State of Qatar | |
---|---|
Anthem: السلام الأميري As-Salam al-Amiri (transliteration) Amiri Salute | |
Capital and largest city | Doha 25°18′N 51°31′E / 25.300°N 51.517°E |
Official languages | Arabic (11.6% Qatari) English (88.4% non-Qatari) |
Ethnic groups (2015[1]) | 11.6% Qatari 88.4% non-Qatari |
Religion | Islam |
Demonym(s) | Qatari |
Government | Unitary constitutional authoritarian monarchy |
• Emir | Tamim bin Hamad |
Khalid bin Khalifa | |
Legislature | Consultative Assembly |
Establishment | |
December 18, 1878 | |
• Declared independence | September 1, 1971 |
• Independence from the United Kingdom | September 3, 1971 |
Area | |
• Total | 11,581 km2 (4,471 sq mi) (158th) |
• Water (%) | 0.8 |
Population | |
• 2017 estimate | 2,641,669[2] (140th) |
• 2010 census | 1,699,435[3] (148th) |
• Density | 176/km2 (455.8/sq mi) (76th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $357.338 billion[4] (51st) |
• Per capita | $128,702[4] (1st) |
GDP (nominal) | 2018 estimate |
• Total | $183.807 billion[4] (56th) |
• Per capita | $66,202[4] (6th) |
Gini (2007) | 41.1[5] medium |
HDI (2018) | 0.856[6] very high · 37th |
Currency | Riyal (QAR) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (AST) |
Driving side | right[7] |
Calling code | +974 |
ISO 3166 code | QA |
Internet TLD |
Qatar (/ˈkæˌtɑːr/,[8] /ˈkɑːtɑːr/ (listen), /ˈkɑːtər/ or /kəˈtɑːr/ (listen);[9] Arabic: قطر Qaṭar [ˈqɑtˤɑr]; local dialect: [ɡɪtˤɑr]),[10][11] officially the State of Qatar (Arabic: دولة قطر Dawlat Qaṭar), is a sovereign country in Western Asia. It is on the small Qatari-Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its only land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of it's territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait in the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island country of Bahrain, as well as sharing maritime borders with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran.
Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971. Qatar has been ruled by the House of Thani since the early 19th century. Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani was the founder of the State of Qatar. Qatar is a hereditary monarchy and its head of state is Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Whether it should be called a constitutional[12][13] or an absolute monarchy[14][15][16] is a matter of opinion. In 2003, the constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum, with 100% in favour.[17][18] As of early 2017, Qatar's total population was around 2.6 million: 313,000 Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates.[19]
Qatar is a high income economy and is a developed country, with the world's third largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves.[20] The country has the highest per capita income in the world. Qatar is classified by the UN as a country of very high human development and is the most advanced Arab state for human development.[21] Qatar is a significant power in the Arab world, supporting several rebel groups during the Arab Spring both financially and through its globally expanding media group, Al Jazeera Media Network.[22][23][24] For its small size, Qatar has a lot of influence in the world, and has been identified as a middle power.[25][26] Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, becoming the first Arab country to do so.[27]
Qatar is either a constitutional[12][13] or an absolute monarchy[14][16] ruled by the Al Thani family.[28][29] The Al Thani dynasty has been ruling Qatar since the family house was established in 1825.[1] In 2003, Qatar adopted a constitution that provided for the direct election of 30 of the 45 members of the Legislative Council.[1][30][31] The constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum, with almost 98% in favour.[17][18]
The eighth Emir of Qatar is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, whose father Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani handed power to him on June 25, 2013.[32] The supreme chancellor has the exclusive power to appoint and remove the prime minister and cabinet ministers who, together, constitute the Council of Ministers, which is the supreme executive authority in the country.[33] The Council of Ministers also initiates legislation. Laws and decrees proposed by the Council of Ministers are referred to the Advisory Council (Majilis Al-Shura) for discussion after which they are submitted to the Emir for ratification.[33] A Consultative Assembly has limited power to draft and approve laws, but the Emir has final say on all matters.[1] The current Council is made up entirely of members appointed by the Emir,[1] as no legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections to the body.[1] Legislative elections are expected to be held in 2016.[source?]
Qatari law does not permit the establishment of political bodies or trade unions.[34]
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