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Qatar

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; Middle Eastern
Countries

                     دولة قطر
   Dawlat Qatar
   State of Qatar

   Flag of Qatar Coat of arms of Qatar
   Flag          Coat of arms
   Anthem: As Salam al Amiri
   Location of Qatar
   Capital
   (and largest city)    Doha
                         25°18′N 51°31′E
    Official languages   Arabic
   Government            Monarchy
    - Emir               Hamad bin Khalifa
    - Prime Minister     Abdullah bin Khalifah
      Independence^1     from the United Kingdom
    -                    September 3, 1971
                          Area
    - Total              11,437 km² ( 164th)
                         4,416 sq mi
    - Water (%)          negligible
                       Population
    - July 2006 estimate 839,213 ( 158th^2)
    - 2004 census        744,029
    - Density            74/km² ( 121st)
                         192/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $25.01 billion ( 102nd)
    - Per capita         $31,397 ( 11th)
       GDP (nominal)     2005 estimate
    - Total              $37.85 billion ( 62nd)
    - Per capita         $43,110 ( 7th)
        HDI  (2003)      0.849 (high) ( 40th)
         Currency        Riyal ( QAR)
         Time zone       ( UTC+3)
    - Summer ( DST)      ( UTC+3)
       Internet TLD      .qa
       Calling code      +974
   ^1 Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s.
   ^2 Rank based on 2005 estimate.

   Qatar (Arabic: قطر IPA: [ˈqɑ̱.tˁɑ̱r]), officially the State of Qatar
   (Arabic: دولة قطر , Dawlat Qatar), is an emirate in the Middle East and
   Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly
   coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia
   to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state.

History

   Qatar forms one of the newer emirates in the Arabian Peninsula. After
   domination by Persians for thousands of years and more recently by the
   Ottoman Turks, and finally by the British, Qatar became an independent
   state on September 3, 1971. Unlike most nearby emirates, Qatar declined
   to become part of either the United Arab Emirates or of Saudi Arabia.

   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. Clans
   such as the Al Khalifa and the Al Saud (which would later ascend the
   thrones of Bahrain and of Saudi Arabia respectively) swept through the
   Arabian peninsula and camped on the coasts within small fishing and
   pearling villages. The clans battled each other for lucrative oyster
   beds and lands, frequently forming and breaking coalitions with one
   another in their attempts to establish territorial supremacy.
   Qatari desert.
   Enlarge
   Qatari desert.

   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. 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. Although Qatar had the
   legal status of a dependency, 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 quash the Qatari
   rebels sending a massive naval force to 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. 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. 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. His clan, the Al Thanis, had
   taken relatively little part in Persian 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 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.
   The Emiri Diwan.
   Enlarge
   The Emiri Diwan.

   The reach of the British Empire 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- imarat United Arab Emirates. In 1971, Qatar
   became an independent sovereign state.

   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. 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, the controversial Arabic language satellite
   television news channel. Qatar ranks as the eleventh richest country in
   the world per capita .

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

   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. It is not clear that the bombing was committed by an
   organized terrorist group, and although the investigation is ongoing
   there are indications that the attack was the work of an individual,
   not a group.

   The United States Armed Forces Unified Combatant Command unit for the
   Middle East theatre, known as CENTCOM (US Central Command), has its
   headquarters in Qatar. Qatar also hosts a large United States Air Force
   base.

   Qatar held the West Asian Games in 2005. Qatar will host the fifteenth
   Asian Games in December 2006.

Politics

   Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar.
   Enlarge
   Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of Qatar.

   The ruling Al Thani ( آل ثاني ) family continued to hold power in Qatar
   following the declaration of independence in 1971. The Emir functions
   as head of state, and the right to rule Qatar resides within the Al
   Thani family. Politically, Qatar has started to evolve from a
   traditional society in the direction of a modern welfare state. The
   authorities have established government departments in order to meet
   the requirements of social and economic progress.

   The Basic Law of Qatar (1970) institutionalized local customs rooted in
   Qatar's conservative Wahhabi heritage, granting the Emir pre-eminent
   power. Continuing traditions of consultation, rule by consensus, and
   the citizen's right to appeal personally to the Emir all influence the
   Emir's role. The Emir, while directly accountable to no-one, may not
   violate the Shari'a (Islamic law) and in practice must consider the
   opinions of leading notables and of the religious establishment. The
   Advisory Council, an appointed body that assists the Emir in
   formulating policy, has institutionalized the position of these
   influential groups. Qatar has no electoral system, and imposes a ban on
   political parties. Freedom in the World 2006 lists Qatar as "Not Free",
   and on a 1-7 scale (1 being the most "free") rates the country a 6 for
   political rights and 5 for civil liberties.

   The influx of expatriate Arabs has introduced ideas that call into
   question the tenets of Qatar's traditional society, but no serious
   challenge to Al Thani rule has emerged.

   In February 1972, the Deputy Ruler and Prime Minister, Sheikh Khalifa
   bin Hamad, deposed his cousin, Emir Ahmad, and assumed power. The key
   members of Al Thani supported this move, which took place without
   violence or signs of political unrest.

   On June 27, 1995, the Deputy Ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, deposed
   his father Emir Khalifa in a bloodless coup. Emir Hamad and his father
   reconciled in 1996. Increased freedom of the press followed, and the
   Qatar-based Al Jazeera television channel (founded in late 1996) has
   acquired a unique reputation as a free and uncensored source of news in
   Arab countries.

   According to the BBC, Qatar announced in April 2006 that it will give
   USD 50 million (£28 million) to the new Hamas-led Palestinian
   government. Many Western countries have cut off financial support to
   the Palestinian Authority since its election of a Hamas-led government.
   In May 2006, Qatar pledged more than $100 million to Hurricane Katrina
   relief to colleges and universities in Louisiana affected by the
   hurricane. On September 4, 2006, Qatar became the first Arab nation to
   commit troops for the UN peacekeeping force monitoring the cease-fire
   between Lebanon and Israel, pledging two to three hundred soldiers.

Administrative divisions

   Qatar is divided into ten municipalities (Arabic: baladiyah), also
   occasionally 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 and Income

   Qatar's great wealth is most visible in its capital, Doha.
   Enlarge
   Qatar's great wealth is most visible in its capital, Doha.

   Before the discovery of oil the economy of the Qatari region focused on
   fishing and pearling. 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 reserves, beginning in
   the 1940s, completely transformed the nation'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 nation.

   Qatar's national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas
   exports. The country has oil estimated at 15 billion barrels (2.4
   km³). Qataris' wealth and standard of living compare well with those of
   Western European nations; Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the
   developing world. With no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two
   least-taxed sovereign states 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 and Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based
   companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar.

   Qatar is aiming 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 Authority (QFC) provides financial
   institutions with a world class financial services platform situated in
   an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources. 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.

Geography

   Map of Qatar
   Enlarge
   Map of Qatar

   The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (160 km) into the Persian Gulf from
   Saudi Arabia. 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 Gulf.

   The highest point in Qatar occurs 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, and reaching about 295  feet (90 m)
   ASL. This area also contains Qatar's main onshore oil deposits, while
   the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.

Population

   Nearly all Qataris profess Islam. Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the
   population migrated from various nations to work in the country's oil
   industry. Arabic serves as the official language, but many residents
   understand English.

   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 surrounding non-oil-rich Arab
   nations. Because a large percentage of the expatriates are male, Qatar
   has the most heavily skewed sex ratio in the world, with 1.88 males per
   female .

Culture

   A Qatar beach.
   Enlarge
   A Qatar beach.

   Qatar explicitly uses Wahhabi law as the basis of its government, and
   the vast majority of its citizens follow this specific Islamic
   doctrine. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab founded Wahhabism, a puritanical
   version of Islam which takes a literal interpretation of the Qur'an and
   the Sunnah. In the eighteenth century, Abd Al-Wahhab formed a compact
   with the al-Saud family, the founders of Saudi Arabia.

   In the early twentieth century, when the Al-Thanis realized that
   converting to the doctrine of their larger neighbour might bode well
   for the survival of their régime, they imported Wahhabi Islam from
   Saudi Arabia to Qatar. Perhaps as an effect of the importation,
   Wahhabism takes a less strict form in Qatar than in Saudi Arabia,
   though it still governs a large portion of Qatari mores and rituals.
   For example, almost all Qatari women wear the black abaya (also donned
   in Saudi Arabia); the government, however, does not impose the style
   universally. The abaya is mainly passed down from generation to
   generation and is still present because of the traditional values of
   the country.

   Shi'as comprise just over 10% of the Muslim population.

Qatari law

   When contrasted with other Arab states such as Saudi Arabia or Kuwait,
   Qatar has comparatively liberal laws. Women can drive in Qatar, whereas
   they may not legally drive in Saudi Arabia.

   The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernization
   after the current Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, came to
   power after overthrowing his father. For example, women can dress
   mostly as they please in public (although in practice local Qatari
   women generally don the black abaya). Before the liberalization, it was
   taboo for men to wear shorts in public. The laws of Qatar tolerate
   alcohol to a certain extent. However, public bars in Qatar operate only
   in expensive hotels (whereas the emirates of Dubai and Bahrain allow
   the establishment of nightclubs and other venues, however, also only in
   conjuction with a hotel). A further liberalization may take place in
   order to accommodate the 15th Asian Games in 2006.

Education

   In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Along
   with the country’s free healthcare to every citizen, every child has
   free education from kindergarten through to university. The country has
   one university, the University of Qatar, and a number of higher
   educational institutions. Additionally, 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, Texas A&M University, Virginia
   Commonwealth University and Cornell University's Weill Medical College.
   In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at
   Education City to link those universities with industry. Education City
   is also home to an fully accredited International Baccalaureate school,
   Qatar Academy.

   In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the
   Supreme Education Council. 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" reform initiative.

   The Emir's second wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been
   instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the
   Qatar Foundation and is on the board of Qatar's Supreme Education
   Council.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar"
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