Natural hazards:
haze, dust storms, sandstorms common
Environment - current issues: limited natural fresh water resources are increasing dependence on large-scale desalination facilities
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum
deposits
People Qatar
Population:
885,359 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 23.4% (male 105,546/female 101,371)
15-64 years: 73% (male 446,779/female 199,133)
65 years and over: 3.7% (male 24,059/female 8,471) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 31.7 years
male: 37.1 years
female: 22.7 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.5% (2006 est.)
Birth rate:
15.56 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)