Qatar
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Doha
- Population
- 2,568,426 (2025 est.)
- Area
- 11,586 sq km
- Government
- absolute monarchy
- Religions
- Muslim 65.2%, Christian 13.7%, Hindu 15.9%, Buddhist 3.8%, folk religion <0.1%, Jewish <0.1%, other <1%, unaffiliated <1% (2020 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015 est.)
- Currency
- Qatari rials (QAR)
- Life Expectancy
- 80.3 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .qa
- Climate
- arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
- Terrain
- mostly flat and barren desert
- Natural Resources
- petroleum, fish, natural gas
- Major Exports
- natural gas, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, plastics, fertilizers (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar within the last 60 years transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant hydrocarbon revenues.