I | INTRODUCTION |
Qatar, nation occupying the Qatar Peninsula, which
extends northward from the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula into the
Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia shares Qatar’s southern border, and the island nation
of Bahrain lies off its western shores. Like most of Arabia, the Qatar Peninsula
is a hot and dry desert land with no surface water and few native plants and
animals. Most of the people live in cities, particularly Doha, the national
capital. The country is rich in oil and natural gas, and the exploitation of
these resources dominates its prosperous economy. The al-Thani clan has ruled
Qatar as an emirate (a monarchy with an emir as head of state) since the late
19th century. Like several of its neighbors, Qatar came under British protection
in the early 20th century. It became fully independent in 1971. The emirate was
a relatively poor state until the mid-20th century, when its vast petroleum
reserves were discovered and exploited. Qatar is now one of the world’s
wealthiest countries per capita.
II | LAND AND RESOURCES |
Qatar covers a land area of 11,427 sq km
(4,412 sq mi). Its greatest length, north to south, is about 180 km (about 110
mi) and its widest east-west extent is about 80 km (about 50 mi). Numerous small
islands and reefs lie close to Qatar’s shores. The largest of these, the Ḩawār
Islands off the western coast, belong to Bahrain.
Qatar’s terrain largely consists of flat,
gravelly desert with a few rocky ridges. The highest point, Qurayn Aba al-Bawl,
reaches only 83 m (272 ft) above sea level. There are no rivers, lakes, or
springs in Qatar.
A | Plant and Animal Life |
Natural vegetation is extremely sparse in
Qatar. Various species of birds, including bustards, and small mammals such as
sand cats make up most of the indigenous wildlife on land. Offshore, plentiful
marine life includes dugongs, shrimp, oysters, and various species of food fish.
B | Natural Resources |
Oil and natural gas are Qatar’s only
significant natural resources. The country has 15.2 billion barrels of proven
oil reserves and even larger reserves—25.8 trillion cubic meters (910.5 trillion
cu ft)—of natural gas. These gas reserves, representing about 15 percent of the
world’s total, are larger than those of any country except Russia and Iran. Most
of the gas reserves are contained in the vast North Field, the largest gas field
in the world. In contrast to most other gas fields in the gulf area, the North
Field contains no oil, only gas. Therefore, gas production is not tied to oil
production, which is advantageous because world demand for each rises and falls
separately.
C | Climate |
From May to October the Qatari climate is
extremely hot, commonly reaching as high as 50°C (120°F), with high humidity
near the coastline. In the other months the weather is generally moderate and
pleasant, with daily temperatures averaging 17°C (63°F). Rainfall, which occurs
only in the winter, is very slight: Qatar’s average annual rainfall is less than
130 mm (5 in). Qatar experiences strong northerly winds, known locally as the
shimal, in June and July, and southerly winds called the gaws in
other months. These winds can create sandstorms and dangerous marine conditions.
D | Environmental Issues |
The Qatari government is taking steps to
protect endangered species of plants and animals and to set and enforce clean
air and water standards. Qatar’s very limited underground water sources are
becoming increasingly saline and are rapidly depleting. Oil spills during the
1991 Persian Gulf War damaged Qatar’s marine habitats.
III | POPULATION |
In 2008 Qatar’s population was estimated at
928,640, giving a population density of 81 persons per sq km (210 persons per sq
mi). About 92 percent (2003) of the population is urban. About half of the
population lives in Doha, the capital and commercial center of the country,
located on the eastern coast. The next largest cities are Ar Rayyān and Al
Wakrah, both located close to Doha. Mesaieed, south of Doha, is the site of
Qatar’s oil terminal and a major industrial center.
Qatar’s population has skyrocketed since the
discovery of oil: The population is more than 50 times as large today as it was
in 1949. This extraordinary growth is largely due to the immigration of great
numbers of foreign workers needed in Qatar’s oil fields, factories, and
infrastructural developments. The country’s massive and rapid economic
development since the mid-20th century has been made possible only with the
skills and labor brought in from abroad. These foreign workers and their
dependents now greatly outnumber Qatari citizens, who account for only about 20
percent of the country’s population. Other Arab groups—mostly Palestinians,
Lebanese, Omanis, Syrians, and Egyptians—account for another 20 percent,
Pakistanis and Indians each represent 18 percent, Iranians 10 percent, and
Europeans and others make up the balance. The country contains a small community
of East Africans, who were brought to Qatar as slaves until slavery was
abolished in Qatar in 1952. A small number of Bedouin nomads inhabit Qatar,
typically making seasonal visits from across the Saudi Arabian border.
A | Language and Religion |
Arabic is the official language of Qatar.
English, Urdu, and Farsi are also widely spoken. About 85 percent of the people
are Muslims, the majority of the Sunni branch. The non-Muslim minority includes
Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists. Qatar’s Sunni Muslims follow the same strict
interpretation of Islam as do Sunnis in Saudi Arabia, but its application is
somewhat less austere in Qatar. For example, in contrast to Saudi Arabia, women
are permitted to drive and non-Muslims may be served alcohol. This strict form
of Islam is known to Westerners as Wahhabism (see Wahhabis), but its
adherents object to that term and refer to themselves as muwahhidun
(unitarians, from al-muwahhid, Arabic for “those who proclaim the unity
of God”).
B | Education |
In 1956, the year that a public education
system was introduced in Qatar, there were only four schools for boys and one
for girls. Now, virtually all primary school-age children and94 percent
(2002–2003) of secondary school-age children are enrolled in schools. Education
is free at all levels for Qatari citizens, and it is compulsory for nine years.
A number of private schools serve the children of foreign residents. About 83
percent (2005) of the population age 15 years old and older is literate. This
figure has increased dramatically in recent years as education became available
to everyone. The University of Qatar (founded in 1977) provides higher education
for thousands of people. Others pursue university studies abroad, mostly in
other Arab countries, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
C | Way of Life |
Traditional values tend to shape the
average Qatari person’s social and cultural life, which remains strongly
centered on the family. The father has the dominant role in the family. The
place of women is still overwhelmingly the home, but with the government’s
active encouragement, women are increasingly entering government and private
business employment. Unlike in neighboring Saudi Arabia, gender segregation in
the workplace is not strictly enforced in Qatar.
Qataris have used their oil-derived
incomes to build new houses with modern amenities, purchase automobiles, and
travel overseas. Dress remains largely traditional. In the hot season men wear a
loose-fitting cotton cloak called a dishdasha, over which, in cooler
weather, they don a bisht, or woolen cloak. Qatari women wear a loose,
concealing garment called an abaya, and are frequently seen veiled or wearing a
beak-like leather mask called a burka over the face. The Qatari diet
features lamb, rice, and local fish. Coffee is not merely a beverage but an
important focus of ceremonial and social life as well. Most social recreation is
in the home, although increasingly Qataris enjoy eating out and driving in the
desert interior. South Asians and other expatriates maintain their own
distinctive lifestyles. There are no major tensions between ethnic groups, nor
between Sunni and Shia Muslims. The crime rate in Qatar is extremely low and
poverty is almost unknown.
D | Culture |
Qatari craftspeople are traditionally
known for their jewelry, embroidered clothing, and camel saddles. Graceful
Arabian sailboats called dhows are perhaps the best local example of artistic
beauty combined with practical purpose. Qatari men perform traditional Bedouin
dances on special occasions, such as weddings, and in exhibitions. The country’s
theaters and television stations present dramas and other productions. Qatari
authors write on themes of local interest, such as the clash of tradition and
modernization, and are also known for political and social satires.
The Qatar National Museum (founded in
1975), housed in the palace of a former emir at the eastern end of Doha,
presents exhibits on the peninsula’s geology and archaeology and displays of
artifacts that illustrate the traditional Qatari lifestyle. Also in Doha, an
ethnographic museum in the restored Wind Tower House (built in 1935)
demonstrates how traditional Qatari houses were ventilated and cooled before
electricity and provides a view of life before the oil era.
IV | ECONOMY |
Although foreign investment is encouraged
and many small businesses exist, the Qatari government dominates the economy.
Like most of its neighbors, Qatar used its oil wealth to fuel rapid growth and
development, relying overwhelmingly on imported labor and expertise. However,
with its small oil reserves and vast natural gas deposits, Qatar began to
emphasize gas extraction and processing, as well as other industrial ventures,
starting in the late 1980s. The increased industrialization helped Qatar weather
periodic downturns in world oil prices. In 2005 Qatar’s gross domestic product
(GDP) totaled $42.5 billion and its GDP per capita was $52,239.70.
More than 90 percent of Qatar’s labor force
is of foreign origin, reflecting the lack of indigenous skills and training
necessary for the operation of the country’s economy. The government promotes
the placement of more Qatari citizens in the workforce, but the economy remains
heavily dependent on foreign workers.
A | Industry |
The industrial sector—including mining,
manufacturing, construction, and power generation—produces about half of Qatar’s
GDP and employs 41 percent of the country’s labor force. Petroleum accounts for
much of industry’s share of GDP, but the government has encouraged
diversification of the sector. Consequently, numerous new enterprises were
established in the late 20th century, including a petrochemical plant, a
fertilizer factory, steel and aluminum smelters, a flour mill, and a cement
plant. Qatar’s gas and oil reserves power thermal generators that produce enough
electricity to meet all of the country’s needs.
B | Services and Agriculture |
Services—including government employment,
trade, finance, and tourism—make up about half of the GDP and employ 56 percent
of the workforce. The government promotes tourism in Qatar, and several luxury
hotels have been constructed since the 1990s. In 2006, 962,000 tourists visited
the country. Qatar opened an official stock exchange in 1997.
Qatari farmers cultivate dates, cereals,
and vegetables and raise livestock, including camels, goats, and sheep.
Agriculture contributes little to the country’s GDP, but the government has
subsidized farms and greenhouses in an ambitious goal of making Qatar
self-sufficient in food production. While that goal has yet to be accomplished,
most of the vegetables, fish, and milk consumed in Qatar are produced
domestically.
C | Transportation |
Qatar has a well-developed transportation
network. An international airport is located in Doha, and the national carrier,
Qatar Airways, serves numerous international destinations. The country’s major
ports are at Doha and the industrial center of Mesaieed. In 1995 a new
industrial port was completed at Ra’s Laffān to serve the North Field gas
project. Qatar has 1,230 km (764 mi) of highways, 90 percent of which are paved.
Taxis and automobiles are the principal means of transportation.
D | Communications |
Qatar is home to the Al-Jazeera satellite
television channel, which is an important source of news and other programming
in the country and across the Middle East. Several AM and FM radio stations also
broadcast. A range of Arabic- and English-language daily newspapers and weekly
or monthly magazines cover political, social, and economic issues. The Qatari
press enjoys greater freedom from government censorship than many countries in
the region.
E | Trade and Currency |
In 2004 Qatar’s exports totaled $18.7
billion and its imports $6 billion. Its principal exports are oil, natural gas,
and products derived from oil or natural gas. Major imports include machinery,
transport equipment, and basic manufactures. The country’s main trading partners
are Japan, the United States, and the United Arab Emirates. Qatar is a member of
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Organization of
Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC), and the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC). Membership in OPEC and OAPEC helps Qatar coordinate policies with other
oil exporters, and the GCC promotes economic cooperation among countries in the
Persian Gulf. Qatar’s currency is the Qatari riyal, divided into 100 dirhams
(3.60 riyal equal U.S.$1; 2006 average). It is issued by the Qatar Central
Bank.
V | GOVERNMENT |
Qatar is a constitutional monarchy. The head
of state is an emir, who must be a member of the al-Thani clan. The emir
exercises nearly absolute power, but he must obey the Sharia (Islamic law),
respect the opinions of the religious establishment, and maintain the support of
key people within the ruling al-Thani clan. The emir appoints a cabinet of
ministers to assist him.
Qatar’s first permanent constitution was
approved by public referendum in 2003 and came into force in 2005. This
constitution calls for the creation of a Consultative Council, a single-chamber
legislative body. Two-thirds of the 45 members of this council will be directly
elected, and the emir will appoint the remainder. All members will serve
four-year terms. Elections and appointments to the Consultative Council are
expected before the end of 2007. Voting is universal for all Qatari citizens,
male and female, aged 18 or older.
A | Judiciary and Local Government |
The constitution guarantees the
independence of the judiciary. The Sharia court decides cases concerning the
personal affairs of Muslims. Non-Muslims are tried in one of five courts,
including a court of appeal, which operate on the basis of codified laws drawn
from various sources. For administrative purposes, the country is divided into
10 municipalities.
B | Political Expression |
Prior to the discovery of oil the large
merchant families controlled much of Qatar’s wealth, giving them considerable
political influence with the emir. Oil revenues have since given the emir
financial independence and essentially unchallenged political power. There is
little serious opposition to the ruling al-Thani clan. Within the large clan of
several thousand members, however, there is often infighting. Rulers have
periodically been displaced by rivals, most recently in 1995, when Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani overthrew his father, Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani. Under Emir
Hamad, the government began allowing Qatar’s professional and business people
greater voice in political affairs. The 2005 constitution guarantees Qatari
citizens full freedom of political expression and association.
C | Defense |
Qatar has a modest defense force of 12,400
military personnel, with 8,500 in the army, 1,800 in the naval forces, and 2,100
in the air force. Military service is compulsory for Qatari males who do not
complete secondary school. Qatar played a significant role in the 1991 Persian
Gulf War, and served as a central command center for the U.S.-led invasion of
Iraq in 2003. Qatar signed a security pact with the United States in 1992, and
it depends largely on this ally for protection against major external threats.
In the early 21st century the United States shifted its major air operations
headquarters for the Middle East from Saudi Arabia to Qatar’s Al Udeid Air
Base.
D | International Organizations |
On independence in 1971 Qatar joined the
United Nations, the Arab League, the Nonaligned Movement, and the Organization
of the Islamic Conference. It established the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981
with five other Persian Gulf Arab states.
VI | HISTORY |
Traces of Stone Age habitation dating back
50,000 years have been found in Qatar. By 4000 bc the ancient trading culture of
Dilmun, based in Bahrain, had spread to the Qatar Peninsula. Dilmun’s power
peaked in about 2000 bc, and the
state’s far-flung trade connections linked Qatar to the ancient cultures of
Mesopotamia and India. Dilmun faded in the 1st millennium bc, and control over Qatar and the gulf
region passed to the Babylonians and, later, the Seleucids.
From the 3rd to the 7th centuries ad the Sassanids of Persia (now Iran)
ruled Qatar and adjacent parts of the Arabian mainland. In the mid-7th century
Qatari sailors played a significant role in carrying Muslim troops across the
gulf to conquer Persia as the new religion of Islam expanded out of Arabia
(see Spread of Islam).
Subsequently, Qatar came under the sway of the Islamic dynasties of the
Umayyads, based in Damascus (in present-day Syria), and the Abbasids, whose
capital was Baghdād (now in Iraq). In 1517 the Portuguese captured Qatar, but
they were expelled in 1540 by the Ottoman Empire, which intermittently exercised
authority over Qatar and the northern Persian Gulf until World War I
(1914-1918).
A | Rival Clans in Qatar |
From ancient times until the 18th century
there were few permanent settlements in Qatar and virtually none in the interior
because of its hostile climate. In the 1760s the al-Khalifa and al-Jalahimah
clans—both members of the ‘Utub tribe of central Arabia—migrated from Kuwait to
Qatar. The al-Khalifa clan established its rule in Az Zubārah in the
northwestern part of the Qatar Peninsula. In 1783, with assistance from the
other clans of the ‘Utub, the al-Khalifas captured Bahrain. For much of the 19th
century the al-Khalifas continued to control at least part of Qatar, but were
increasingly challenged by the al-Thani clan.
The al-Thani clan had immigrated to Qatar
from the Najd region of central Arabia at some point before the arrival of the
al-Khalifas. The al-Thanis and other emigrants from Najd brought with them the
strict interpretation of Islam often known as Wahhabism (see Wahhabis).
Over the course of the early and mid-19th century, the remaining al-Khalifas
gradually emigrated to Bahrain and the al-Thanis established authority over the
Qatar Peninsula. Under the al-Thanis, Qatar developed a modest economy based on
pearl diving, fishing, and trade. When the al-Khalifas attacked in 1867 to try
to recapture the peninsula, the British intervened to prevent instability in the
area. The British supported the al-Thanis’ authority over Qatar, recognizing the
dominant position of their leader, Muhammad bin Thani.
B | British Protection |
Muhammad bin Thani’s son Qasim bin
Muhammad al-Thani ruled from 1878 to 1913 and is considered the founder of the
emirate of Qatar. He steered a careful diplomatic path between Britain and the
Ottoman Empire, the two dominant powers in the region, acknowledging the formal
sovereignty of the Ottomans over Qatar. In the Anglo-Turkish Convention of 1913
(never ratified because of the arrival of World War I) the Ottoman Empire gave
up its claim to Qatar. In 1916 the British consolidated their position in Qatar
through an agreement with the emir, Abdullah bin Qasim al-Thani. This agreement
conferred British protection upon Qatar, established British control over
Qatar’s foreign relations, and provided special rights for Britain and British
subjects.
Like the other Persian Gulf states, Qatar
lost almost all of its pearling industry in the 1930s with the worldwide
economic depression and the introduction of Japanese cultured pearls. In 1939,
however, a subsidiary of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (later the British
Petroleum Company) struck oil in Qatar. Oil was first produced in commercial
quantities in 1949, and Qatar began the transition from one of the poorest
states in the world to one of the wealthiest. Although the emir at first
retained the bulk of the wealth, a Qatari social welfare state soon took shape,
and the emir’s rudimentary governmental administration gave way to the more
complex structure needed to oversee rapid economic and social development.
In 1968 the British government announced
that by the end of 1971 it would withdraw its military forces from the Persian
Gulf region as an economizing measure. This meant that British protection of
Qatar, Bahrain, and the Trucial States (now the United Arab Emirates) would come
to an end. Qatar proposed that those other states join with it in a federation
and drew up a constitution for that purpose. Agreement on union could not be
reached, however, and Qatar declared its independence in September 1971. The
federal constitution was adopted on a provisional basis for the new state’s
government, and the al-Thanis were confirmed as the ruling clan of Qatar.
C | Independent Qatar |
The emir at independence was Ahmad bin Ali
al-Thani, whose hoarding of oil income and extravagant expenditures led to a
bloodless coup by his cousin and prime minister, Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani.
Emir Khalifa implemented far-sighted social welfare policies to provide all
Qataris with a share of the country’s wealth, but he did little to reform the
country’s authoritarian form of government. He pursued low-profile foreign
policies, generally closely aligning Qatar with Saudi Arabia.
In 1992 Khalifa rejected a petition by a
group of 50 leading Qataris calling for an assembly with legislative powers as
well as for reforms in the economy and the education system. However, the same
year, Khalifa turned over much of his day-to-day authority to his son and prime
minister, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who shared many of these reformist ideas.
As prime minister, Hamad initiated policies at odds with his father’s more
cautious leadership, including attempts to normalize relations with Iran and
Iraq, establish close economic ties with Israel, and lessen the influence of
Saudi Arabia on Qatar. In June 1995, when Khalifa was out of the country, Hamad
seized power.
D | Hamad’s Rule |
After becoming emir, Hamad oversaw several
reforms to the Qatari political system. To select new municipal officers in
1999, Qatar held its first popular elections ever. Both men and women were
allowed to vote and to run for office. In 2002 a constitutional commission
produced a draft constitution that called for the creation of a partially
elected legislative body and guaranteed all Qatari citizens the right to vote as
well as freedom of expression and religion. The new constitution was approved by
public referendum in April 2003 and came into force in June 2005. While Hamad’s
reforms are a source of anxiety for the more conservative rulers of several
other Persian Gulf states, many observers believe that he is a model for a
future generation of rulers in that region.
Hamad also cultivated relations with the
United States and encouraged the U.S. military to use Qatari bases. In 2002 the
United States began transferring many military facilities from Saudi Arabia to
Qatar. Qatar served as a critical command center for the U.S.-led invasion of
Iraq in 2003.
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