|RNational holiday:|N Independence Day, September 3.
|RNature and climate:|N Peninsula in the Persian Gulf surrounded by coral reefs. Mainly a flat stone desert with some hills on the western coast. Vegetation is very scarce.
Average temperature in January 17°C and in July 35°C.
Percipitation 100 mm.
|RPeople:|N 40% Arab, 18% Pakistani, 10% Indian and 14% others. Only 25% of the population is born in the country.
|REconomy:|N Agriculture and stockraising in small scale due to the fact that only 1% of the area is arable. Fishing is of increasing importance.
Huge reserves of oil and natural gas. Oil is the base for the economy, makes Qatar one of the richest countries in the world and accounts for 90% of the export revenues. Since 1977 the government have full control over the oilresources.
The incomes from the oil have been used to develop steelworks, chemical processing, cementfactories as well as foodprocessing.
The rapid economic growth have forced Qatar to import workers from other countries.
|RHistory:|N Qatar was ruled by the Ottoman Turks as a part of the sheikdom of Bahrain, but from the 17th century there was devastating fighting between countries and sheiks and in 1867 Great Britain intervened and installed Mohammed ibn Thani al-Thani as sheik. This dynasty still rules Qatar.
Between 1916 and 1971 Qatar was a British protectorate and when the british withdrew Qatar planned to join the United Arab Emirates, but finally chose to became an independent country.
The al-Thani family occupies all leading positions in the country. Political parties and trade unions are prohibited to work.
