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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.
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| Official language | Arabic | ||||
| Capital | Doha | ||||
| Emir | Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa | ||||
| Area - Total - percent water | Ranked 157th 11,437 km² Negligible | ||||
| Population
- Density | Ranked 154th
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 | ||||
Main article: History of Qatar
Qatar is one of many new emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. After being dominated by Persians for thousands of years and recently 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Main article: Culture of Qatar
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