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Country in the Middle East, occupying Qatar peninsula in the Gulf, bounded southwest by Saudi Arabia and south by United Arab Emirates.

Government
A provisional constitution adopted 1970 confirmed Qatar as an absolute monarchy, with the emir holding all executive and legislative powers. The emir appoints and heads a council of ministers. An advisory council of 30 was established 1972, with limited powers to question ministers. There are no political parties.

History
For early history, see Arabia. Qatar, which used to be under Bahrain's control, has had a treaty with Britain since 1868. It was part of the Ottoman Empire from 1872 until World War I. The British government gave formal recognition 1916 to Sheikh Abdullah al-Thani as Qatar's ruler, guaranteeing protection in return for an influence over the country's external affairs. In 1968 Britain announced its intention of withdrawing its forces from the Gulf area by 1981, and Qatar, having failed in an attempt to form an association with other Gulf states, became fully independent in September 1971. A new treaty of friendship with the UK replaced the former protectorate.

After independence
In 1972, while Emir Sheikh Ahmad was out of the country, his cousin Crown Prince Sheikh Khalifa led a bloodless coup; already prime minister, he declared himself also emir. He embarked on an ambitious programme of social and economic reform, curbing the extravagances of the royal family. Good relations with most of its neighbours have given Qatar the reputation of being one of the more stable and moderate Arab states, although more than 43% of GNP is spent on defence. Development programmes are hampered by a lack of skilled workers. In the 1991 Gulf War, Qatar's forces fought with the United Nations coalition against the Iraqi occupiers of Kuwait. Sheikh Khalifa was ousted by his son Crown Prince Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in another bloodless coup in June 1995. His announcement in February 1996 outlining moves towards a democratic political system was followed by an assassination attempt in March, which was an attempt to restore the prince's ousted father to the throne.

In March 2001, Qatar and Bahrain accepted the ruling of the International Court of Justice on a long-standing territorial dispute.

Blue represents the black population and links with Africa. Red stands for those of mixed race. The original blue and red flag was based on the French tricolour. Effective date: 25 February 1986. >>