Chapter 3: Persian Gulf, Arabian Peninsula
Qatar: Overview
Facts
/ Geography, Climate / Cities
/ Posture Statement Excerpt
Leadership
/ System Essentials / Infrastructure
/ Population / Fielded Forces
/ Table of Contents
The country of Qatar occupies a peninsula which juts northwards from the Arabian mainland into the Persian Gulf and is bordered on the south by the UAE. Most of the terrain on the peninsula is barren and low-lying.
Qatar has long, hot summers with alternating periods of high and low humidity. The country's winters are mild with limited rainfall.
The Government of Qatar is a traditional monarchy governed by constitutional law which institutionalizes the customs and social mores of Qatar's conservative Wahhabi Muslim heritage. A small but wealthy Gulf nation, Qatar has a per capita income among the highest in the region. Yet with oil reserves dwindling, Qatar's economic future is largely dependent on the vast North Dome natural gas field which lies off its northern coast. This field is now under development, but may become a source of conflict because this shared natural resource underlies territorial waters of both Qatar and Iran.
There has been a significant improvement in the U.S.-Qatari military relationship since the Gulf war. In 1991, the U.S. Military Liaison Office opened in Doha, and in June 1992 the U.S. and Qatar signed a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA). Additionally, we have built a very successful bilateral exercise program which continues to grow. Our relationship is underpinned by regular bilateral military cooperation meetings, and steady progress toward greater cooperation is evidenced by ongoing DCA implementation meetings.