Compare Qatar (2008) - British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)

Compare Qatar (2008) z British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)

	Qatar (2008)	British Indian Ocean Territory (2008)

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	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 23.1% (male 106,853/female 102,713) 15-64 years: 72.9% (male 455,631/female 206,099) 65 years and over: 4% (male 26,689/female 9,244) (2007 est.)	-
Agriculture - products	fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish	-
Airports	5 (2007)	1 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	-
Area	total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 54,400 sq km land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km water: 54,340 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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. Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.
Birth rate	15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Budget	revenues: $23.5 billion expenditures: $19.61 billion (2007 est.)	-
Capital	name: Doha geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	-
Climate	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds
Coastline	563 km	698 km
Constitution	ratified by public referendum on 29 April 2003, endorsed by the Amir on 8 June 2004, effective on 9 June 2005	-
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	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT
Death rate	4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Debt - external	$31.07 billion (31 December 2007 est.)	-
Dependency status	-	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); charge d'Affaires Michael A. RATNEY embassy: Al-Luqta District, 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4298 FAX: [974] 488 4176	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ali Fahad al-Shahwany al-HAJRID chancery: 2555 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 and 274-1603 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston	none (overseas territory of the UK)
Disputes - international	none	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001, the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1967 and 1973 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; in May 2006, the High Court of London reversed U.K. Government's 2004 orders of council that banned habitation on the islands; a small group of Chagossians visited Diego Garcia in April 2006; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest viable island in the chain
Economic aid - recipient	$2.18 million (2004)	-
Economy - overview	Qatar is in the midst of an economic boom supported by its expanding production of natural gas and oil. Economic policy is focused on development of Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors. Oil and gas account for more than 60% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues. Oil and gas have made Qatar one of the world's faster growing and higher per-capita income countries - equal to the EU in 2007 per-capita income. Sustained high oil prices and increased natural gas exports in recent years have helped build Qatar's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Proved oil reserves of more than 15 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 22 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are roughly 25 trillion cubic meters, about 15% of the world total and third largest in the world. Qatar has permitted substantial foreign investment in the development of its gas fields during the last decade and became the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007.	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where a joint UK-US military facility is located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installation are performed by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the native Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The territory makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps.
Electricity - consumption	12.52 billion kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - production	13.54 billion kWh (2005)	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
Environment - current issues	limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities	NA
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	-
Ethnic groups	Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%	-
Exchange rates	Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003)	-
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 monarch (selected Heir Apparent by the monarch 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 monarch elections: none; the monarch 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	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Leigh TURNER (since July 2006); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK and are represented by the officer commanding British Forces on Diego Garcia cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
Exports	960,600 bbl/day (2004)	-
Exports - commodities	liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel	-
Exports - partners	Japan 40.2%, South Korea 16.4%, Singapore 6.5%, Thailand 4.1% (2006)	-
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	-
Flag description	maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.1% industry: 73.5% services: 26.4% (2007 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	7.8% (2007 est.)	-
Geographic coordinates	25 30 N, 51 15 E	6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E
Geography - note	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits	archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility
Heliports	1 (2007)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	-
Imports	0 bbl/day (2004)	-
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals	-
Imports - partners	France 13.3%, Japan 10.2%, US 9.3%, Italy 8.9%, Germany 7.9%, UK 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, South Korea 4.7% (2006)	-
Independence	3 September 1971 (from UK)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8% (2007 est.)	-
Industries	crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair	-
Infant mortality rate	total: 17.46 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	-
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	12% (2007 est.)	-
International organization participation	ABEDA, ACC, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	-
Irrigated land	130 sq km (2002)	0 sq km
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	-
Labor force	638,000 (2007 est.)	-
Land boundaries	total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)
Languages	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language	-
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	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply
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	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 74.14 years male: 71.6 years female: 76.82 years (2007 est.)	-
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 census)	-
Location	Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia
Map references	Middle East	Political Map of the World
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	total: 20 ships (1000 GRT or over) 574,969 GRT/856,057 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 2, chemical tanker 2, container 8, liquefied gas 2, petroleum tanker 4, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 7 (Kuwait 7) registered in other countries: 3 (Liberia 2, Panama 1) (2007)	-
Military - note	-	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016
Military branches	Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2007)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	10% (2005 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day, 18 December	-
Nationality	noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari	-
Natural hazards	haze, dust storms, sandstorms common	NA
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, fish	coconuts, fish, sugarcane
Net migration rate	13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	-
Pipelines	condensate 322 km; condensate/gas 209 km; gas 1,970 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; oil 741 km (2007)	-
Political parties and leaders	none	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	-
Population	907,229 (July 2007 est.)	no indigenous inhabitants note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia
Population below poverty line	NA%	-
Population growth rate	2.386% (2007 est.)	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions	Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)	-
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.211 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.887 male(s)/female total population: 1.852 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	-
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	-
Telephone system	general assessment: modern system centered in Doha domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone density is roughly 130 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 US; tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: country code (Diego Garcia) - 246; international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use	228,300 (2006)	NA
Telephones - mobile cellular	919,800 (2006)	-
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)	1 (1997)
Terrain	mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel	flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation)
Total fertility rate	2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)	-
Unemployment rate	0.7% (2007 est.)	-

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