Compare Qatar (2008) - Gaza Strip (2008)

Compare Qatar (2008) z Gaza Strip (2008)

	Qatar (2008)	Gaza Strip (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.)	0-14 years: 47.6% (male 361,115/female 344,236) 15-64 years: 49.9% (male 377,927/female 361,824) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 15,454/female 21,849) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish	olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports	5 (2007)	2 (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)	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 360 sq km land: 360 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Connecticut	slightly more than twice 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.	The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of Presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Birth rate	15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	38.9 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $23.5 billion expenditures: $19.61 billion (2007 est.)	revenues: $1.149 billion expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes West Bank (2006)
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	temperate, mild winters, dry and warm to hot summers
Coastline	563 km	40 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: none conventional short form: Gaza Strip local long form: none local short form: Qita Ghazzah
Death rate	4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	3.74 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$31.07 billion (31 December 2007 est.)	$NA
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	-
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	-
Disputes - international	none	West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel removed settlers and military personnel from the Gaza Strip in August 2005
Economic aid - recipient	$2.18 million (2004)	$1.4 billion; (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
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.	High population density, limited land access, and strict internal and external security controls have kept economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA)- even more degraded than in the West Bank. The beginning of the second intifadah in September 2000 sparked an economic downturn, largely the result of Israeli closure policies; these policies, which were imposed to address security concerns in Israel, disrupted labor and trade access to and from the Gaza Strip. In 2001, and even more severely in 2003, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. The Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in September 2005 offered some medium-term opportunities for economic growth, but continued Israeli-imposed crossings closures, which became more restrictive after Hamas violently took over the territory in June 2007, have resulted in widespread private sector layoffs and shortages of most goods.
Electricity - consumption	12.52 billion kWh (2005)	230,000 kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	90,000 kWh; note - from Israeli Electric Company (2005)
Electricity - production	13.54 billion kWh (2005)	140,000 kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m	lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Abu 'Awdah (Joz Abu 'Auda) 105 m
Environment - current issues	limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities	desertification; salination of fresh water; sewage treatment; water-borne disease; soil degradation; depletion and contamination of underground water resources
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%	Palestinian Arab
Exchange rates	Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003)	new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (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	-
Exports	960,600 bbl/day (2004)	$301 million f.o.b.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Exports - commodities	liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel	citrus, flowers, textiles
Exports - partners	Japan 40.2%, South Korea 16.4%, Singapore 6.5%, Thailand 4.1% (2006)	Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Fiscal year	1 April - 31 March	calendar year
Flag description	maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.1% industry: 73.5% services: 26.4% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 8% industry: 13% services: 79% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	7.8% (2007 est.)	-8% (includes West Bank) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	25 30 N, 51 15 E	31 25 N, 34 20 E
Geography - note	strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits	strategic strip of land along Mideast-North African trade routes has experienced an incredibly turbulent history; the town of Gaza itself has been besieged countless times in its history
Heliports	1 (2007)	1 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	0 bbl/day (2004)	$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes West Bank) (2005)
Imports - commodities	machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals	food, consumer goods, construction materials
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)	Israel, Egypt, West Bank (2006)
Independence	3 September 1971 (from UK)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8% (2007 est.)	2.4% (includes West Bank) (2005)
Industries	crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair	generally small family businesses that produce textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis had established some small-scale modern industries in an industrial center, but operations ceased prior to Israel's evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements
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.)	total: 21.88 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 20.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	12% (2007 est.)	3.6% (includes West Bank) (2006)
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)	150 sq km; note - includes West Bank (2003)
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.)	267,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 12% industry: 18% services: 70% (2005)
Land boundaries	total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km	total: 62 km border countries: Egypt 11 km, Israel 51 km
Land use	arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)	arable land: 29% permanent crops: 21% other: 50% (2002)
Languages	Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language	Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
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	-
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.)	total population: 72.16 years male: 70.84 years female: 73.54 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.)
Location	Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia	Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Egypt and Israel
Map references	Middle East	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line	Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation
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 branches	Qatari Amiri Land Force (QALF), Qatari Amiri Navy (QAN), Qatari Amiri Air Force (QAAF) (2007)	in accordance with the peace agreement, the Palestinian Authority is not permitted conventional military forces; there are, however, public security forces (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	10% (2005 est.)	NA
National holiday	Independence Day, 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day, 18 December	-
Nationality	noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari	noun: NA adjective: NA
Natural hazards	haze, dust storms, sandstorms common	droughts
Natural resources	petroleum, natural gas, fish	arable land, natural gas
Net migration rate	13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	1.43 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.)	1,482,405 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	80% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	2.386% (2007 est.)	3.66% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998)	AM 0, FM 10, shortwave 0 (2008)
Religions	Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)	Muslim (predominantly Sunni) 99.3%, Christian 0.7%
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.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.049 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.045 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.707 male(s)/female total population: 1.037 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: NA domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use	228,300 (2006)	349,000 (includes West Bank) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	919,800 (2006)	1.095 million (includes West Bank) (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001)	1 (2008)
Terrain	mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel	flat to rolling, sand- and dune-covered coastal plain
Total fertility rate	2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)	5.64 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	0.7% (2007 est.)	34.8% (2006)

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