Qatar:
Geography

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Other pages in this profile of Qatar:
People, Government, Economy, Communications & Transportation, Military & Transnational Issues.


Background	Definition 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. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world.

Location	Definition Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates	Definition 25 30 N, 51 15 E
Map references	Definition Middle East
Area	Definition - World rank and map total: 11,437 sq km land: 11,437 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	Definition slightly smaller than Connecticut
Land boundaries	Definition total: 60 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 60 km
Coastline	Definition 563 km
Maritime claims	Definition territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: as determined by bilateral agreements or the median line
Climate	Definition arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain	Definition mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel
Elevation extremes	Definition lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Qurayn Abu al Bawl 103 m
Natural resources	Definition petroleum, natural gas, fish
Land use	Definition - World rank and map arable land: 1.64% permanent crops: 0.27% other: 98.09% (2005)
Irrigated land	Definition 130 sq km (2002)
Total renewable water resources	Definition 0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)	Definition total: 0.29 cu km/yr (24%/3%/72%) per capita: 358 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards	Definition haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues	Definition limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements	Definition party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note	Definition strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits