PEOPLE
Natives of the Arabian Peninsula, many Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century from the neighboring areas of Nejd and Al-Hasa. Some came from neighboring Gulf emirates and others are descended from Persian merchants. Most of Qatar's 907,229 inhabitants live in Doha, the capital. Foreigners with temporary residence status make up about three-fourths of the population. Foreign workers comprise 52% of the total population and make up about 89% of the total labor force. Most are South and Southeast Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Jordanians, and Iranians. About 8,000 U.S. citizens reside in Qatar.
For centuries,
the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing, and trade.
At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the Persian Gulf
fishing fleet. With the Great Depression and the introduction
of Japan's cultured-pearl industry, pearling in Qatar declined
drastically.
The
Qataris are mainly Sunni "Wahhabi" Muslims. Islam is
the official religion, and Islamic jurisprudence is the basis
of Qatar's legal system. Arabic is the official language, and
English is the lingua franca. Education is compulsory and free
for all Arab residents 6-16 years old. Qatar has an increasingly
high literacy rate.
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Qatari(s).
Population (July 2007 est.): 907,229.
Population growth (July 2007 est.): 2.386%.
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%.
Religion: Islam (state religion, claimed by virtually all of the indigenous population).
Languages: Arabic (official); English (widely spoken).
Education: Compulsory--ages 6-16. Attendance--98%. Literacy (2004 est.)--89% total population, 89.1% male, 88.6% female.
Health (2007 est.): Infant mortality rate--17.46/1,000 live births. Life expectancy--74.14 years.
Work force (2006): 508,000. Private sector--61.2%; mixed sector--28.5%; government--5.6%.
