Introduction
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. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.
Location
Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates
25 30 N, 51 15 E
Area
total: 11,437 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 NM
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Climate
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Natural resources
petroleum, natural gas, fish
Irrigated land
130 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues
limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Population
840,290 (July 2004 est.)