Qatar
Qatar (/ˈkætɑːr/,[9] /ˈkɑːtɑːr/ (About this soundlisten),
/ˈkɑːtər/ or /kəˈtɑːr/ (About this soundlisten);[10] Arabic:
قطر Qaṭar [ˈqatˤar]; local vernacular pronunciation:
[ˈɡɪtˤɑr]),[11][12] officially the State of Qatar (Arabic:
دولة قطر Dawlat Qaṭar), is a country located in Western
Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the
northeastern coast of the Arabian
Peninsula.[13][14][15][16][17] Its sole land border is with
neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) monarchy Saudi
Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory
surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain, an
inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby
Bahrain.
In early 2017, Qatar's total population was 2.6 million:
313,000 Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates.[18]
Islam is the official religion of Qatar.[19] 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 widely regarded as the most advanced Arab
state for human development.[20] Qatar is a high-income
economy, backed by the world's third-largest natural gas
reserves and oil reserves.
Qatar has been ruled by the House of Thani since Mohammed
bin Thani signed a treaty with the British in 1868 that
recognised its separate status. Following Ottoman rule,
Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th
century until gaining independence in 1971. In 2003, the
constitution was overwhelmingly approved in a referendum,
with almost 98% in favour.[22][23] In the 21st century,
Qatar emerged as a significant power in the Arab world both
through its globally expanding media group, Al Jazeera Media
Network, and reportedly supporting several rebel groups
financially during the Arab Spring.[24][25][26] For its
size, Qatar wields disproportionate influence in the world,
and has been identified as a middle power.[27][28] Qatar is
currently the subject of a diplomatic and economic embargo
by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain,
and Egypt, which began in June 2017. Saudi Arabia has
proposed the construction of the Salwa Canal, which would
run along the Saudi-Qatar border, effectively turning Qatar
into an island.
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