Qatar
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.
History
\nMain 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
\nMain 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. \nIslamic law dominates family and personal matters. \nQatari citizens do not pay income tax.
Cities
\nMain 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
\nMain 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.
\nGeography
\nMain 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
\nMain 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
\nMain article: Culture of Qatar
Miscellaneous topics
\n* Communications in Qatar\n* Transportation in Qatar\n* Military of Qatar\n* Foreign relations of Qatar\n* List of cities in Qatar\n* Public holidays in Qatar
External links
\n*Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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Category:Middle Eastern countries\nCategory:Arabia\nCategory:Gulf states\nCategory:Monarchies\nCategory:Arab League\nCategory:Peninsulas\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
