QATAR Jamie Fetzer
World Cultures Honors Block H
This is the flag of Qatar
QATAR IS A SMALL COUNTRY OFF OF SAUDI ARABIA, IN THE PERSAIN GULF.
Government
Qatar has a total monarchy. The Emir is the head of state and government.
Cultural facts and What The Country is Known For
1. Money, on average they are the richest or second richest country.
2. Relaxed immigration laws, the immagrant workers dominate the natives 8:1.
3. No freedom of speech, Criticizing the Emir is against the law in the constitution.
4. You can pronounce the name of the country how you like. The many different languages spoken by the immagrants allow the name to be spoken in many ways.
5. The new Emir is from a public school. He was taught English by his father in 1998.
6. They don't care about global warming. Qataris are by far the largest per capita emitters of carbon dioxide in the world, with each person accounting for an estimated 49.1 tonnes in 2008. That compares with 18 tonnes each in the US, and 8.5 in the UK.
7. They have a large businesses district and own large buildings.
Independence and Colonization
Qatar was a big pearling and diving post before being colonized by the British. Qataris declared independence from Britain on September 3, 1971. They were not officially independent until December 18, because National Qatar Day wasn't until then.
History Timeline
1700s - Migrants establish pearling and trading settlements along the coast of present-day Qatar.
•Asian Games•
Qatar became the first Arab country to host the Asian Games in 2006
* Biggest event in the 55-year history of the Games
* 45 countries, regions took part
1867 - Conflict with neighbouring Bahrain over territorial claims; Doha is all but destroyed.
Seeds of independence are sown when Britain signs a treaty which recognises Qatar as a separate entity, rather than a dependency of Bahrain.
1871-1913 - Turkish Ottoman forces establish a garrison at the emir's invitation.
1916 - Deal signed under which Britain controls Qatar's external affairs in return for guaranteeing its protection.
1939 - Oil reserves discovered. Exploitation is delayed by World War II, but oil comes to replace pearling and fishing as Qatar's main source of revenue.
1950s - Oil revenues fund the expansion and modernisation of Qatar's infrastructure.
1968 - Britain announces that it will withdraw its forces from the Gulf; Qatar negotiates with Bahrain and present-day United Arab Emirates on forming a federation.
1971 - Qatar becomes independent on 3 September.
1972 - Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani takes power in a palace coup after infighting in the ruling family.
1990 August - After Iraq invades Kuwait, Qatar says it will allow foreign forces on its soil. Qatari troops later take part in the liberation of Kuwait.
1995 - Sheikh Khalifa deposed by his son, Hamad, in a bloodless coup.
1996 - Al-Jazeera satellite TV launches, as an independent channel funded by the emir. Based in Qatar but broadcasting to much of the Arab world, it establishes a reputation for its news coverage and willingness to tackle controversial issues.
1999 - Municipal elections, the first democratic polls since 1971, mark the start of a democratisation programme.
2000 February - A cousin of the emir and 32 other people are jailed for life for planning a foiled coup in 1996.
2001 March - Qatar settles long-running border disputes with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
•Iraq war•
2002 - Qatar looms large in US plans for a possible war against Iraq. Its al-Udeid air base is developed and expanded. Washington says it will deploy US Central Command staff to Qatar.