Qatar

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State of Qatar is an emirate in Southwest Asia and the Middle East. The country makes up a small peninsula off the larger Arabian Peninsula. It borders Saudi Arabia in the south; the country is surrounded on the north, east, and west by the Persian Gulf.

Qatar is pronounced like cutter in English.

State of Qatar
Dawlat Qatar
دولة قطر

Flag of Qatar

image:LocationQatar.png

Official language Arabic

Capital Doha

Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa

Area
- Total
- percent water Ranked 157th
11,437 km²
Negligible

Population
- Total (July 2000 est.)
- Density Ranked 154th
769,152
69/km²

Independence
- Recognised
September 3, 1971

Currency Qatari riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams

Time zone UTC +3

National anthem As Salam al Amiri

Internet TLD .QA

Calling Code 974

Table of contents

1 History
2 Politics
3 Cities
4 Economy
5 Geography
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics
9 External links

History

Main article: History of Qatar

Qatar is one of many historical emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. After being dominated by Bahrain, the Ottoman Turks, and the British, Qatar became an independent country in 3 September 1971. Unlike most neighboring emirates, Qatar declined to become a part of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates.

The discovery of oil, beginning in the 1940s, completely transformed the nation's economy. Before, Qatar was a poor fishing and pearling region with widespread poverty. Now, the country has a high standard of living and all the amenities of any modern nation.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Qatar

Qatar is a traditional monarchy under the rule of Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Qatar has been governed by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s. Islamic law dominates family and personal matters. Qatari citizens do not pay income tax.

Cities

Main article: Cities of Qatar

Doha (al-Dawhah), the capital, is the most important city in the country, and over half of Qataris live there. The port city of Umm Sa'id (Musa'iyd), on the east coast, is another major city. Over 90 percent of Qataris live in cities.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Qatar

Qatar's national income is primarily derived from oil and natural gas exports. The country's oil reserves are estimated to be 15 billion barrels (2.4 km³). Qataris' wealth and standard of living are comparable to those of Western European nations.

Map of Qatar

Geography

Main article: Geography of Qatar

The Qatari peninsula juts 160 km (100 miles) into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. Much of the country is a low, barren plain, covered with sand.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Qatar

Nearly all Qataris are Muslim. Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the population migrated from various nations to work in the country's oil industry. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely understood.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Qatar

Music of Qatar

Miscellaneous topics

External links

Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs

	Countries in Southwest Asia
Afghanistan \| Armenia \| Azerbaijan \| Bahrain \| Cyprus \| Egypt¹ \| Gaza Strip \| Georgia \| Iran \| Iraq \| Israel \| Jordan \| Kuwait \| Lebanon \| Oman \| Qatar \| Saudi Arabia \| Syria \| Turkey² \| United Arab Emirates \| West Bank \| Yemen

Arab League
Algeria \| Bahrain \| Comoros \| Djibouti \| Egypt \| Iraq \| Jordan \| Kuwait \| Lebanon \| Mauritania \| Morocco \| Oman \| Palestinian Territories \| Qatar \| Saudi Arabia \| Somalia \| Sudan \| Syria \| Tunisia \| United Arab Emirates \| Yemen

Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

	Countries in the Middle East
Bahrain \| Cyprus \| Egypt \| Gaza Strip \| Iran \| Iraq \| Israel \| Jordan \| Kuwait \| Lebanon \| Oman \| Qatar \| Saudi Arabia \| Syria \| Turkey \| United Arab Emirates \| West Bank \| Yemen