Health Financing as a Critical Component of Health Systems: a Large Set of Indicators - Research Paper Example

Qatar forms one of the newer emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. After domination by Persians for thousands of years and more recently by Bahrain, by the Ottoman Turks, and by the British, Qatar became an independent state on September 3, 1971. Unlike most nearby emirates, Qatar declined to become part of either the United Arab Emirates or of Saudi Arabia. Qatar occupies 11,493 square kilometres on a peninsula that extends approximately 160 kilometres north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar's total population, including expatriates, has grown quickly, from 70 000 in the late 1960s to 724 000 by 2003. Of that total, only about 30% are Qatari nationals. The remainders are expatriates, mostly from India and Pakistan. Qatar is ranked 47th in the 2004 Human Development Report, with an HDI value of 0.833. The Qatari government has invested heavily in education since the 1970s and, according to government statistics, literacy had reached 88% by 2000. The figure is close to the average for the Gulf, although rates are higher in Qatar for women than elsewhere in the region.

Qataris' wealth and standard of living compare well with those of Western European nations. Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the developing world ($39,607 as of 2005). Qatar is also one of the two least taxed sovereign states in the world with no income tax. The growth rate of the Qatari economy has fluctuated dramatically over the past several years, reflecting the country’s vulnerability to oil price fluctuations.