Qatar
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Geography
Area 11,400 sq.km. Arabian peninsular state that is almost entirely desert.
| Year | Population | Ann.Gr. | Density |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 599,065 | +1.80% | 53 per sq. km. |
| 2010 | 692,178 | +1.37% | 61 per sq. km. |
| 2025 | 778,537 | +0.47% | 68 per sq. km. |
Capital Doha 339,471. Urbanites 91%.
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Peoples
The expatriate community makes up the majority of the population and is very difficult to accurately enumerate. Many Qatari citizens are of foreign extraction.
Arab 50%. Qatari 120,000; Other Arab (Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, etc.) 180,000.
South Asian 23%. Indian (esp. from Kerala) 108,000; Pakistani 100,000, Sri Lankan 18,000.
Persian 16%.
East Asian 7%. Filipino 36,000.
Other 4%. Caucasian 18,000.
Literacy 79%. Official Language Arabic. All languages 3. Languages with Scripture 2Bi.
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Economy
Petroleum products are 81% of exports. Qatar has some of the world’s largest gas reserves. Oil wealth is used to diversify the economy. Qataris live in great wealth, but the Asians constitute an economic lower class. HDI 0.814; 41st/174. Income/person $16,160 (51% of USA).
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Politics
Part of Turkish-Ottoman Empire until 1918. Under British protection until independence in 1971. The current Emir ousted his father in a bloodless coup in 1995. His foreign and domestic policies reflect a remarkably open and progressive attitude.
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Religion
The strict Wahhabi form of Sunni Islam is the state religion. Proselytism of Muslims is forbidden, but expatriate Christians are allowed to practice their faith. Persecution index 23rd in the world.
| Religions | Population | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim | 79.43 | 475,837 |
| Christian | 10.47 | 62,722 |
| Hindu | 7.20 | 43,133 |
| Buddhist | 1.80 | 10,783 |
| non-Religious/other | 0.90 | 5,391 |
| Baha’i | 0.20 | 1,198 |
| Christians | Denom. | Affil. % | ,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant | 18 | 2.88 | 17 |
| Independent | 5 | 0.43 | 3 |
| Anglican | 1 | 0.87 | 5 |
| Catholic | 1 | 5.01 | 30 |
| Orthodox | 3 | 0.70 | 4 |
| Marginal | 5 | 0.58 | 4 |
| Churches | Cong. | Members | Affiliates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 14 | 16,667 | 30,000 |
| Protestant groups [12] | 30 | 5,500 | 11,000 |
| Anglican | 4 | 1,200 | 5,200 |
| Pentecostal groups [3] | 18 | 2,500 | 5,000 |
| Orthodox [3] | 8 | 2,515 | 4,200 |
| Marginal groups [5] | 5 | 2,188 | 3,500 |
| Independent [5] | 5 | 1,625 | 2,600 |
| Other denoms [3] | 20 | 619 | 1,250 |
| Total Christians [33] | 104 | 32,814 | 62,750 |
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Internet Links
- CIA World Factbook (http://www.cia.gov/) - Country profile, with only very brief information on religion or society. Brief, largely statistical information on geography, people, government, economy, and more.
- World Skip - Qatar (http://www.worldskip.com/region.asp?PartnerID=&RegionID=qa) - News, information, products and services from every nation on earth.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Qatar (www.mofa.gov.qa) - Government and various information. An official site. In English and Arabic.
- Qatar Info Magazine (www.qatar-info.com) - General & practical information, geared to expatriates.