Qatar
Natives of the Arabian Peninsula, many Qataris are descended from a
number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the 18th century
from the neighboring areas of Nejd and Al-Hasa. Some came from
neighboring Gulf emirates and others are descended from Persian
merchants. Most of Qatar's 1.5 million inhabitants live in Doha, the
capital. Foreigners with temporary residence status make up about
three-fourths of the population. Foreign workers comprise as much as
85% of the total population and make up about 90% of the total labor
force. Most are South and Southeast Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians,
Jordanians, Lebanese, Syrians, Yemenis, and Iranians. About 8,000
U.S. citizens reside in Qatar.
For centuries, the main sources of wealth were pearling, fishing,
and trade. At one time, Qataris owned nearly one-third of the
Persian Gulf fishing fleet. With the Great Depression and the
introduction of Japan's cultured-pearl industry, pearling in Qatar
declined drastically.
The Qataris are mainly Sunni Muslims. Islam is the official
religion, and Islamic jurisprudence is the basis of Qatar's legal
system, although civil courts have jurisdiction over commercial law.
Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken.
Education is compulsory and free for all government employees'
children from 6-16 years old. Qatar has an increasingly high
literacy rate. |
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Qatar has been inhabited for millennia. The Al Khalifa family of
Bahrain dominated the area until 1868 when, at the request of Qatari
nobles, the British negotiated the termination of the Bahraini
claim, except for the payment of tribute. The tribute ended when the
Ottoman Empire occupied Qatar in 1872.
When the Ottomans left at the beginning of World War I, the British
recognized Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani as ruler. The Al
Thani family had lived in Qatar for 200 years. The 1916 treaty
between the United Kingdom and Sheikh Abdullah was similar to those
entered into by the British with other Gulf principalities. Under
it, the ruler agreed not to dispose of any of his territory except
to the U.K. and not to enter into relationships with any other
foreign government without British consent. In return, the British
promised to protect Qatar from all aggression by sea and to lend
their good offices in case of a land attack. A 1934 treaty granted
more extensive British protection.
In 1935, a 75-year oil concession was granted to the Qatar Petroleum
Company, a subsidiary of the Iraq Petroleum Company, which was owned
by Anglo-Dutch, French, and U.S. interests. High-quality oil was
discovered in 1940 at Dukhan, on the western side of the Qatari
peninsula. However, the start of WWII delayed exploitation of
Qatar's oil resources, and oil exports did not begin until 1949.
During the 1950s and 1960s gradually increasing oil revenues brought
prosperity, rapid immigration, substantial social progress, and the
beginnings of Qatar's modern history. When the U.K. announced a
policy in 1968 (reaffirmed in March 1971) of ending the treaty
relationships with the Gulf sheikdoms, Qatar joined the other eight
states then under British protection (the seven trucial
sheikdoms--the present United Arab Emirates--and Bahrain) in a plan
to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, as the termination
date of the British treaty relationship (end of 1971) approached,
the nine still had not agreed on terms of union. Accordingly, Qatar
declared independence as a separate entity and became the fully
independent State of Qatar on September 3, 1971.
In February 1972, the Heir Apparent, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad,
deposed his cousin, Amir Ahmad, and assumed power. Key members of
the Al Thani family supported this move, which took place without
violence or signs of political unrest.
On June 27, 1995, the Deputy Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, deposed
his father Amir Khalifa in a bloodless coup. An unsuccessful
counter-coup was staged in 1996. The Amir and his father are now
reconciled, though some supporters of the counter-coup remain in
prison. The Amir announced his intention for Qatar to move toward
democracy and has permitted a freer and more open press and
municipal elections as a precursor to expected parliamentary
elections. Qatari citizens approved a new constitution via public
referendum in April 2003, which came into force in June 2005. |
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