Qatar

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British 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 amir who had ruled the country since 1972. He was overthrown by his son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, in a bloodless coup in 1995.
In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Oil and natural gas revenues enable Qatar to have a per capita income not far below the leading industrial countries of Western Europe.
(Source: CIA - The World Factbook)

border country: Saudi Arabia

other Gulf States: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Qatar is a member state of the League of Arab States

Official Name:
Dawlat Qatar
short form: Qatar
int'l long form: State of Qatar
note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter, but not like guitar.

ISO Country Code: qa

Local Time = UTC +3h

Country Calling Code: +974

Capital City: Doha (Ad Dawhah, pop 400 000)

Other Cities:
Umm Said, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Ruwais

Government:
Type: Constitutional Emirate
Independence: 3 September 1971
Constitution: 1970 Basic Law, revised 1972; currently under complete review.

Geography:
Location: Middle East, Gulf Region, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia
Area: 11 437 sq. km. (4 427 sq. mi.)
Terrain: Mostly desert, flat, barren.

Climate: Hot and dry, some humidity in summer.

People:
Nationality: Qatari(s).
Population: 770 000.
GNI per capita PPP: $ 29 607 (year)
Ethnic groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%
Religion: Islam (state religion, claimed by virtually all of the indigenous population)
Languages: Arabic (official); English (widely spoken)
Literacy: 79%

Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, fish.

Agriculture products: Fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish.

Industries: Crude oil production and refining, petrochemicals, fertilizers.

Currency: Qatari Rial (QAR)

Qatar in Figures
Qatar key statistical data.