Western Sahara (2004) | Qatar (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | none (under de facto control of Morocco) | 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: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA |
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 and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) | fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish |
Airports | 11 (2003 est.) | 5 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 266,000 sq km
land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 11,437 sq km
land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about the size of Colorado | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
Background | Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. | 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. |
Birth rate | NA births/1,000 population | 15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: NA
expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA |
revenues: $23.5 billion
expenditures: $19.61 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | none | name: Doha
geographic coordinates: 25 17 N, 51 32 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers |
Coastline | 1,110 km | 563 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: none
conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara |
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 |
Currency | Moroccan dirham (MAD) | - |
Death rate | NA deaths/1,000 population | 4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | NA | $31.07 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none | 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 | none | 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 | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals | none |
Economic aid - recipient | NA | $2.18 million (2004) |
Economy - overview | Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 83.7 million kWh (2001) | 12.52 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 90 million kWh (2001) | 13.54 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m
highest point: unnamed location 463 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m |
Environment - current issues | sparse water and lack of arable land | limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities |
Environment - international agreements | party to: none of the selected agreements
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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, Berber | Arab 40%, Indian 18%, Pakistani 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14% |
Exchange rates | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999) | Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2007), 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003) |
Executive branch | none | 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 | NA (2001) | 960,600 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | phosphates 62% | liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel |
Exports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts | Japan 40.2%, South Korea 16.4%, Singapore 6.5%, Thailand 4.1% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
Flag description | - | maroon with a broad white serrated band (nine white points) on the hoist side |
GDP | purchasing power parity - NA | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA
industry: NA services: 40% (1996 est.) |
agriculture: 0.1%
industry: 73.5% services: 26.4% (2007 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - NA | - |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 7.8% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 24 30 N, 13 00 W | 25 30 N, 51 15 E |
Geography - note | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas | strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits |
Heliports | - | 1 (2007) |
Highways | total: 6,200 km
paved: 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | NA (2001) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs | machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) | 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 | NA | 8% (2007 est.) |
Industries | phosphate mining, handicrafts | crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair |
Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
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) | NA | 12% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | none | 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 | NA sq km | 130 sq km (2002) |
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 | 12,000 | 638,000 (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% | - |
Land boundaries | total: 2,046 km
border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km |
total: 60 km
border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001) |
arable land: 1.64%
permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005) |
Languages | Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic | 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 |
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: NA years
male: NA years female: NA years |
total population: 74.14 years
male: 71.6 years female: 76.82 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA male: NA female: NA |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 census) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco | Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia |
Map references | Africa | Middle East |
Maritime claims | contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line |
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) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 10% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | - | Independence Day, 3 September (1971); also observed is National Day, 18 December |
Nationality | noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian |
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility | haze, dust storms, sandstorms common |
Natural resources | phosphates, iron ore | petroleum, natural gas, fish |
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 | none |
Population | 267,405 (July 2004 est.) | 907,229 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | NA | 2.386% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 6, FM 5, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Religions | Muslim | Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census) |
Sex ratio | NA | 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 | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | about 2,000 (1999 est.) | 228,300 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 0 (1999) | 919,800 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | NA | 1 (plus 3 repeaters) (2001) |
Terrain | mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast | mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel |
Total fertility rate | NA children born/woman | 2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 0.7% (2007 est.) |