Conventional Name: State of Qatar (Dawlat Qatar)
Capital: Doha
Surface area: 11.437 km²
Comparison with a European country: 1/3 of Belgium
Administrative Divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyah / baladiyat)
Population (2007): 813 000 inhabitants
Population density (juillet 2007): 73,9  inhabitants /km²
Young people under 15 Years Old (2004): 23.4% (2006 est.)
Annual population growth (2007): 5,9 %
Fecundity rate (2000-2005): 3,03
Life expectancy (2000-2005) : 72,7
Infant mortality (2007): 11,6 %o
Urban population(2007): 92,3%o
Illiteracy rate (2007): men 10.9% ; women 11.4%
Language: Arabic (official), Persian and English.
Ethnic background: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%. Religions: Sunni Muslims: 95% Shia Muslims : 10%, mainly Wahhabi persuasion
HDI (Human Development Indicator, UNDP 2008): within the 177 countries selected in the report, Qatar is ranked 35 (rate 0.875, high development level)
Currency: 1 Qatari riyal (QAR) = 100 Dirhams (1 US $= 3.64 qatari riyal 2005)
Gross Domestic Product (2007): 25 010 millions US $  GDP Per Capita (2007): 31 397 US $
Annual growth: (1994 - 2004) : 9,4 % - (2005) : 5,5 %
Unemployment Rate (2001): 2,7%
Industries: crude oil production and refining, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel, cement, commercial trip repair 
Agricultural products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef, fish
Exports(2007): 24 386 million US$ 
Imports  (2007 est.): 9 110 millions US$
Major Trading Partners: exports: Japan (41.9%), South Korea (15.8%), Singapore (9.1%), India (5.4%); imports: France (26.6%), US (9.5%), Saudi Arabia (9.4%), UAE (6.3%), Germany (5.2%), Japan (5.2%), UK (5.1%) (2004)
Total External Debt (2005 est.): 20.62 billion US $
Major Export Products : Liquified natural gaz, petroleum products 2/3, fertilizers, steel
Major Import Products: Machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals.
Year of independence: 3 september 1971 from the UK.
Admitted in the United Nations in: 1971.
Member i.a. of : League of Arab States, Gulf Cooperation Council, W.T.O., Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC)
Parties to i.a. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Chemical Weapons Convention (CWP).
State nature: Emirate
Regime nature: Absolute monarchy
Head of State (Amir): HAMAD bin Khalifa AL-THANI (since 27th June 1995. He is also Minister of Defence)
Chief of government and Minister of Interior: ABDALLAH bin Khalifa AL-THANI.  (since 30 October 1996)
Minister for Foreign Affairs: HAMAD bin Jasim bin Jabir AL-THANI.

Sources (figures): L’Etat du Monde 2003 (La Découverte), CIA World Factbook 2004, Arab Human Development Report 2002 (PNUD).

See also: