Qatar (2001) | Hong Kong (2006) | |
![]() | ![]() | |
Administrative divisions | 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Salal | none (special administrative region of China) |
Age structure | 0-14 years:
25.77% (male 101,155; female 97,086) 15-64 years: 71.75% (male 391,178; female 160,665) 65 years and over: 2.48% (male 13,625; female 5,443) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 488,607/female 445,593)
15-64 years: 73.7% (male 2,495,679/female 2,620,336) 65 years and over: 12.8% (male 413,031/female 477,186) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish | fresh vegetables; poultry, pork; fish |
Airports | 4 (2000 est.) | 3 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 over 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Area | total:
11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,092 sq km
land: 1,042 sq km water: 50 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Connecticut | six 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. 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. | Occupied by the UK in 1841, Hong Kong was formally ceded by China the following year; various adjacent lands were added later in the 19th century. Pursuant to an agreement signed by China and the UK on 19 December 1984, Hong Kong became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China on 1 July 1997. In this agreement, China has promised that, under its "one country, two systems" formula, China's socialist economic system will not be imposed on Hong Kong and that Hong Kong will enjoy a high degree of autonomy in all matters except foreign and defense affairs for the next 50 years. |
Birth rate | 15.91 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 7.29 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$3.9 billion expenditures: $4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues: $31.31 billion
expenditures: $32.3 billion; including capital expenditures of $5.9 billion (2005 est.) |
Capital | Doha | - |
Climate | desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer | subtropical monsoon; cool and humid in winter, hot and rainy from spring through summer, warm and sunny in fall |
Coastline | 563 km | 733 km |
Constitution | provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 Amir HAMAD issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution | Basic Law, approved in March 1990 by China's National People's Congress, is Hong Kong's "mini-constitution" |
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: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
conventional short form: Hong Kong local long form: Xianggang Tebie Xingzhengqu local short form: Xianggang abbreviation: HK |
Currency | Qatari rial (QAR) | - |
Death rate | 4.26 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $13.1 billion (2000 est.) | $72.04 billion (2005 est.) |
Dependency status | - | special administrative region of China |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Elizabeth Davenport MCKUNE embassy: 22 February Road, Doha mailing address: P. O. Box 2399, Doha telephone: [974] 488 4101 FAX: [974] 488 4298 note: workweek is Saturday-Wednesday |
chief of mission: Consul General James B. CUNNINGHAM
consulate(s) general: 26 Garden Road, Hong Kong mailing address: PSC 461, Box 1, FPO AP 96521-0006 telephone: [852] 2523-9011 FAX: [852] 2845-1598 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Badr Umar al-DAFA chancery: 4200 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 274-1600 FAX: [1] (202) 237-0061 consulate(s) general: Houston |
none (special administrative region of China) |
Disputes - international | in March of 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) awarded the Hawar Islands to Bahrain and adjusted its maritime boundary with Qatar; a final border resolution was agreed to with Saudi Arabia in March of 2001 | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | - |
Economy - overview | Oil accounts for more than 30% of GDP, roughly 80% of export earnings, and 66% of government revenues. Proved oil reserves of 3.7 billion barrels should ensure continued output at current levels for 23 years. Oil has given Qatar a per capita GDP comparable to that of the leading West European industrial countries. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 7 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% of the world total, third largest in the world. Production and export of natural gas are becoming increasingly important. Long-term goals feature the development of offshore petroleum and the diversification of the economy. In 2000, Qatar posted its highest ever trade surplus of $6 billion, due mainly to high oil prices and increased natural gas exports. | Hong Kong has a free market, entrepot economy, highly dependent on international trade. Natural resources are limited, and food and raw materials must be imported. Gross imports and exports (i.e., including reexports to and from third countries) each exceed GDP in dollar value. Even before Hong Kong reverted to Chinese administration on 1 July 1997, it had extensive trade and investment ties with China. Hong Kong has been further integrating its economy with China because China's growing openness to the world economy has made manufacturing in China much more cost effective. Hong Kong's reexport business to and from China is a major driver of growth. Per capita GDP is comparable to that of the four big economies of Western Europe. GDP growth averaged a strong 5% from 1989 to 2005, but Hong Kong suffered two recessions in the past eight years because of the Asian financial crisis in 1997-1998 and the global downturn in 2001-2002. Although the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003 also battered Hong Kong's economy, a solid rise in exports, a boom in tourism from the mainland because of China's easing of travel restrictions, and a return of consumer confidence resulted in the resumption of strong growth from late 2003 through 2005. |
Electricity - consumption | 8.37 billion kWh (1999) | 39.22 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 3.086 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 9.84 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - production | 9 billion kWh (1999) | 37.3 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m |
lowest point: South China Sea 0 m
highest point: Tai Mo Shan 958 m |
Environment - current issues | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities | air and water pollution from rapid urbanization |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Marine Dumping (associate member) |
Ethnic groups | Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% | Chinese 95%, other 5% |
Exchange rates | Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.6400 (fixed rate) | Hong Kong dollars per US dollar - 7.7773 (2005), 7.788 (2004), 7.7868 (2003), 7.7989 (2002), 7.7988 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani (since 27 June 1995 when, as crown prince, he ousted his father, Amir KHALIFA bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup); Crown Prince JASSIM bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, third son of the monarch (selected crown prince by the monarch 22 October 1996); note - Amir HAMAD also holds the positions of minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the armed forces head of government: Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 30 October 1996); Deputy Prime Minister MUHAMMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, brother of the monarch (since 20 January 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary note: in March 1999 Qatar held nationwide elections for a 29-member Central Municipal Council, which has consultative powers aimed at improving the provision of municipal services |
chief of state: President of China HU Jintao (since 15 March 2003)
head of government: Chief Executive Donald TSANG (since 24 June 2005) cabinet: Executive Council consists of 14 official members and 15 non-official members elections: previous chief executive TUNG Chee-hwa was elected to second five-year term in March 2002 by 800-member election committee dominated by pro-Beijing forces, resignation accepted 12 March 2005; Donald TSANG acted as chief executive between 12 March 2005 and 25 May 2005; Henry TANG acted as chief executive between 25 May 2005 and 24 June 2005; TSANG was elected on 16 June 2005 to fill final two years of TUNG's term (next election to be held in March 2007) |
Exports | $9.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | petroleum products 80%, fertilizers, steel | electrical machinery and appliances, textiles, apparel, footwear, watches and clocks, toys, plastics, precious stones, printed material |
Exports - partners | Japan 52%, Singapore 9%, South Korea 8%, US, UAE (1998) | China 45%, US 16.1%, Japan 5.3% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side | red with a stylized, white, five-petal bauhinia flower in the center |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $15.1 billion (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
1% industry: 49% services: 50% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 9.2% services: 90.6% (2005 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $20,300 (2000 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2000 est.) | 7.3% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 25 30 N, 51 15 E | 22 15 N, 114 10 E |
Geography - note | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits | more than 200 islands |
Heliports | 1 (2000 est.) | 3 (2006) |
Highways | total:
1,230 km paved: 1,107 km unpaved: 123 km (1996) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | makes strenuous law enforcement efforts, but faces difficult challenges in controlling transit of heroin and methamphetamine to regional and world markets; modern banking system provides conduit for money laundering; rising indigenous use of synthetic drugs, especially among young people |
Imports | $3.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals | raw materials and semi-manufactures, consumer goods, capital goods, foodstuffs, fuel (most is re-exported) |
Imports - partners | UK 10%, Japan 8%, Germany 6%, US 6%, Italy 6% (1998) | China 45%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 7.2%, Singapore 5.8%, US 5.1%, South Korea 4.4% (2005) |
Independence | 3 September 1971 (from UK) | none (special administrative region of China) |
Industrial production growth rate | NA% | -0.6% (2005 est.) |
Industries | crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement | textiles, clothing, tourism, banking, shipping, electronics, plastics, toys, watches, clocks |
Infant mortality rate | 21.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 2.95 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 3.13 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.5% (2000) | 0.9% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, OPEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | APEC, AsDB, BIS, ICC, ICFTU, IHO, IMF, IMO (associate), IOC, ISO (correspondent), UPU, WCL, WCO, WMO, WToO (associate), WTO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 80 sq km (1993 est.) | 20 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Court of Final Appeal in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region |
Labor force | 233,000 (1993 est.) | 3.61 million (October 2005) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | manufacturing 7.5%, construction 2.9%, wholesale and retail trade, restaurants, and hotels 43.9%, financing, insurance, and real estate 19.6%, transport and communications 7.1%, community and social services 18.8%
note: above data exclude public sector (2005 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km |
total: 30 km
regional border: China 30 km |
Land use | arable land:
1% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 0% other: 94% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 5.05%
permanent crops: 1.01% other: 93.94% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language | Chinese (Cantonese), English; both are official |
Legal system | discretionary system of law controlled by the amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law is significant in personal matters | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura (35 seats; members appointed)
note: the constitution calls for elections for part of this consultative body, but no elections have been held since 1970, when there were partial elections to the body; Council members have their terms extended every four years since |
unicameral Legislative Council or LEGCO (60 seats; in 2004 30 seats indirectly elected by functional constituencies, 30 elected by popular vote; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 12 September 2004 (next to be held in September 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - pro-democracy group 62%; seats by party - (pro-Beijing 34) DAB 12, Liberal Party 10, independents 11, FTU 1; (pro-democracy 25) independents 11, Democratic Party 9, CTU 2, ADPL 1, Frontier Party 1, NWSC 1; non-voting LEGCO president 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
72.62 years male: 70.16 years female: 75.21 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 81.59 years
male: 78.9 years female: 84.5 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79% male: 79% female: 80% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 93.5% male: 96.9% female: 89.6% (2002) |
Location | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia | Eastern Asia, bordering the South China Sea and China |
Map references | Middle East | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 3 nm |
Merchant marine | total:
25 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 677,992 GRT/1,049,447 DWT ships by type: cargo 10, combination ore/oil 2, container 7, petroleum tanker 6 (2000 est.) |
total: 924 ships (1000 GRT or over) 30,838,025 GRT/51,957,682 DWT
by type: barge carrier 2, bulk carrier 495, cargo 121, chemical tanker 44, container 133, liquefied gas 22, passenger 6, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 76, roll on/roll off 3, specialized tanker 7, vehicle carrier 8 foreign-owned: 562 (Australia 1, Belgium 3, Canada 28, China 274, Denmark 6, Germany 6, Greece 27, Indonesia 4, Japan 67, South Korea 6, Norway 26, Philippines 16, Portugal 1, Singapore 24, Syria 1, Taiwan 6, UAE 2, UK 43, US 21) registered in other countries: 417 (Bahamas 8, Belize 8, Bermuda 10, Cambodia 15, China 7, Cyprus 1, France 1, French Southern and Antarctic Lands 2, Greece 1, Honduras 2, India 1, Liberia 37, Malaysia 14, Malta 2, Marshall Islands 7, Norway 55, Panama 169, Philippines 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 6, Singapore 50, Taiwan 3, Tuvalu 8, unknown 7) (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of China |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Security | no regular indigenous military forces; Hong Kong garrison of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) includes elements of the PLA Ground Forces, PLA Navy, and PLA Air Force; these forces are under the direct leadership of the Central Military Commission in Beijing and under administrative control of the adjacent Guangzhou Military Region |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $723 million (FY00/01) | Hong Kong garrison is funded by China; figures are NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 10% (FY00/01) | NA |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
312,116 note: includes non-nationals (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
163,642 (2001 est.) |
- |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
6,797 (2001 est.) |
- |
National holiday | Independence Day, 3 September (1971) | National Day (Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949); note - 1 July 1997 is celebrated as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day |
Nationality | noun:
Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari |
noun: Chinese/Hong Konger
adjective: Chinese/Hong Kong |
Natural hazards | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common | occasional typhoons |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, fish | outstanding deepwater harbor, feldspar |
Net migration rate | 20.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 4.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 235 km; natural gas 400 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | none | Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood or ADPL [Frederick FUNG Kin-kee]; Citizens Party [Alex CHAN Kai-chung]; Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong or DAB [MA Lik]; Democratic Party [LEE Wing-tat]; Frontier Party [Emily LAU Wai-hing]; Liberal Party [James TIEN Pei-chun]
note: political blocs include: pro-democracy - ADPL, Democratic Party, Frontier Party; pro-Beijing - DAB, Liberal Party |
Political pressure groups and leaders | none | Article 45 Concern Group (pro-democracy); Chinese General Chamber of Commerce (pro-China); Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong; Confederation of Trade Unions or CTU (pro-democracy) [LAU Chin-shek, president; LEE Cheuk-yan, general secretary]; Federation of Hong Kong Industries; Federation of Trade Unions or FTU (pro-China) [CHENG Yiu-tong, executive councilor]; Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movement in China [Szeto WAH, chairman]; Hong Kong and Kowloon Trade Union Council (pro-Taiwan); Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce; Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union [CHEUNG Man-kwong, president]; Neighborhood and Workers' Service Center or NWSC (pro-democracy); The Alliance [Bernard CHAN, exco member] |
Population | 769,152 (July 2001 est.) | 6,940,432 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 3.18% (2001 est.) | 0.59% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 5, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2004) |
Radios | 256,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | - |
Religions | Muslim 95% | eclectic mixture of local religions 90%, Christian 10% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 2.43 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 2.5 male(s)/female total population: 1.92 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | suffrage is limited to municipal elections | direct election 18 years of age; universal for permanent residents living in the territory of Hong Kong for the past seven years; indirect election limited to about 200,000 members of functional constituencies and an 800-member election committee drawn from broad regional groupings, municipal organizations, and central government bodies |
Telephone system | general assessment:
modern system centered in Doha domestic: NA international: tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat |
general assessment: modern facilities provide excellent domestic and international services
domestic: microwave radio relay links and extensive fiber-optic network international: country code - 852; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); coaxial cable to Guangzhou, China; access to 5 international submarine cables providing connections to ASEAN member nations, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Middle East, and Western Europe |
Telephones - main lines in use | 142,000 (1997) | 3,794,600 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 43,476 (1997) | 8.693 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (plus three repeaters) (1997) | 55 low power stations
note: two TV networks, each one broadcasting on two channels (2006) |
Terrain | mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel | hilly to mountainous with steep slopes; lowlands in north |
Total fertility rate | 3.17 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 0.95 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 5.5% (2005 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |