
  Middle East, peninsula jutting into the central Persian Gulf, between Iran
  and Saudi Arabia
Map references:
  Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  11,000 km2
 land area:
  11,000 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries:
  total 60 km, Saudi Arabia 60 km
Coastline:
  563 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  not specified
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  territorial dispute with Bahrain over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary
  with Bahrain
Climate:
  desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer
Terrain:
  mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Natural resources:
  petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  0%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  5%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  95%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  haze, duststorms, sandstorms common; limited freshwater resources mean
  increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Note:
  strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits



@end display

@node People (Qatar)
@section People (Qatar)

@display

Population:
  499,115 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  2.84% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  19.61 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  3.53 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  12.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  22.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:  total population:
  72.25 years
 male:
  69.73 years
 female:
  74.68 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.88 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Qatari(s)
 adjective:
  Qatari
Ethnic divisions:
  Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religions:
  Muslim 95%
Languages:
  Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
 total population:
  76%
 male:
  77%
 female:
  72%
Labor force:
  104,000 85% non-Qatari in private sector (1983)



@end display

@node Government (Qatar)
@section Government (Qatar)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  State of Qatar
 conventional short form:
  Qatar
 local long form:
  Dawlat Qatar
 local short form:
  Qatar
Digraph:
  QA
Type:
  traditional monarchy
Capital:
  Doha
Administrative divisions:
  there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US
  Government, but there are 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular -
  baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Rayyan,
  Al Wakrah, Ash Shamal, Jarayan al Batnah, Umm Salal
Independence:
  3 September 1971 (from UK)
Constitution:
  provisional constitution enacted 2 April 1970
Legal system:
  discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are
  being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters
National holiday:
  Independence Day, 3 September (1971)
Political parties and leaders:
  none
Suffrage:
  none
Elections:
 Advisory Council:
  constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no
  elections have been held; seats - (30 total)
Executive branch:
  amir, Council of Ministers (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Advisory Council (Majlis al-Shura)
Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal
Leaders:
 Chief of State and Head of Government:
  Amir and Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani (since 22 February 1972);
  Crown Prince HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (appointed 31 May 1977; son of Amir)
Member of:
  ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB,
  IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM,
  OAPEC, OIC, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador 'Abd al-Rahman bin Sa'ud ALTHANI
 chancery:
  Suite 1180, 600 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037
 telephone:
  [phone]



@end display

@node Government (Qatar 2. usage)
@section Government (Qatar 2. usage)

@display

US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Kenton W. KEITH
 embassy:
  149 Ali Bin Ahmed St., Farig Bin Omran (opposite the television station),
  Doha
 mailing address:
  P. O. Box 2399, Doha
 telephone:
  [phone] through 864703
 FAX:
  [phone]
Flag:
  maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist
  side



@end display

@node Economy (Qatar)
@section Economy (Qatar)

@display

Overview:
  Oil is the backbone of the economy and accounts for more than 85% of export
  earnings and roughly 75% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.3
  billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for about
  25 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP of about $17,000, comparable
  to the leading industrial countries. Production and export of natural gas is
  becoming increasingly important.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $8.1 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1991 est.)
National product per capita:
  $17,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  3% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $2.5 billion; expenditures $3.0 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $440 million (FY92 est.)
Exports:
  $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  petroleum products 85%, steel, fertilizers
 partners:
  Japan 61%, Brazil 6%, South Korea 5%, UAE 4%
Imports:
  $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1991 est.)
 commodities:
  machinery and equipment, consumer goods, food, chemicals
 partners:
  France 13%, Japan 12%, UK 11%, Germany 9%
External debt:
  $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 0.6% (1987); accounts for 64% of GDP, including oil
Electricity:
  1,596,000 kW capacity; 4,818 million kWh produced, 9,655 kWh per capita
  (1992)
Industries:
  crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel (rolls
  reinforcing bars for concrete construction), cement
Agriculture:
  farming and grazing on small scale, less than 2% of GDP; agricultural area
  is small and government-owned; commercial fishing increasing in importance;
  most food imported
Economic aid:
  donor - pledged $2.7 billion in ODA to less developed countries (1979-88)
Currency:
  1 Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams
Exchange rates:   Qatari riyals (QR) per US$1 - 3.6400 riyals (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Qatar)
@section Communications (Qatar)

@display

Highways:
  1,500 km total; 1,000 km paved, 500 km gravel or natural surface (est.)
Pipelines:
  crude oil 235 km, natural gas 400 km
Ports:
  Doha, Umm Sa'id, Halul Island
Merchant marine:
  20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 390,072 GRT/593,508 DWT; includes 13
  cargo, 4 container, 2 oil tanker, 1 refrigerated cargo
Airports:
 total:
  4
 usable:
  4
 with permanent-surface runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2
Telecommunications:
  modern system centered in Doha; 110,000 telephones; tropospheric scatter to
  Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to
  Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1
  Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 3 TV



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Qatar)
@section Defense Forces (Qatar)

@display

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 214,977; fit for military service 113,514; reach military
  age (18) annually 3,578 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA%, of GDP



@end display