Qatar (Standard Arabic Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic is the standard and literary variety of Arabic used in writing and in formal speech. It is part of the Arabic macrolanguage: [ˈqɑtˁɑr]; English pronunciation: /kəˈtɑr/ kə-TAR;^[4][5] local pronunciation Gulf Arabic is a variety of the Arabic language spoken around both shores of the Persian Gulf such as in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and parts of Oman. Some notable characteristics that set it apart from other Arabian dialects are the small number of Persian loanwords, and a pronunciation of k as ch (kalb ": [ɡitˁar]^[6]), also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is an Arab country In geography, a country is a geographical region. The term is often applied to a political division or the territory of a sovereign state, or to a smaller, or former, political division of a geographical region. Usually, but not always, a country coincides with a sovereign territory and is associated with a state, nation or government, known officially as an emirate Etymologically emirate or amirate is the quality, dignity, office or territorial competence of any emir (prince, governor etc.), in the Middle East The Middle East is a region that encompasses southwestern Asia and Egypt. In some contexts, the term has recently been expanded in usage to sometimes include Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and North Africa. It's often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East. The corresponding adjective is Middle-Eastern, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast The coast is defined as where the land meets the sea. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs. Both the terms coast and coastal are often used to of the much larger Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula , Arabia, Arabistan, and the Arabian subcontinent is a peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia. The area is an important part of the Middle East and plays a critically important geopolitical role because of its vast reserves of oil and natural gas. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكه العربيه السعوديه‎) is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf or simply The Gulf by most Arab states, and Gulf of Basra by Turkey, although none of the surrounds the state A sovereign state is a political association with effective internal and external sovereignty over a geographic area and population which is not dependent on, or subject to any other power or state. While in abstract terms a sovereign state can exist without being recognised by other sovereign states, unrecognised states will often find it hard to. A strait of the Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf or simply The Gulf by most Arab states, and Gulf of Basra by Turkey, although none of the separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of Bahrain Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which.

Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves This is a list of countries by natural gas proven reserves mostly based on The World Factbook,^[7] and the first^[8] or second^[9] highest GDP per capita This article includes three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product at purchasing power parity (PPP) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year divided by the average (or mid-year) population for the same year in the world. An absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy is a monarchical form of government where the monarch exercises ultimate governing authority as head of state and head of government, thus wielding political power over the sovereign state and its subject peoples. In an absolute monarchy, the transmission of power is two-fold, hereditary and marital; as absolute governor, the, Qatar has been ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s and has since transformed itself from a British The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland[note 7] is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of the island of Ireland, and many small islands. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK with a land protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Emir Emir Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani GCB GCMG was born in Rayyan in 1932, and was the eighth Emir of Qatar from 1972 until he was deposed by his son Hamad bin Khalifa in 1995, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which and Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia (Arabic: المملكه العربيه السعوديه‎) is the largest Arab country of the Middle East. It is bordered by Jordan and Iraq on the north and northeast, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates on the east, Oman on the southeast, and Yemen on the south. The Persian Gulf lies to the northeast and the Red Sea.

Etymology

The name may derive from "Qatara", believed to refer to the Qatari town of Zubara Zubarah (Arabic: الزبارة‎) is a ruined and deserted town located in the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha, part of Madinat ash Shamal municipality. It was also a fortified town with an inner and an outer wall, an important trading port and town in the region in ancient times.

In Standard Arabic Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic is the standard and literary variety of Arabic used in writing and in formal speech. It is part of the Arabic macrolanguage the name is pronounced [ˈqɑtˁɑr], while in the local dialect it is [ɡitˁar].^[6] In English-language broadcast media within Qatar—for example, television commercials for Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub and spoke network, linking over 90 international destinations form its base in Doha, using a fleet of 84 aircraft. It is one of only six airlines awarded 5-star rating by Skytrax along with Cathay Pacific, Asiana and advertisements concerning economic development in Qatar—the name is pronounced "KA-tar", with a distinct differentiation between the syllables from the forming of the 't' sound.

History

Recent discoveries on the edge of an island in the West of Qatar indicate early human presence in pre-historic Qatar. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Persian Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk, and the discovery there of pottery, flint, flint-scraper tools, and painted ceramic vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been a barter-based trading system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia, in which the exchanged commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.^[10]

Islam conquered the entire Arabian region in the 7th century in a string of wide spread conflicts resulting in the Islamization Islamization or Islamification (pejorative Muhammadization) means the process of a society's conversion to the religion of Islam of the native Arabian pagans. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, the prophet Muhammad Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullāh (Arabic: ﷴ; Transliteration: Muḥammad; pronounced [mʊˈħæmmæd] ; also spelled Muhammed or Mohammed) (ca. 570/571 Mecca[مَكَةَ ]/[ مَكَهْ ] – June 8, 632), was the founder of the religion of Islam [ إِسْلامْ ] and is regarded by Muslims as a messenger and prophet of God (Arabic: الله‎ sent his first military envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended from the coast of Kuwait to the south of Qatar, including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam as he had invited other kingdoms and empires of his time such as Byzantium and Persia. Mundhir, responding Muhammad, announced his acceptance of Islam, and all the inhabitants of Qatar became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar.

In medieval times, Qatar was more often than not independent and a participant in the great Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. Historically and commonly known as the Persian Gulf, this body of water is sometimes controversially referred to as the Arabian Gulf or simply The Gulf by most Arab states, and Gulf of Basra by Turkey, although none of the–Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian subcontinent; on the west by East Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean . It is the only ocean to be named commerce. Many races and ideas were introduced into the peninsula from Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people (as of 2009, see table) in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.72% of the world's human population, South and Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic and volcanic activity, as well as the Malay archipelago The Malay Archipelago is the archipelago located between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. Situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the group of 25,000 islands is the world's largest archipelago by area. It includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, East Malaysia, East Timor, and most of Papua New Guinea. The island of. Today, the traces of these early interactions with the oceanic world of the Indian Ocean survive in the small minorities of races, peoples, languages and religions, such as the presence of Africans and Shihus.

Although the peninsular A peninsula is a piece of land that is surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. In many Germanic languages, peninsulas are called "half-islands". A peninsula can also be a headland (head), cape, island promontory, bill, point, or spit.. Note that a point is generally considered a tapering piece of land projecting land mass that makes up Qatar has sustained humans for thousands of years, for the bulk of its history the arid A region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available water, to the extent of hindering or even preventing the growth and development of plant and animal life. As a result, environments subject to arid climates tend to lack vegetation and are called xeric or desertic climate Climates encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time. Climate can be contrasted to weather, which is the present condition of these same elements and their variations over periods up to two weeks fostered only short-term settlements by nomadic Nomadic people are communities of people who move from one place to another, rather than settling permanently in one location. There are an estimated 30-40 million nomads in the world. Many cultures have traditionally been nomadic, but traditional nomadic behavior is increasingly rare in industrialized countries. Nomadic cultures are discussed in tribes. Until 1913 it was a part of Ottoman Empire.

The British initially sought out Qatar and the Persian Gulf as an intermediary vantage point en route to their colonial Colonialism is the building and maintaining of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. Colonialism is a process whereby sovereignty over the colony is claimed by the metropole and social structure, government and economics within the territory of the colony are changed by the colonists. Colonialism is a certain set of unequal interests in India India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with 1.18 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world. Mainland India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal on the, although the discovery of oil Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, toxic, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, and other organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling. It is refined and separated, most easily by and other hydrocarbons In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls. Aromatic hydrocarbons , alkanes, alkenes, cycloalkanes and alkyne-based compounds are different types of hydrocarbons in the early twentieth century would re-invigorate their interest. During the nineteenth century, the time of Britain’s formative ventures into the region, the Al Khalifa The Al Khalifa dynasty is the ruling Sunni family of Bahrain. The Al Khalifa clan belongs to the Anizah tribe that migrated from Najd to Kuwait in the early Eighteenth Century. After arriving at Kuwait, they entered under the umbrella of the Bani Utbah at Kuwait. The current head of the family is Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa who became the emir of clan reigned over the Northern Qatari peninsula from the nearby island of Bahrain Bahrain, officially Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest (Bahrain Island) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway, which to the west.

Although Qatar had the legal status of a dependency A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, resentment festered against the Bahraini Al Khalifas along the eastern seaboard of the Qatari peninsula. In 1867, the Al Khalifas launched a successful effort to squash the Qatari rebels, sending a massive naval force to Al Wakrah. However, the Bahraini aggression was in violation on the 1820 Anglo-Bahraini Treaty. The diplomatic response of the British to this violation set into motion the political forces that would eventuate in the founding of the state of Qatar on December 18, 1878 (for this reason the date of December 18 is celebrated each year as the National Day of Qatar). In addition to censuring Bahrain for its breach of agreement, the British Protectorate A protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains sufficient (per Colonel Lewis Pelly) asked to negotiate Negotiation is a dialogue intended to resolve disputes, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, or to craft outcomes to satisfy various interests. It is the primary method of alternative dispute resolution with a representative from Qatar.

The request carried with it a tacit recognition of Qatar’s status as distinct from Bahrain. The Qataris chose as their negotiator the respected entrepreneur An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome.[note 1] The term is originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to the type of personality and long-time resident of Doha Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar. Doha is Qatar's largest city, with over 80% of the nation's population residing in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, and is also the economic centre of the country, Muhammed bin Thani. the Al Thanis, had taken relatively little part in Persian Gulf politics, but the diplomatic foray ensured their participation in the movement towards independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory and their hegemony as the future ruling family, a dynasty Historians traditionally consider a state's history within a framework of successive dynasties, particularly with such nations as China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire. Much of European political history was dominated, successively and together, by dynasties such as the Carolingians, the Capetians, the Habsburgs, the Stuarts, the that continues to this day. The results of the negotiations left Qatar with a new-found sense of political selfhood, although it did not gain official standing as a British protectorate A protectorate, in international law, is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity. In exchange for this, the protectorate usually accepts specified obligations, which may vary greatly, depending on the real nature of their relationship. However, it retains sufficient until 1916.

20th and 21st century

The reach of the British Empire The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was the largest empire in history and, for over a diminished after the Second World War, especially following Indian independence in 1947. Pressure for a British withdrawal from the Arab emirates in the Persian Gulf increased during the 1950s, and the British welcomed Kuwait's declaration of independence in 1961. When Britain officially announced in 1968 that it would disengage politically (though not economically) from the Persian Gulf in three years' time, Qatar joined Bahrain and seven other Trucial States in a federation. Regional disputes, however, quickly compelled Qatar to resign and declare independence from the coalition that would evolve into the seven-emirate United Arab Emirates. On September 3, 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state.

In 1991, Qatar played a significant role in the Persian Gulf War, particularly during the Battle of Khafji in which Qatari tanks rolled through the streets of the town providing fire support for Saudi Arabian National Guard units which were fighting against units of the Iraqi Army. Qatar also allowed Coalition troops from Canada to use the country as an airbase to launch aircraft on CAP duty.

Since 1995^[update], Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has ruled Qatar, seizing control of the country from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while the latter vacationed in Switzerland. Under Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a notable amount of sociopolitical liberalization, including the endorsement of women's suffrage or right to vote, drafting a new constitution, and the launch of Al Jazeera, a leading English and Arabic news source which operates a website and satellite television news channel.

The International Monetary Fund states that Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world, followed by Liechtenstein. The World Factbook ranks Qatar at second, following Liechtenstein.

Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq^[11] in 2003.

In March 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking for a country that had not previously experienced acts of terrorism. The bombing was carried out by Omar Ahmed Abdullah Ali, an Egyptian residing in Qatar, who had suspected ties to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.^[12][13]

Government and politics

Qatar has an emirate government type.^[9] Based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; the country has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.^[9]

Political alliances

February 24, 2010, Qatar and Iran signed a defense cooperation agreement in which the two countries stressed the need to expand their defense cooperation. ^[14]

Iran and Qatar will

• exchange specialized and technical committees
• expand cooperation in training
• conduct joint campaigns against terrorism and insecurity in the region

March 10, 2010. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani has given his support to Iran’s right to nuclear technology, and considers Iran’s nuclear project to be for peaceful nuclear energy purposes. ^[15]

Administrative divisions

Before 2004, Qatar was divided into ten municipalities (Arabic: baladiyah), also occasionally or rarely translated as governorates or provinces:

1. Ad Dawhah
2. Al Ghuwariyah
3. Al Jumaliyah
4. Al Khawr
5. Al Wakrah
6. Ar Rayyan
7. Jariyan al Batnah
8. Ash Shamal
9. Umm Salal
10. Mesaieed

Since 2004, Qatar has been divided into eight municipalities.^[16] A new municipality, Al Daayen, was created under Resolution No. 13,^[17] formed from parts of Umm Salal and Al Khawr; at the same time, Al Ghuwariyah was merged with Al Khawr; Al Jumaliyah was merged with Ar Rayyan; and Jarayan al Batnah was split between Ar Rayyan and Al Wakrah.

Economy

Qatar has experienced rapid economic growth over the last several years on the back of high oil prices, and in 2008 posted its eighth consecutive budget surplus. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues.

Oil and gas have made Qatar the second highest per-capita income country – following Liechtenstein – and one of the world's fastest growing. Proved oil reserves of 15 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 37 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are nearly 26 trillion cubic meters, about 14% of the world total and third largest in the world.

Before the discovery of oil, the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearl hunting. After the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry faltered. However, the discovery of oil, beginning in the 1940s, completely transformed the state's economy. Now the country has a high standard of living, with many social services offered to its citizens and all the amenities of any modern state.

Qatar’s national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports. The country has oil reserves of 15 billion barrels (2.4 km³), while gas reserves in the giant North Field (South Pars for Iran) which straddles the border with Iran and are almost as large as the peninsula itself are estimated to be between 80 trillion cubic feet (2,300 km³) to 800 trillion cubic feet (23,000 km³) (1 trillion cubic feet is equivalent to about 80 million barrels (13,000,000 m³) of oil). Qatar is sometimes referred to as the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. Qataris’ wealth and standard of living compare well with those of Western European states; Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the Arab World according to the International Monetary Fund (2006)^[18] and the second highest GDP per capita in the world according to the CIA World Factbook.^[9] With no income tax, Qatar, along with Bahrain, is one of the countries with the lowest tax rates in the world.

While oil and gas will probably remain the backbone of Qatar’s economy for some time to come, the country seeks to stimulate the private sector and develop a “knowledge economy”. In 2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar. Qatar also established Education City, which consists of international colleges. For the 15^th Asian Games in Doha, it established Doha Sports City, consisting of Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres. Following the success of the Asian Games, Doha kicked off an official bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in October 2007.^[19] Qatar also plans to build an "entertainment city" in the future.

Qatar aims to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region. Large scale investment in all social and economic sectors will also lead to the development of a strong financial market.

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides financial institutions with world class services in investment, margin and no-interest loans, and capital support. These platforms are situated in an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources, specifically its exportation of petroleum. It has been created with a long term perspective to support the development of Qatar and the wider region, develop local and regional markets, and strengthen the links between the energy based economies and global financial markets.

Apart from Qatar itself, which needs to raise capital to finance projects of more than $130 billion, the QFC also provides a conduit for financial institutions to access nearly $1.0 trillion of investments which stretch across the GCC (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) as a whole over the next decade.

The new town of Lusail, the largest project ever in Qatar, is under construction.

Transportation

The primary means of transportation in Qatar is by road, due to the very cheap price of petroleum. The country as a result has an advanced road system undergoing vast upgrades in response to the country's rapidly rising population, with several highways undergoing upgrades and new expressways within Doha under construction. A large bus network connects Doha with other towns in the country, and is the primary means of public transportation in the city.

The Salwa International Highway currently connects Doha to the border with Saudi Arabia, and a causeway with both road and rail links to Bahrain at Zubarah is due to begin construction shortly. The causeway will become the largest in the world, and will be the second to connect Bahrain to the Arabian Peninsula.

Currently, no rail networks exist in the country. In November 2009, however, its government signed a $26 billion contract with the German company Deutsche Bahn to construct a railroad system over the next 20 years. The network will connect the country itself, and will include an international link with neighbouring states as part of a larger rail network being constructed across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. A railway link is also under construction between Qatar and Bahrain as part of the Qatar Bahrain Causeway.

Qatar's main airport is the Doha International Airport, which served almost 15,000,000 passengers in 2007. In comparison, the airport served only 2,000,000 passengers in 1998. As a result of the much larger volumes of passengers flying into an through the country today, the New Doha International Airport is currently under construction, and will replace the existing airport in 2011.

Climate

Environmental issues

Qatar has the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions, at 55.5 metric tons per person in 2005.^[21] This is almost double the next highest per-capita emitting country, which is Kuwait at 30.7 metric tons (2005) and they are three times those of the United States. Qatar has had the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions for the past 18 years. These emissions are largely due to high rates of energy use in Qatar. Major uses of energy in Qatar include air conditioning, natural gas processing, water desalination and electricity production. Between 1995 and 2011 the electricity generating capacity of Qatar will have increased to six times the previous level. The fact that Qataris do not have to pay for either their water or electricity supplies is thought to contribute to their high rate of energy use. Despite being a desert state they are also one of the highest consumers of water per capita per day, using around 400 litres.^[22]

Geography

The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (161 km) north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia and is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut, USA. Much of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand. To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid (“Inland Sea”), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Persian Gulf. There are mild winters and very hot, humid summers.

The highest point in Qatar is Qurayn Abu al Bawl at 103 metres (338 ft)^[9] in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcroppings running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border. The Jebel Dukhan area also contains Qatar’s main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.

Religion

Islam is the predominant religion, as Muslims constitute 87.6% of the population.^[9]

Sunni Muslims account for 99% percent of the Muslim population. The majority of non-citizens are from South and Southeast Asian and Arab countries working on temporary employment contracts, accompanied by family members in some cases. Most non-citizens are Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, or Bahá'ís. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Mesaieed, and Dukhan.

The Hindu community is almost exclusively Indian, while Buddhists include South, Southeast, and East Asians. Most Bahá'ís in Qatar come from Iran. Religion is not a criterion for citizenship, according to the Nationality Law. However, nearly all Qatari citizens are either Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, except for at least one Christian, a few Bahá'ís, and their respective families who were granted citizenship.^{[citation needed]}

No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country,^[23] but in 2008 the government allowed some churches to conduct Mass. In March 2008 the first Roman Catholic Church “Our Lady of the Rosary” was consecrated in Doha. Besides Roman Catholics, there are also some Protestant sects like the Seventh-day Adventist Church.^[24]

Population

Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the population is made up of expatriates taking up employment in various sectors of the Qatari economy. Arabic serves as the official language. However, English as well as many other languages like Hindi, Pashto, Malayalam, Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, Balochi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Tagalog, and Persian are widely spoken in Qatar.

Expatriates form the majority of Qatar’s residents. The petrochemical industry has attracted people from all around the world. Most of the expatriates come from South Asia and from non-oil-rich Arab states. Because a large percentage of the expatriates are male, Qatar has a heavily skewed sex ratio, with 3.46 males per female.^[25]

In July 2007, the country had a growing population of approximately 907,229 people,^[9] of whom approximately 350,000 were believed to be citizens.^[26] Qatari citizens follow the dominant Hanbali branch of Islam practiced in neighboring Saudi Arabia, therefore it is considered to be that among the Persian Gulf states closest to Saudi Arabia culturally.

The majority of the estimated 550,000 non-citizens are individuals from South and South East Asian and Arab countries working on temporary employment contracts in most cases without their accompanying family members. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Mesaieed, and Dukhan.

Culture

Qatari culture (music, art, dress, and cuisine) is extremely similar to that of other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf; see Culture of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. Arab tribes from Saudi Arabia migrated to Qatar and other places in the gulf; therefore, the culture in the Persian Gulf region varies little from country to country.

Qatar explicitly uses Sharia law as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow Hanbali Madhhab. Hanbali (Arabic: حنبلى ) is one of the four schools (Madhhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam (The other three are Hanafi, Maliki and Shafii). Sunni Muslims believe that all four schools have "correct guidance", and the differences between them lie not in the fundamentals of faith, but in finer judgments and jurisprudence, which are a result of the independent reasoning of the imams and the scholars who followed them. Because their individual methodologies of interpretation and extraction from the primary sources (rusul) were different, they came to different judgments on particular matters. Shi'as comprise around 2% of the Muslim population in Qatar(including foreigners).

Qatari law

When contrasted with other Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, for instance, Qatar has comparatively liberal laws, but is still not as liberal as some other Arab states of the Persian Gulf like UAE or Bahrain. Qatar is a civil law jurisdiction. However, Shari'a or Islamic law is applied to aspects of family law, inheritance and certain criminal acts. Women can legally drive in Qatar and there is a strong emphasis in equality and human rights brought by Qatar's National Human Rights Committee. Qatar also has the largest fines in the world in terms of traffic violation as per the recent change in 2010.

The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernisation during the reign of the current Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who came to power in 1995. The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. However, the few bars and nightclubs in Qatar operate only in expensive hotels and clubs, much like in the UAE. Also like in the UAE, Muslims are banned from drinking alcohol. Expatriate residents in Qatar are eligible to receive liquor permits permitting them to purchase alcohol for personal use through Qatar Distribution Company, the only importer and retailer for alcohol in Qatar. Under Qatar's Sharia, it is illegal to show alcohol or be drunk in public.

During the month of Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking in public is strictly banned from dawn to sunset. This also is applied in the UAE.

In common with other Persian Gulf Arab countries, sponsorship laws exist in Qatar. These laws have been widely described as akin to modern-day slavery.^[31] The Sponsorship system (Kafeel or Kafala) exists throughout the GCC and means that a worker (not a tourist) may not enter the country without having a kafeel; cannot leave without the kafeel's permission (an Exit Permit must first be awarded by the sponsor, or kafeel); and the sponsor has the right to ban the employee from entering Qatar within 2–5 years of his first departure. Many sponsors do not allow the transfer of one employee to another sponsor. This does not apply to special sponsorship of a Qatar Financial Centre sponsored worker where it is encouraged and regulated that sponsorship should be unhibited and assistance should be given to allow for such transfers of sponsorship.

Education

In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Citizens are required to attend government-provided education from kindergarten through high school.^[32] Qatar University was founded in 1973. More recently, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, some major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. These include

• Carnegie Mellon University
• Georgetown University School of Foreign Service
• Texas A&M University
• Virginia Commonwealth University
• Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medical College
• Northwestern University

In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry. Education City is also home to a fully accredited International Baccalaureate school, Qatar Academy. Two Canadian institutions, the College of the North Atlantic and the University of Calgary, also operate campuses in Doha. Other for-profit universities have also established campuses in the city.^[33]

In 2009, the Qatar Foundation launched the World Innovation Summit for Education – WISE – a global forum that brought together education stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision makers from all over the world to discuss educational issues. The first edition was held in Doha, Qatar from 16 to 18 November 2009.

Moreover, in 2007 the American Brookings Institution announced that it was opening the Brookings Doha Center to undertake research and programming on the socio-economic and geo-political issues facing the region.

In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council.^[34] The Council directs and controls education for all ages from the pre-school level through the university level, including the “Education for a New Era”^[35] reform initiative.

The Emir’s second wife, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the Qatar Foundation, sits on the board of Qatar’s Supreme Education Council, and is a major driving force behind the importation of Western expertise into the education system, particularly at the college level.

There are currently a total of 567 schools in operation within Qatar, both in the public and the private sector. A large number of new schools are also under construction, particularly public schools, in order to meet increased demand which arose as a result of the large increase in population that the country has seen of late. The number of universities operating in the country are 9, serving 12,480 students.

Health care

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) -affiliated with Cornell University- is the premier non-profit health care provider in Doha, Qatar. Established by the Emiri decree in 1979, HMC manages four highly specialised hospitals: Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital and the Primary Health Care Centres. These hospitals are quite sophisticated by the standards of the region, with most hosting advanced fMRI and other scanning machines. Most of them have many patients affected by Down syndrome and other mental illnesses caused by the high rate of cousin marriage in the country. Qatar has among the highest rates in the world for obesity, diabetes and genetic disorders.^[36] Some big clans don’t allow marriage outside their family.^[36]

Communications

Qatar has a modern telecommunication system centered in Doha. Tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations – two Intelsat (one Atlantic Ocean and one Indian Ocean) and one Arabsat. Callers can call Qatar using submarine cable, satellite or VoIP. However, Qtel has interfered with VoIP systems in the past, and Skype's website has been blocked before. Following complaints from individuals, the website has been unblocked, and Paltalk has previously been blocked.

Qtel’s ISP branch, Internet Qatar, uses SmartFilter to block websites they deem inappropriate to Qatari interests and morality.

In Qatar, ictQATAR (Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology) is the government agency regulating telecommunication.

Vodafone Qatar, in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, received the second public mobile networks and services license in Qatar on 28 June 2008 and switched on their mobile network on 1 March 2009. They launched 07/07/09, opening their online store first followed by retail and third party distribution locations throughout Doha.

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة‎ al-ğazīrä [aldʒaˈziːra], “The Peninsula”) is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel of the same name, but has since expanded into a network of several specialty TV channels. Print media is going through expansion, with over three English dailies and Arabic titles. Qatar Today is the only monthly business magazine in the country. It is published by Oryx Advertising, which is the largest magazine publisher in Qatar. The group also publishes several titles such as Qatar Al Youm, the only monthly business magazine in Qatar in Arabic language, Woman Today, the only magazine for working women, and GLAM,^[37] the only fashion magazine. In December 2009 Oryx launched T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine,^[38] which marks the entry of an international magazine into Qatar.

Human rights

Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offence was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse.^[9]

According to the Trafficking in Persons Report by the US State Department, men and women who are lured into Qatar by promises of high wages are often forced into underpaid labor. Many of these people are commonly known as peasants. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labour are rarely enforced and that labour laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centres, pending the completion of legal proceedings. The report places Qatar at tier 3, as one of the countries that neither satisfies the minimum standards nor demonstrates significant efforts to come into compliance.^[39][40]

The government maintains that it is setting the benchmark when it comes to human rights^[41] and treatment of labourers.

Qatari contracting agency Barwa is constructing a residential area for laborers known as Barwa Al Baraha, also called Workers City. The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai's Labor camps. The project aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation.^[42] The Barwa Al Baraha will cost around $1.1 billion and will be a completely integrated city in the industrial area in Doha. Along with 4.25 square meters of living space per person, the residential project will provide parks, recreational areas, malls, and shops for labourers. Phase one of the project was set to be completed at the end of 2008, and the project itself will be completed by the middle of 2010.^[43]

International rankings

See also

• North Dome Gas Field
• Natural Gas in Qatar
• 2006 Asian Games in Doha
• Al Jazeera television
• Communications in Qatar
• Foreign relations of Qatar
• List of cities in Qatar
• List of Qatar-related topics
• Military of Qatar
• Public holidays in Qatar
• Scouting and Guiding
• Transport in Qatar
• Politics of Qatar
• Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
• Al Nuaim
• General Secretariat for Development Planning
• Permanent Population Committee

References

This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "Qatar".

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "Qatar". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=453&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=72&pr.y=0. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
3. ^ "Human Development Report 2009: Qatar". The United Nations. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_QAT.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
4. ^ "CMU Pronouncing Dictionary". Speech.cs.cmu.edu. http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict?stress=-s&in=QATAR. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
5. ^ Koerner, Brendan I (Dec. 3, 2002). "How Do You Pronounce "Qatar"?". Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2074824/. "The most accurate English estimate is something halfway between 'cutter' and 'gutter.' It's not 'KUH-tar,' the pronunciation that has become the standard among overseas TV and radio newscasters."
6. ^ ^{a b} Johnstone, T.M. "Ķaṭar." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman , Th. Bianquis , C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 04 April 2009 www.brillonline.nl
7. ^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2179rank.html
8. ^ World Economic Outlook Database-April 2010, International Monetary Fund. Accessed on April 21, 2010.
9. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i} "Middle East :: Qatar". CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/qa.html. Retrieved 2009-08-12.
10. ^ "History of Qatar". Diwan.gov.qa. http://www.diwan.gov.qa/english/qatar/qatar_history.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
11. ^ "Qatar (01/10)". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
12. ^ Coman, Julian (March 21, 2005). "Egyptian Suicide Bomber Blamed for Attack in Qatar". The Independent.
13. ^ "The Advent of Terrorism in Qatar". Forbes. March 25, 2005. http://www.forbes.com/2005/03/25/cz_0325oxan_qatarattack.html.
14. ^ Qatar and Iran sign defense agreement [2]
15. ^ Tehran Times [3]
16. ^ Municipalities of Qatar, Statoids.com
17. ^ "AlDaayen Municipality". Baladiya.gov.qa. http://www.baladiya.gov.qa/portal/page?_pageid=135,231041&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&subTabIndex=5500&branchIndex=0&tabIndex=8000. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
18. ^ International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2007, for the year 2006: Countries
19. ^ "Doha 2016 bid brings wind of change". aljazeera.net (Doha: Al Jazeera). 2007-10-26. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5CB341CF-C302-41B2-B376-FE6A4103A3D8.htm?FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID=%7b5CB341CF-C302-41B2-B376-FE6A4103A3D8%7d. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
20. ^ "Monthly Averages for Doha, Qatar". weather.com. The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/QAXX0003?from=36hr_bottomnav_business. Retrieved October 26, 2009.
21. ^ World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicator Tool (requires free registration)
22. ^ Qatar to use biofuels? What about the country's energy consumption? Fred Pearce guardian.co.uk Thursday 14 January 2010
23. ^ "CIA The World Fact Book". State.gov. 2006-06-29. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90219.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
24. ^ First Catholic Church Opens In Qatar Fox News, Friday, March 14, 2008
25. ^ "Population in Qatar". Statistics Authority. http://www.qsa.gov.qa/Eng/population_census/2009/population_census_March.htm. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
26. ^ "Qatar". International Religious Freedom Report 2005. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor – United States Department of State. 2005-11-08. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51608.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
27. ^ ^{a b} John Lockerbie (1998-06-06). "The population of Qatar". Catnaps.org. http://www.catnaps.org/islamic/population.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
28. ^ "Qatar - Country overview, Location and size, Population, Industry, Mining, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism". Nationsencyclopedia.com. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
29. ^ "CGIS Home Page - Main Section". Gisqatar.org.qa. 1998-12-31. http://www.gisqatar.org.qa/alkhabar/Spring99/census.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
30. ^ Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (PDF). World Population Prospects, Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations.
31. ^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2008-06-04). "Refworld | Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 - Qatar". UNHCR. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,,QAT,4562d8cf2,484f9a3732,0.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28.
32. ^ "Qatar constitution". http://english.mofa.gov.qa/details.cfm?id=80.
33. ^ "Stenden University Qatar". http://www.stenden.com/en/stenden/Locations/qatar/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
34. ^ "About the SEC". Supreme Education Council. http://www.english.education.gov.qa/section/sec. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
35. ^ "Education for a New Era". Supreme Education Council. http://www.english.education.gov.qa. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
36. ^ ^{a b} SLACKMAN, MICHAEL (April 26, 2010). "Privilege Pulls Qatar Toward Unhealthy Choices". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/middleeast/27qatar.html?ref=global-home.
37. ^ Oryx Publishing launches GLAM
38. ^ T Qatar launched
39. ^ "Country Narratives -- Countries Q through Z". Trafficking in Persons Report. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, United States Department of State. 2007-06-12. http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/82807.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
40. ^ "India escapes U.S. list of worst human traffickers". cnn.com (Washington: Cable News Network). 2007-06-12. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/12/human.trafficking/index.html. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
41. ^ "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee report". Qatar National Human Rights Committee. 2006-05-03. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20060503034405. Retrieved 2008-03-25. . According to zawya.com, the web link “is the unofficial translation by The Peninsula team of the 57-page Arabic text of the report released by the National Human Rights Committee yesterday.”
42. ^ "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee Support Expats". The Peninsula via iLoveQatar.net. 2008-06-18. http://www.iloveqatar.net/forum/read.php?28,2540,2540. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
43. ^ Bowman, D (2008-03-02). "Qatar to build $1.1bn labourer city". ArabianBusiness.com (Dubai: ITP Digital Publishing). http://www.arabianbusiness.com/512568-qatar-to-build-11bn-labourer-city. Retrieved 2008-03-25.
44. ^ "Vision of Humanity". Vision of Humanity. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php. Retrieved 2010-03-28.

External links

• QATAR'S NATURAL GAS: THE FOREIGN-POLICY DRIVER-Justin Dargin
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Qatar Statistics Authority
• Coins, Rulers and brief history of Qatar
• Qatar entry at The World Factbook
• Qatar, Amnesty International Report 2009
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members
• Qatar at UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Termination of treaty with the UK (PDF)
• Wikimedia Atlas of Qatar
• Qatar in the 1940s

Categories: Qatar | Southwest Asian countries | Persian Gulf countries | Arab League member states | Arabian Peninsula | Arabic-speaking countries | Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf member states | Middle Eastern countries | OPEC member states | Peninsulas of Asia | Emirates | Constitutional monarchies | Organisation of the Islamic Conference members | States and territories established in 1971 | Western Asia

See Also:

What Links Here:

• Qatar

Recently Viewed Pages:

• Home
• Schuylkill River
• Encyclopedia
• Boathouse: Images
• Boat: Encyclopedia
• Business: Consumer Goods and Services: Watercraft: Onshore: Lifts and Docking Systems: Directory
• Referrers
• Boathouses
• Images
• Upper St. Regis Lake: Encyclopedia

Most Popular Pages:

• Home
• Phpbb: Toc
• Phpbb: Out: Internet Forum: Encyclopedia
• Outboard Motor: Encyclopedia
• Punt (Boat)
• Qatar: Shopping Search
• Qatar: Web Search
• Boathouse: Images
• Schuylkill River
• Images

Related 'Qatar' Searches: