Although originally political in nature, the
differences
between Sunni and Shia interpretations rapidly took on
theological overtones. In principle, a Sunni approaches
God
directly: there is no clerical hierarchy. Some duly
appointed
religious figures, such as imams, however, exert
considerable
social and political power. Imams usually are men of
importance
in their communities, but they need not have any formal
training.
Committees of socially prominent worshipers usually are
responsible for managing major mosque-owned lands. In most
Arab
countries, the administration of waqfs (religious
endowments) has
come under the influence of the state. Qadis (judges) and
imams
are appointed by the government.
The Muslim year has two religious festivals: Id al
Adha, a
sacrificial festival held on the tenth day of Dhu al
Hijjah, the
twelfth, or pilgrimage, month; and Id al Fitr, the
festival of
breaking the fast, which celebrates the end of Ramadan on
the
first day of Shawwal, the tenth month. To Sunnis these are
the
most important festivals of the year. Each lasts three or
four
days, during which time people put on their best clothes
and
visit, congratulate, and bestow gifts on each other. In
addition,
cemeteries are visited. Id al Fitr is celebrated more
festively
because it marks the end of Ramadan. Celebrations also
take
place, although less extensively, on the Prophet's
birthday,
which falls on the twelfth day of Rabi al Awwal, the third
month.
With regard to legal matters, Sunni Islam has four
orthodox
schools that give different weight in legal opinions to
prescriptions in the Quran, to the hadith, to the
consensus of
legal scholars, to analogy (to similar situations at the
time of
the Prophet), and to reason or opinion. Named for their
founders,
the earliest Muslim legal schools were those of Abd Allah
Malik
ibn Anas (ca. 715-95) and An Numan ibn Thabit Abu Hanifa
(ca.
700-67). The Maliki school was centered in Medina, and the
lawbook of Malik ibn Anas is the earliest surviving Muslim
legal
text, containing a systematic consensus of Medina legal
opinions.
The Hanafi school in Iraq stressed individual opinion in
making
legal decisions. Muhammad ibn Idris ash Shafii (767-820),
a
member of the tribe of Quraysh and a distant relative of
the
Prophet, studied under Malik ibn Anas in Medina. He
followed a
somewhat eclectic legal path, laying down the rules for
analogy
that were later adopted by other legal schools. The last
of the
four major Sunni legal schools, that of Ahmad ibn Muhammad
ibn
Hanbal (780-855), was centered in Baghdad. The Hanbali
school,
which became prominent in Arabia as a result of
Wahhabi (see Glossary)
influence, gave great emphasis to the hadith as
a
source of Muslim law but rejected innovations and
rationalistic
explanations of the Quran and the traditions
(see Wahhabi Islam and the Gulf
, this ch.).
|
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. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the second-highest per capita income in the world.
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Location | | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
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Area(sq km) | | total: 11,586 sq km
land: 11,586 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 25 30 N, 51 15 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
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Coastline(km) | | 563 km
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Climate | | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
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Natural resources | | petroleum, natural gas, fish
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.27%
other: 98.09% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 130 sq km (2002)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 0.1 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 0.29 cu km/yr (24%/3%/72%)
per capita: 358 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
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Environment - current issues | | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
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Environment - international agreements | | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note | | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits
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Population | | 833,285 (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 0-14 years: 21.8% (male 93,805/female 88,040)
15-64 years: 76.8% (male 454,714/female 185,004)
65 years and over: 1.4% (male 6,792/female 4,930) (2009 est.)
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Median age(years) | | total: 30.8 years
male: 32.8 years
female: 25.4 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 0.957% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 15.61 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 2.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | -3.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 96% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio(male(s)/female) | | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 2.46 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.38 male(s)/female
total population: 2 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 12.66 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.51 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 11.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 75.35 years
male: 73.66 years
female: 77.14 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.45 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
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Religions(%) | | Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)
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Languages(%) | | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language
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Country name | | conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
local short form: Qatar
note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar
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Government type | | emirate
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Capital | | name: Doha
geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions | | 10 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Sa'id, Umm Salal
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Constitution | | ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005
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Legal system | | based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as heir apparent, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad al-Thani, in a bloodless coup); Heir Apparent TAMIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, fourth son of the amir (selected Heir Apparent by the amir on 5 August 2003); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
head of government: Prime Minister HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani (since 3 April 2007); Deputy Prime Minister Abdallah bin Hamad al-ATIYAH (since 3 April 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the amir
elections: the amir is hereditary
note: in April 2007, Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council (CMC), which has limited consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services; the first election for the CMC was held in March 1999
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Legislative branch | | unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have had their terms extended every year since the new constitution came into force on 9 June 2005; the constitution provides for a new 45-member Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura; the public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura; the Amir would appoint the remaining members; preparations are underway to conduct elections to the Majlis al-Shura
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Judicial branch | | Courts of First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation; an Administrative Court and a Constitutional Court were established in 2007; note - all judges are appointed by Amiri Decree based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council for renewable three-year terms
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | none
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International organization participation | | ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Flag description | | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side
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Economy - overview | | Qatar has experienced rapid economic growth over the last several years on the back of high oil prices, and in 2008 posted its eighth consecutive budget surplus. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar the second highest per-capita income country - following Liechtenstein - and one of the world's fastest growing. Proved oil reserves of 15 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 37 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are nearly 26 trillion cubic meters, about 14% of the world total and third largest in the world. The drop in oil prices in late 2008 and the global financial crisis will reduce Qatar's budget surplus and may slow the pace of investment and development projects in 2009.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $91.55 billion (2008 est.)
$80.73 billion (2007 est.)
$68.82 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $102.3 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 13.4% (2008 est.)
17.3% (2007 est.)
12.2% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $111,000 (2008 est.)
$99,100 (2007 est.)
$85,800 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 74.9%
services: 25.1% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 1.119 million (2008 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 0.4% (2008 est.)
0.7% (2007 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 32.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $36.59 billion
expenditures: $27.14 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 15.2% (2008 est.)
13.7% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $13.98 billion (31 December 2008)
$9.718 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $36.58 billion (31 December 2008)
$22.6 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $59.43 billion (31 December 2008)
$30.52 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $76.31 billion (31 December 2008)
$95.49 billion (31 December 2007)
$61.56 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $2.18 million (2004)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 5.1% of GDP (2008 est.)
11% of GDP (2007 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish
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Industries | | crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 13% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $15.07 billion (2008 est.)
$10.45 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $55.73 billion (2008 est.)
$42.02 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel
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Exports - partners(%) | | Japan 38.5%, South Korea 20.9%, Singapore 11.1%, India 4.5%, Thailand 4.4% (2008)
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Imports | | $25.11 billion (2008 est.)
$19.82 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals
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Imports - partners(%) | | US 12.1%, Germany 9%, Italy 8.9%, Japan 8%, South Korea 7.5%, France 6.2%, UAE 5.5%, UK 4.9%, Saudi Arabia 4.6%, Turkey 4.2%, China 4.2% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $9.998 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$9.752 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $57.37 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$33.09 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $3.627 billion (2008 est.)
$2.601 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $5.363 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$6.993 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | Qatari rials (QAR) per US dollar - 3.64 (2008 est.), 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | Qatari rial (QAR)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 263,400 (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 1.683 million (2008)
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Telephone system | | general assessment: modern system centered in Doha
domestic: combined fixed and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 200 telephones per 100 persons
international: country code - 974; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and the US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and the UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (2008)
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Internet country code | | .qa
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Internet users | | 436,000 (2008)
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Airports | | 5 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | condensate 145 km; condensate/gas 132 km; gas 978 km; liquid petroleum gas 90 km; oil 382 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 7,790 km (2006)
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Ports and terminals | | Doha, Ra's Laffan
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Military branches | | Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2009)
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 320,383
females age 16-49: 167,475 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 318,388
females age 16-49: 136,841 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 6,337
female: 5,059 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 10% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Disputes - international | | none
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Trafficking in persons | | current situation: Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offense was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse
tier rating: Tier 3 - Qatar failed, for the second consecutive year, to enforce criminal laws against traffickers, or to provide an effective mechanism to identify and protect victims; it continues to detain and deport victims rather than providing them protection; the government made little progress to increase prosecutions for trafficking in a meaningful way in 2007; workers complaining of working conditions or non-payment of wages were sometimes penalized (2008)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 15.11 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 13.73 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 1.208 million bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 129,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 1.043 million bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 15.21 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 76.98 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 20.2 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 56.78 billion cu m (2008)
|
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 25.26 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.09% (2001 est.)
|
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | NA
|
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | NA
|
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Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89%
male: 89.1%
female: 88.6% (2004 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 3.3% of GDP (2005)
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