دولة قطر Dawlat al-Qaṭar State of Qatar
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: As Salam al Amiri
Capital (and largest city)		Doha 25°18′N, 51°31′E
Official languages		Arabic
Demonym		Qatari
Government		Constitutional Monarchy
-	Emir	Hamad bin Khalifa
-	Prime Minister	Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani
Independence1
-	from the United Kingdom	September 3, 1971
Area
-	Total	11,437 km² (164th) 4,416 sq mi
-	Water (%)	negligible
Population
-	May 2008 estimate	1,307,229[3] (148th)
-	2004 census	744,029[4] (159th)
-	Density	74/km² (121st) 192/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$75. The Flag of Qatar ( علم قطر) has a proportion of 1128 It is Purple with a broad white serrated band (nine white points on the hoist The coat of arms of Qatar ( شعار قطر) show two crossed white bent swords in a yellow circle A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's As Salam al Amiri is the National anthem of Qatar. It was written by Sheikh Mubarak bin Saïf al-Thani Natives of the Arabian Peninsula, many Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century to escape the harsh conditions of the neighboring Doha (الدوحة or Ad-Dōḥah) is the Capital city of Qatar. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is This is a list of Emirs of Qatar. The emirs of Qatar are members of the Al-Thani dynasty and the state of Qatar was founded in 1868 by Muhammad Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آلثاني became the Emir of the State of Qatar on June 26 1995 after deposing Prime Ministers of Qatar (1970-Present See also Al Thani Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. M^2 redirects here For other uses see M². CM2 redirects here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 224 billion (69th)
-	Per capita	$80,870 (1st)
GDP (nominal)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$67. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita 763 billion (60th)
-	Per capita	$70,754 (3rd)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 875 (high) (35th)
Currency		Riyal (QAR)
Time zone		AST (UTC+3)
-	Summer (DST)	(not observed) (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.qa
Calling code		+974
1	Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The Riyal ( Arabic: ريال ISO 4217 code QAR) is the currency of Qatar. ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Daylight saving time ( DST A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E The Al Thani (آل ثاني family is the Ruling family of Qatar.

Qatar (Arabic: قطر ‎; IPA: [ˈqɑtˁɑr],^[1] local pronunciation: giṭar^[2]), officially the State of Qatar (Arabic: دولة قطر transliterated as Dawlat Qatar), is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language Transliteration is the practice of Transcribing a Word or text written in one Writing system into another writing system or system of rules for such practice An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. Southwest Asia or Southwestern Asia (largely overlapping with the Middle East) is the southwestern portion of Asia. The coast is defined as the part of the land adjoining or near the Ocean. The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab) It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population.

Etymology

The name "Qatar" may derive from the same Arabic root as qatura, which means "to exude. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language " The word Qatura traces to the Arabic qatran meaning "tar" or "resin", which relates to the country's rich resources in petroleum and natural gas. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, ^[3]

Other sources say the name may derive from "Qatara", believed to refer to the Qatari town of Zubara, an important trading port and town in the region in ancient times. Qatar ( قطر; ˈqɑtˁɑr local pronunciation giṭar officially the State of Qatar (Arabic دولة قطر transliterated Zubarah (also Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah) is a town in the northwest of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha. The word "Qatara" first appeared on Ptolemy's map of the Arabian Peninsula. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca The Arabian Peninsula (in Arabic: شبه الجزيرة العربية šibh al-jazīra al-ʻarabīya or جزيرة العرب jazīrat al-ʻarab)

In Standard Arabic, the name is pronounced IPA: [ˈqɑtˁɑr], while the local dialect pronounces it giṭar^[2] In English-language broadcast media within Qatar, for example television commercials for Qatar Airways 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. Literary Arabic (ar اللغة العربية الفصحى "the Eloquent Arabic language" or Standard Arabic is the literary and standard variety

History

Main article: History of Qatar

Zubara fort, in northeastern Qatar

During the pre-Islamic era, the peninsula was often dominated by various Persian dynasties, the last of which (the Sasanians) included the Qatar peninsula, which they called Meshmahig ("Big Island"), in their province of Bahran/Bahrain with its capital at Shirin (probably, the modern Qatif). Qatar has been inhabited for millennia The Al Khalifa family of Bahrain dominated the area until 1868 when at the request of Qatari nobles the British negotiated the termination of the Bahraini Zubarah (also Al Zubarah or Az Zubarah) is a town in the northwest of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha. The Sassanid Empire or Sassanian Dynasty or Sassanian Dynasty (ساسانیان) is the name used for the third Iranian dynasty and the second Persian empire For other uses see Katif. Qatif or Al-Qatif (also spelled Qateef or Al-Qateef; القطيف Al-Qaṭīf This province included the island of Bahrain and the costal regions of modern Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi

In the Islamic era, Qatar was one of the earliest locales occupied by the Muslims. Qarmatians arrived in the area very early during the Islamic era and spread their influence widely, as they did in the neighboring Hasa region. The Qarmatians, Arabic Qarāmita قرامطة (also spelled "Carmathians" "Qarmathians" "Karmathians" etc In medieval times, Qatar was more often than not independent and a participant in the great Persian Gulf-Indian Ocean commerce. The Persian Gulf, in the Southwest Asian region is an extension of the The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's Oceanic divisions covering about 20% of the water on the Earth 's surface Many races and ideas were introduced into the peninsula from Africa, South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Malay archipelago. The Malay Archipelago is a name given to the Archipelago located between mainland Southeastern Asia ( Indochina) and Australia. Today, the traces of these early interactions with the oceanic world of the Indian Ocean remains in the existence of small minorities of races, peoples, languages and religions, such as the presence of Africans and Shihus.

After centuries-long domination by the Ottoman and British empires, Qatar became an independent state on September 3, 1971. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

Although the peninsular land mass that makes up Qatar has sustained humans for thousands of years, for the bulk of its history the arid climate fostered only short-term settlements by nomadic tribes. A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. In general terms the Climate of a local or region is said to be arid when it is characterized by a severe lack of available Water, to the extent of hindering Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of Nomadic people, (from the νομάδες nomádes, "those who let pasture herds" also known as nomads, are communities of people that Clans such as the Al Khalifa and the Al Saud (which would later ascend thrones of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively) swept through the Arabian peninsula and camped on the coasts within small fishing and pearling villages. A clan is a group of People united by Kinship and descent, which is defined by perceived descent from a common ancestor The Al Khalifa (آل خليفة dynasty is the ruling Sunni family of Bahrain. The House of Saud ( Arabic: آل سعود romanized Āl Suʿūd is the Royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Pearl hunting or pearl diving refers to a now largely obsolete method of retrieving Pearls from Pearl oysters Freshwater pearl mussels and on

The British initially sought out Qatar and the Persian Gulf as an intermediary vantage point en route to their colonial interests in India, although the discovery of oil and other hydrocarbons in the early twentieth century would re-invigorate their interest. See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit In Organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an Organic compound consisting entirely of Hydrogen and Carbon. During the nineteenth century, the time of Britain’s formative ventures into the region, the Al Khalifa clan reigned over the Northern Qatari peninsula from the nearby island of Bahrain to the west. The Al Khalifa (آل خليفة dynasty is the ruling Sunni family of Bahrain. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf

Although Qatar had the legal status of a dependency, resentment festered against the Bahraini Al Khalifas along the eastern seaboard of the Qatari peninsula. A dependent territory dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political Independence or Sovereignty as a In 1867, the Al Khalifas launched a successful effort to quash the Qatari rebels sending a massive naval force to Wakrah. Al Wakrah (الوكرة is a city and municipality of Qatar. It has a football stadium However, the Bahraini aggression was in violation on the 1820 Anglo-Bahraini Treaty. A Treaty is an agreement under International law entered into by actors in international law namely States and International organizations. 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. A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. In addition to censuring Bahrain for its breach of agreement, the British Protectorate (per Colonel Lewis Pelly) asked to negotiate with a representative from Qatar. In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect Sir Lewis Pelly, KCSI, (born 14 November 1825 Minchinhampton; died 22 April 1892 Falmouth) was Conservative Member of Parliament For Wikipedia's negotiation policy see WikipediaNegotiation. For other uses see Negotiation (disambiguation. 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 and long-time resident of Doha, Muhammed bin Thani. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Doha (الدوحة or Ad-Dōḥah) is the Capital city of Qatar. His clan, the Al Thanis, had taken relatively little part in Gulf politics, but the diplomatic foray ensured their participation in the movement towards independence and their dominion as the future ruling family, a dynasty that continues to this day. The Al Thani (آل ثاني family is the Ruling family of Qatar. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising A dynasty is a succession of rulers who belong to the same family for generations 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 until 1916. In International law, a protectorate is a autonomous territory that is "protected" by a stronger state or entity hense the protector which engages to protect

The Emiri Diwan.

The reach of the British Empire diminished after the Second World War, especially following Indian independence in 1947. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The term " Indian independence movement " is diffuse incorporating various national and regional campaigns agitations and efforts of both Nonviolent and Militant Pressure for a British withdrawal from the Arab emirates in the Gulf increased during the 1950s, and the British welcomed Kuwait's declaration of independence in 1961. The State of Kuwait ( دولة الكويت IPA [dawlatt̪ alkuwajt̪]) is a sovereign Arab Emirate on the coast of the Persian Gulf, enclosed 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. A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" Regional disputes however, quickly compelled Qatar to resign and declare independence from the coalition that would evolve into the seven-emirate United Arab Emirates. An emirate is a political territory that is ruled by a dynastic Arab Monarch styled Emir. On September 3, 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state. Sovereignty is the exclusive Right to control a Government, a country, a people or oneself

In 1991 Qatar played a significant role in the 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 with units of the Iraqi Army. The Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. The Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG also known as the White Army) is one of five branches of the Saudi Arabian Qatar also allowed Coalition troops from Canada to use the country as an airbase to launch aircraft on CAP duty. A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest.

Since 1995, 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. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آلثاني became the Emir of the State of Qatar on June 26 1995 after deposing Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani, GCB, GCMG (خليفة بن حمد آل ثاني (born in Doha, Qatar in 1932 was the Emir of Qatar from Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Under Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a notable amount of sociopolitical liberalization, including the enfranchisement of women, 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. In general liberalization (or liberalisation) refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions usually in areas of social or economic policy For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" In Journalism, a source is a person publication or other record or document that gives information A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable

Qatar is the richest country in the world per capita [5] followed by Luxembourg.

Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq [6] in 2003. The 2003 invasion of Iraq, from March 20 to May 1 2003 was spearheaded by the United States, backed by British forces and smaller contingents from Australia

In 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking a country that had not previously experienced acts of terrorism. This article is about suicide attacks for political and/or military reasons Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion It is not clear if the bombing was committed by an organised terrorist group, and although the investigation is ongoing there are indications that the attack was the work of an individual, not a group.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Municipalities of Qatar

Qatar is 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

Economy

Qatar's capital, Doha. |||} Qatar is divided into 10 municipalities ( Baladiyah) Ad Dawhah الدوحة Al Ghuwariyah الغويرية A municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a City, Town, or Village, or Baladiyah (بلدية is a type of Arabic Administrative division that can be translated as Municipality. A Governorate is an Administrative division of a country It is headed by a Governor. A province is a territorial unit almost always an Administrative division. Ad Dawhah is how it is pronounced in the Qatari dialect however the Munipality is Al Doha Al Ghuwariyah (الغويرية is a municipality of Qatar. Al Ghuwariyah's western edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf. Al Jumaliyah (الجميلية is a municipality of Qatar. Al Jumaliyah's western edge is the shores of the Persian Gulf. Al Wakrah (الوكرة is a city and municipality of Qatar. It has a football stadium Ar Rayyan (الريان is a city and municipality of Qatar. Rayyan is also an Arabic unisex name Jariyan al Batnah (جريان الباطنة is a municipality of Qatar. ash-Shamal (الشمال is a municipality of Qatar. Its capital is called Madinat ash-Shamal. Umm Salal (أم صلال is a municipality of Qatar. It contains many historic places such as Barzan Tower. Mesaieed (مسيعيد also transliterated as Musay'id and Umm Sa'id) is a municipality of Qatar.

Main article: Economy of Qatar

Before the discovery of oil the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearling. Petroleum is the cornerstone of Qatar 's economy and accounts for more than 70% of total government revenue more than 60% of Gross domestic product, and For the computer security term see Phishing. Fishing is the activity of catching Fish. Pearl hunting or pearl diving refers to a now largely obsolete method of retrieving Pearls from Pearl oysters Freshwater pearl mussels and on After the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry faltered. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. A cultured pearl is a Pearl created by a pearl farmer under controlled conditions However, the discovery of oil, beginning in the 1940s, completely transformed the state's economy. An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is 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. The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population

Qatar’s national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, In Economics, an export is any good or Commodity, Transported from one country to another country in a Legitimate fashion The country has oil estimated at 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 800 trillion cubic feet (23,000 km³) to 80 trillion cubic feet (2,300 km³) (1 trillion cubic foot is equivalent to about 80 million barrels (13,000,000 m³) of oil). CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. The South Pars / North Dome field is a Gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. 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) ^[4] or the second wealthiest one after the United Arab Emirates, according to the CIA (2006)^[5] and the University of Pennsylvania (2003). Wealth derives from the old English word "weal" which means "well-being The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. ^[6] With no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two least-taxed sovereign states in the world (the other is Bahrain). The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf

Aspire Tower, located in the Doha Sports City

The Aspire Tower, built for the Asian Games, is visible across Doha, and is now a hotel. See also List of towers Hyperboloid structure Sports City is a sporting complex located in the Al Waab district of Doha, Qatar which contains several sporting venues mostly constructed in preparation See also List of towers Hyperboloid structure The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia 's Olympic -style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar 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”. The knowledge economy is a term that refers either to an economy of knowledge focused on the production and management of knowledge in the frame of economic constraints In 2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar. Qatar Science & Technology Park is a home for international technology companies in Qatar, and an incubator of start-up technology businesses Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt Qatar also established Education City, which consists of international colleges. Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development. For the 15^th Asian Games in Doha, it established Sports City, consisting of Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres. Sports City is a sporting complex located in the Al Waab district of Doha, Qatar which contains several sporting venues mostly constructed in preparation The ASPIRE Academy for Sports Excellence is a specialized educational facility based in Doha the capital of the Gulf State of Qatar, that provides an exceptional and comprehensive Following the success of the Asian Games, Doha kicked off its official bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in October of 2007. ^[7] Qatar also plans to build an "entertainment city" in the future.

Qatar is aiming to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region. The term role model was introduced by Robert K Merton. Merton says that individuals compare themselves with "reference groups" of people who occupy the social Large scale investment in all social and economic sectors will also lead to the development of a strong financial market. Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in Business management, Finance and Economics, related to saving

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides financial institutions with a world class financial services platform situated in an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources. Established in March 2005 the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC is a business and financial centre located in Doha, providing legal and business infrastructure for financial services 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 the capacity of its financial services to support more than $130 billion worth of projects, the QFC also provides a conduit for financial services providers to access nearly $1 trillion of investment across the GCC as a whole over the next decade.

The largest project ever in Qatar, the new town of Lusail, is under construction. Lusail City is the newest city in Qatar, located on the coast in the northern part of the municipality of Umm Salal.

Geography

Map of Qatar

Main article: Geography of Qatar

The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (161 km) north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia and is slightly smaller than Connecticut. Qatar is a Peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, in a strategic location near major A peninsula is a piece of land that is nearly surrounded by Water but connected to Mainland via an Isthmus. Connecticut ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. Much of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand. In Geography, a plain is an area of land with relatively low relief — meaning that it is flat Sand is a naturally occurring Granular material composed of finely divided rock and Mineral particles To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid (“Inland Sea”), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Gulf. Khawr al Udayd, (Arabic خور العديد also spelled Khor al Adaid, is an inlet of the Persian Gulf in the southeast of Qatar. An inland sea is a shallow Sea that covers central areas of continents during high stands of Sea level that result in marine transgressions In modern days An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water often leading to an enclosed body of water such as a sound, bay, There are mild winters and very hot, humid summers.

The highest point in Qatar is Qurayn Abu al Bawl at 103 metres (340 ft)^[5] in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcrops running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border. Limestone is a Sedimentary rock composed largely of the Mineral Calcite ( Calcium carbonate: CaCO3 Outcrop is a geological term referring to the appearance of Bedrock or Superficial deposits exposed at the surface of the Earth Umm Bab is the capital city of the municipality of Jariyan al Batnah in Qatar. 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. An oil field is a region with an abundance of Oil wells extracting Petroleum (crude oil from below ground Oil and Natural gas are produced by the same geological process anaerobic Decay of Organic matter deep under the Earth's surface

Population

Main article: Demographics of Qatar

Nearly all Qataris profess Islam. Natives of the Arabian Peninsula, many Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century to escape the harsh conditions of the neighboring For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the population migrated from various nations to work in the country’s oil industry. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting (often by Oil tankers and pipelines Arabic serves as the official language. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language However, English as well as many other languages are spoken.

Expatriates form the majority of Qatar’s residents. An expatriate (in abbreviated form expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing 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 1. 8528 males per female. ^[5]

In July 2007, the country had a growing population of approximately 907,229 people^[5], of whom approximately 350,000 were believed to be citizens. ^[8] Of the citizen population, Sunni Muslims form a majority, while the Shi'a Muslims count up to 20-23% of the population. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic The Wahhabi Muslims form the third group in size, probably no more than 10% of the population, to include the ruling dynasty and a large number of the elite families. Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to The ancient Shia community of Qatar are historically related to the Shia majority in Bahrain and the al-Hasa coastal province of Saudi Arabia, while the Wahhabis arrived from Najd only in the 19th century. The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf This article refers to the traditional region of Al-Hasa For the current Saudi Arabian administrative unit sometimes called Al-Hasa see Al-Ahsa (governorate. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to Nejd or Najd (literally "highland" نجد) is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.

The majority of the estimated 800,000 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. They are of the following faiths: Sunni Muslims, Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Bahá'ís. Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Messaeed, and Dukhan.

No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country but in 2008 the government allowed some churches to conduct mass. In March 2008 the Roman Catholic church “Our Lady of the Rosary” was consecrated in Doha.

Due to the high growth in population, it is expected that Qatar will soon reach the one million mark.

references: ^[14][15][16]

Culture

See also: Music of Qatar

Qatar explicitly uses Sunni law as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow Hanbali Madhhab. Qatar is an Arab country located in the Middle East. Its culture is based on Bedouin poetry song and dance Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Hanbali ( حنبلى) is one of the four schools ( Madhhabs of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam (the other three being Madhhab or Mazhab ( Arabic مذهب mæðhæb pl مذاهب mæðæːhıb) is an Islamic school of thought, or 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 judgements 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 judgements on particular matters. Shi'as comprise 10% of the Muslim population in Qatar.

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 of its neighbours like UAE or Bahrain. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi The Kingdom of Bahrain (in مملكة البحرين,, literally Kingdom of the Two Seas) is an Island country in the Persian Gulf Qatar is a civil law jurisdiction. Civil law or Romano-Germanic law or Continental law is the predominant system of law in the world. However, Shari'a or Islamic law is applied to aspects of family law, inheritance and certain criminal acts. Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. Family law is an area of the Law that deals with family-related issues and Domestic relations including but not limited to the nature of "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different Jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential Women can legally drive in Qatar, whereas they may not in Saudi Arabia and there is a strong emphasis in equality and human rights brought by the HRA.

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. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آلثاني became the Emir of the State of Qatar on June 26 1995 after deposing Under his rule, Qatar became the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf where women gained the right to vote ^[17] as well as holding senior positions in government. Also, women can dress mostly as they please in public (although in practice local Qatari women generally don the black abaya). The abaya ( Arabic عباءة plural abayat عباءات is an Overgarment worn by some women in parts of the Islamic world. Before the liberalisation, it was taboo for men to wear shorts in public. "Hot Pants" redirects here For the James Brown song see Hot Pants (song Shorts are a Garment worn by both men and women over The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. However, public bars and nightclubs in Qatar operate only in expensive hotels and clubs, much like in the UAE, though the number of establishments has yet to equal that of UAE. Expatriates resident in Qatar are eligible to receive liquor permits permitting them to purchase alcohol for personal use through Qatar Distribution Company, the exclusive importer and retailer for alcohol in Qatar. Qatar has further been liberalised due to the 15th Asian Games, but is cautious of becoming too liberal in their law making the country a viable weekend immigration from their western neighbour. Overall Qatar has yet to reach the more western laws of UAE or Bahrain, and though plans are being made for more development, the government is cautious.

Education

Main article: Education in Qatar

The Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Along with the country’s free health care to every citizen every child has free education from kindergarten through high school Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency Along with the country’s free healthcare, citizens enjoy free education from kindergarten through to university. ( German, literally means "children's garden" is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling A university is an institution of Higher education and Research, which grants Academic degrees in a variety of subjects Qatar University was founded in 1973. Qatar University (جامعة قطر transliterated: Jami'at Qatar is a University in Qatar, located on the northern More recently, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, some major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. The Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development is a private Chartered Non-profit organization in the state of Qatar, founded in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A campus is traditionally the land on which a College or University and related institutional buildings are situated Education City is an initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education Science and Community Development. These include Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Cornell University’s Weill Medical College. Carnegie Mellon University (also known as CMU) is a private Research University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United The Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service (commonly abbreviated SFS) is a school within Georgetown University in Washington D Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a Coeducational public Research University located in College Station Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, is a large public American research University with its main campuses located in downtown Richmond, The Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, formerly named the Joan and Sanford I In addition, Northwestern University will offer undergraduate programs in communication and journalism starting in fall 2008. In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry. Qatar Science & Technology Park is a home for international technology companies in Qatar, and an incubator of start-up technology businesses Education City is also home to a fully accredited International Baccalaureate school, Qatar Academy. Educational accreditation is a type of Quality assurance process under which services and operations of an educational institution or program are evaluated by an external body The International Baccalaureate (IB Diploma Programme (DP is an Educational programme examined in one of three languages ( English, French or Spanish Qatar Academy is a private co-educational school in Doha, Qatar. Two Canadian institutions, the College of the North Atlantic and the University of Calgary, also operate campuses in Doha. College of the North Atlantic is the public college of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The University of Calgary is a research-intensive Public university in Calgary Alberta, Canada.

In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council. ^[18] 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”^[19] reform initiative. A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of three and five staffed by qualified teachers and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than

The Emir’s second wife, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al-Missned ( Arabic: موزة بنت ناصر المسند is the second of the three wives of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of 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.

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 - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat. Tropospheric scatter (or troposcatter) is the scattering of distant TV and FM radio stations by the Troposphere so that they travel farther than People can call to Qatar using their submarine cable, satellite or using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol); however, Qtel has interfered with VoIP systems in the past, and Skype's website has been blocked before. Qtel (short for Qatar Telecom) is the exclusive Telecommunications provider in Qatar and is one of the largest public Companies in Qatar with Following complaints from individuals, the website has been unblocked; and Paltalk has been permanently blocked.

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

Vodafone, in partnership with Qatar Foundation, has been announced to be opening in Qatar in mid 2008.

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة‎, al-ğazīrä, [al. For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" dʒaˈziː. ra], meaning “The Island”) is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Doha (الدوحة or Ad-Dōḥah) is the Capital city of 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. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language This article is about artificial satellites For natural satellites also known as moons see Natural satellite.

Human rights and labour

According to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report, men and women who are lured into Qatar by promises of high wages are often forced into underpaid labor. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labor are rarely enforced and that labor laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centers pending the completion of legal proceedings. ^{[20] [21]} The Government of Qatar maintains that it is the setting the benchmark when it comes to Human Rights^[22] and treatment of labourers. Human rights refers to the "basic Rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled

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 Labour 'Slave' camps. Dubai (in دبيّ,) is one of the seven emirates and most populous city of the United Arab Emirates (UAE The project aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation. The Barwa Al Baraha will cost around $1. 1 billion and will be a completely integrated city in the Industrial area of Doha. Along with 4. 25 square metres of living space per person, the residential project will provide parks, recreational areas, malls, and shops for labourers. Phase one of the project is set to be completed at the end of 2008 while all phases will be complete by mid 2010. ^[23]

Notes and references

See also

External links

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Ministry of Interior
• The Planning Council
• Supreme Education Council - "Education for a New Era" Reform Initiative
• (Arabic) Ministry of Education
• Dargin, Justin. The South Pars / North Dome field is a Gas condensate field located in the Persian Gulf. The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia 's Olympic -style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar For the English-language channel see Al Jazeera English Al Jazeera (الجزيرة al-jazīrah,, meaning "The Island" Telephones - main lines in use 205400 (2005 Telephones - mobile cellular 1000000 (2007 Telephone system modern system centered in Doha domestic Qatar achieved full independence on September 3 1971 in an atmosphere of cooperation with the U This is a List of cities and towns in Qatar. Over 90 percent of Qatari citizens live in Doha the capital This is a list of topics related to Qatar. Those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar Qatar 's defense expenditures accounted for approximately 42% of Gross national product in 1993 This is a list of public holidays in Qatar: Weekend (2 Days - Friday Saturday The Scout and Guide Association of Qatar (جمعية الكشافة والمرشدات القطرية is the national Scouting and Guiding organization of Public Transport In 2002 the Qatari government launched Mowasalat a company 100% owned by the Royal family managed and operated by the state authorities to ensure the smooth provision Politics of Qatar takes place in a framework of an Absolute monarchy whereby the Emir of Qatar is not only Head of state, but also the Head of government Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آلثاني became the Emir of the State of Qatar on June 26 1995 after deposing "Qatar's Natural Gas: the foreign policy driver", Middle East Policy Journal http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/1086594/qatars_natural_gas_the_foreignpolicy_driver/index.html