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.

Source: CIA World Fact Book

Population: 907,229 (July 2007 est.)

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Age structure: 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.)

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Median age: total: 31.9 years male: 37.3 years female: 23.1 years (2007 est.)

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Population growth rate: 2.386% (2007 est.)

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Birth rate: 15.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Death rate: 4.82 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Net migration rate: 13.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)

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Sex ratio: 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.)

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Infant mortality rate: 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.)

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Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.14 years male: 71.6 years female: 76.82 years (2007 est.)

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Total fertility rate: 2.75 children born/woman (2007 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.09% (2001 est.)

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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

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HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

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Nationality: noun: Qatari(s) adjective: Qatari

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

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Religions: Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)

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

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Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89% male: 89.1% female: 88.6% (2004 census)

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 - in 2006 per-capita income equaled that of the EU. 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 23 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas exceed 25 trillion cubic meters, more than 5% 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 is expected to become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter in 2007. Qatar is also trying to attract foreign investment in the development of its non-energy projects by further liberalizing the economy.

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GDP (purchasing power parity): $26.37 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP (official exchange rate): $30.76 billion (2006 est.)

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GDP - real growth rate: 7.1% (2006 est.)

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GDP - per capita (PPP): $29,800 (2006 est.)

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GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.1% industry: 77.2% services: 22.6% (2006 est.)

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Labor force: 508,000 (2006 est.)

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Unemployment rate: 3.2% (2006 est.)

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Population below poverty line: NA%

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Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.2% (2006 est.)

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Investment (gross fixed): 33.2% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Budget: revenues: $22.51 billion expenditures: $16.89 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (2006 est.)

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Public debt: 23.6% of GDP (2006 est.)

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Agriculture - products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish

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Industries: crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair

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Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2003 est.)

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Electricity - production: 12.4 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - consumption: 11.53 billion kWh (2004)

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Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2004)

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Oil - production: 790,500 bbl/day (2005 est.)

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Oil - consumption: 80,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

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Oil - exports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - imports: NA bbl/day

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Oil - proved reserves: 15.21 billion bbl (1 January 2005 est.)

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Natural gas - production: 39.17 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - consumption: 15.11 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - exports: 24.06 billion cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - imports: 0 cu m (2004 est.)

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Natural gas - proved reserves: 25.77 trillion cu m (1 January 2005 est.)

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Current account balance: $12.51 billion (2006 est.)

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Exports: $33.25 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Exports - commodities: liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum products, fertilizers, steel

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Exports - partners: Japan 39.8%, South Korea 18.6%, Singapore 6.4%, Thailand 4.1% (2006)

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Imports: $12.36 billion f.o.b. (2006 est.)

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Imports - commodities: machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals

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Imports - partners: France 13.3%, Japan 10.1%, US 9.3%, Italy 8.9%, Germany 7.8%, UK 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.7%, South Korea 4.5% (2006)

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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $5.755 billion (2006 est.)

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Debt - external: $25.7 billion (2006 est.)

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Economic aid - recipient: $NA

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Currency (code): Qatari rial (QAR)

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Exchange rates: Qatari rials per US dollar - 3.64 (2006), 3.64 (2005), 3.64 (2004), 3.64 (2003), 3.64 (2002)

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Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March