ies: total 60 km, Saudi Arabia 60 km

Coastline: 563 km

Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: territorial dispute with Bahrain over the
Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Bahrain

Climate: desert; hot, dry; humid and sultry in summer

Terrain: mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and
gravel

Natural resources: petroleum, natural gas, fish

Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 5%
forest and woodland: 0%
other: 95%

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Environment:
current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing
dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
natural hazards: haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Law
of the Sea

Note: strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum
deposits

@Qatar:People

Population: 533,916 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (female 81,443; male 80,591)
15-64 years: 68% (female 104,921; male 258,135)
65 years and over: 2% (female 2,941; male 5,885) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.74% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.72 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.59 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 8.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 20.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.03 years
male: 70.45 years
female: 75.5 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 4.63 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Qatari(s)
adjective: Qatari

Ethnic divisions: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%,
other 14%

Religions: Muslim 95%

Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second
language

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1986)
total population: 76%
male: 77%
female: 72%

Labor force: NA

@Qatar:Government

Names:
conventional long form: State of Qatar
conventional short form: Qatar
local long form: Dawlat Qatar
local short form: Qatar

Digraph: QA

Type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Doha

Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular -
baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al
Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Sh