Qatar

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search State of Qatar دولة قطر Dawlat Qaṭar Flag Emblem Anthem: السلام الأميري (Arabic) As Salam al Amiri  (transliteration) Amiri Salute Sorry, your browser either has JavaScript disabled or does not have any supported player. You can download the clip or download a player to play the clip in your browser. Location and extent of Qatar (red) on the Arabian Peninsula. Capital and largest city Doha 25°18′N 51°31′E / 25.300°N 51.517°E / 25.300; 51.517 Official languages Arabic Demonym Qatari Government Unitary absolute monarchy  -  Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani  -  Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani Legislature Consultative Assembly Establishment  -  Qatar National Day 18 December 1878   -  Independence from the United Kingdom 3 September 1971  Area  -  Total 11,571 km2 (164th) 4,467.6 sq mi   -  Water (%) negligible Population  -  2013 estimate 1,903,447  -  2010 census 1,699,435 (148th)  -  Density 160.2/km2 (123rd) 414.9/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2011 estimate  -  Total $182.004 billion  -  Per capita $102,943 GDP (nominal) 2011 estimate  -  Total $173.847 billion  -  Per capita $98,329 Gini (2007) 41.1 medium HDI (2013)  0.834 very high · 36th Currency Riyal (QAR) Time zone AST (UTC+3)  -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+3) Drives on the right Calling code 974 ISO 3166 code QA Internet TLD .qa قطر.

Qatar (i/ˈkɑːtɑr/ or i/kəˈtɑr/; Arabic: قطر‎ Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: , officially the State of Qatar (Arabic: دولة قطر‎ Dawlat Qaṭar), is a sovereign Arab state, located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait in the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain.

Qatar has been ruled as an absolute and hereditary emirate by the Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly one of the poorest Persian Gulf states, the mainly barren country was noted mainly for pearl hunting. It was a British protectorate until it gained independence in 1971. Since then, it has become one of the region's wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues. In 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani became Emir when he deposed his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a peaceful coup d'état. The most important positions in Qatar are held by the members of the Al Thani family, or close confidants of the al-Thani family. Beginning in 1992, Qatar has built intimate military ties with the United States, and is now the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.

Qatar has proven reserves of oil and natural gas. Qatar tops the list of the world's richest countries by Forbes. Qatar has the highest human development in the Arab World. In 2009, Qatar was the United States’ fifth-largest export market in the Middle East (after the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt).

With a small citizen population of fewer than 250,000 people, foreign workers by far outnumber native Qataris. Foreign expatriates come mainly from other Arab nations (13% of population), the Indian subcontinent (India 24%, Nepal 16%, Bangladesh 5%, Pakistan 4%, Sri Lanka 5%), Southeast Asia (Philippines 11%), and other countries (7%).