Qatar
Country in the Middle East, occupying Qatar peninsula in the Arabian
Gulf, bounded SW by Saudi Arabia and S 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
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 Sheik 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 Persian Gulf area by 1981, and Qatar, having
failed in an attempt to form an association with other Gulf states,
became fully independent 1 Sept 1971. A new treaty of friendship
with the UK replaced the former protectorate.
After Independence
In 1972, while Emir Sheik Ahmad was out of the country, his cousin
Crown Prince Sheik 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.
Sheik Khalifa was ousted by his son Crown Prince Hamad bin Khalifa
al-Thani in another bloodless coup June 1995. His announcement
Feb 1996 outlining moves towards a democratic political system
was followed by an assassination attempt in March.
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