Qatar - Demographics

Capital - Doha

Official languages Arabic

Demonym Qatari

Government Absolute Monarchy
- Emir H.H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani

Independence
- current ruling family came to power - December 18, 1878
- Termination of special treaty with the United Kingdom - September 3, 1971

Area
- Total 11,437 km2 (164th)
- 4,416 sq mi
- Water (%) negligible

Population
- July 2009 estimate 833,285
- 2004 census 744,029(159th)
- Density 74/km2 (123rd)
- 192/sq mi

Currency Riyal (QAR)

Time zone AST (UTC+3)

Drives on the right

Internet TLD .qa

Calling code 974

Qatar is an Arab emirate in the Middle East, 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. An oil-rich nation, Qatar has the second highest GDP per capita in the world.

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. The word "Qatara" first appeared on Ptolemy's map of the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar's main families are Al-Thani (known as the ruling family), Al Sulaiti (known as the pearl divers), Al Ansari (known as the bread makers), Al Hashmi (known as the first bedu tribe), Al Kuwari (known as the descendants of the Iranian mountain of Koor), and Fakhroo (known as the people who brought goods to Qatar, and the people who started businesses). In addition there is the large Almarry tribe which extends into Saudi Arabia.

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-emirate United Arab Emirates. On September 3, 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state.

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

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

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

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

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

courtesy : wikipedia