Foundation Islamic Union
Qatar
Official Name: State of Qatar (QA)
Capital : Doha
Important Cities: Divided into 7 separate municipalities. These are: Ad-Doha, Al Rayyan,
Umm Salal, Al Khor, Al Wakrah, Al Daayen and Al Shamal.
Area: 11,571 km2.
Population : 2,807,000 (2021)[1] Apart from Qatari Arabs, most citizens have come from various countries to work in the oil sector. About 1.5 million foreign labourers work in the country. People from countries such as Philippines, Nepal, India usually come to this country to work in construction, health, service, energy sectors.
Average Human Lifespan: 74 Years
Ethnicity: The people of Qatar are of white race. There are also Arabs, Iranians, Pakistanis and Indians from neighbouring countries. Fifty per cent of the people of Qatar are Arabs, the rest are of other races.
Language: Arabic is the official and main language. English is a second common language.
Religion: All citizens of Qatar are Muslims. People of other nationalities who come to work here belong to different religions.
Geography: The Arabian Peninsula lies to the east of the Gulf of Basra. It is surrounded by Bahrain to the north-west, Saudi Arabia to the west and south, and United Arab Emirates to the east.
The country, which consists mainly of low-lying plains, is covered with sand. The south of the country is covered with deserts. The climate is mild and rainy in winter and dry and hot in summer.
Mode of Government: Emirate based on Islamic law.
History: The Qatar region was one of the first regions to accept Islam and became a part of the Islamic land by the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.s.) and during the time of the second caliph. In later periods, this region was ruled by the representatives of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphs.
The Deylemids were the first Iranian dynasty to rule in Qatar. Iranian sovereignty over this region continued until the 16th century through the Seljuks, Atabekids and Timurs, and in the 16th century, with the settlement of the Portuguese, British colonialist western states, Iran's sovereignty over the region came to an end and new developments were witnessed in the region.
The Ottomans wanted to make some new administrative arrangements in the Qatar region by taking advantage of the fact that Kuwait came to the forefront in the Ottoman-British relations since 1897, but without much success. In order to get rid of the loneliness in foreign policy during the years of the Constitutional Monarchy II, the status of Qatar came to the agenda again during the negotiations with the British in 1910. On 29 July 1913, in the relevant article of the treaty signed in London, which did not enter into force, the Ottoman Empire waived all its claims on the Qatar peninsula, and it was agreed that it would be ruled by Sheikh Câsim b. Sânî and his successors. However, upon the death of Sheikh Jāsim, his son Abdullah was appointed in his place, again with the consent of the Ottoman Empire. With the 1st World War, the Ottoman presence in the region came to an end.
On 3 November 1916, they signed a treaty of patronage with Abdullah, Emir of Qatar, similar to the one they had signed with other Gulf sheikhs. From this date until 1940, when oil was found in the region, Qatar did not come to the agenda in international politics and did not encounter any important events except for some minor disputes with its neighbours Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Qatar, which gained its independence after the British left the region in 1971 (3 September 1971), immediately became a member of the Arab League and the United Nations. On 22 February 1972, Sheikh Khalifa b. Hamed seized the emirate with a coup. Sheikh Khalifa, who took the duties and powers of the prime minister as well as the head of state, took a step towards a parliamentary regime in a sense by establishing an advisory council, all members of which he elected himself. In 1974, he took all the oil companies in the country under his control. Although Qatar is still ruled by an absolute monarchy, it draws attention as the first emirate among the Gulf countries to make some constitutional arrangements. In 1995, Hamed b. Khalifa removed his father from power and replaced him.
Internal Problems: Foreign labour force and ethnic diversity cause some social problems in Qatar as in other Gulf countries. Especially the inability of Asians to integrate into the Qatari society and their efforts to keep alive some traditions specific to their own country create an identity problem. The increasing proportion of Asians worries the natives of Qatar. Because some of their traditions that carry the influence of eastern religions tend to spread in Qatari society. In addition, they do not keep in mind the possibility that the Asians becoming an important ethnic element in time may cause some serious ethnic problems.
External Problems: Qatar, whose relations with Bahrain were not good due to the dispute over the Hawar Islands, took the side of the United States in the 1991 Gulf War. Some border disputes with Saudi Arabia were settled amicably on 20 December 1992.
Islam in the country: Islam is the official religion of Qatar. Law and all legal legislation are based on Sharia. Since three or four mosques are built in each neighbourhood, the community prays in mosques continuously. There are approximately 1,000 mosques in the country. One of the ministries in the Qatari government is the Ministry of Foundations and Islamic Affairs.[2]
Economy: Before the discovery of oil reserves, Qatar's economy depended on fishing and pearl fishing. But the discovery of oil reserves in the 1940s transformed the entire economy of the country. This change brought with it a higher standard of living and the social services that large countries offer their citizens.
The country is among the countries with the largest gas reserves in the world. This major factor has raised the welfare level of the country's citizens to the highest levels. Almost no consumer goods are produced in the country, they are imported from abroad. However, although the very low tax rates in the country and the very cheap energy in the country lead to the expectation of keeping the price of these goods quite low, food-like consumer goods are not cheap, but cheapness in electricity and electronics makes itself felt.
Since 2006, Qatar, which has attracted the attention of the world with its great development moves, has become a country that is closely interested not only in the Persian Gulf but also in many international issues. It is especially interested in Islamic countries and develops new co-operation with Turkey and produces solutions to the problems of the world's Muslims together. Thanks to its economic power, it is in a more effective position in the 21st century than Islamic countries with much larger surface measurements and tens of millions of population, and can rush to their aid immediately in case of need.
Currency: Qatari Riyal (QR)
National Income per Capita: 59,143 USD
Export products: Petroleum products 80%, fertiliser, steel.
Export partners: Japan 36.9%, South Korea 19.4%, Singapore 8.2% (2005)
Imports: 12.36 billion $
Import products: Machinery and parts, food, chemicals.
Import partners: France 11.4%, Japan 10.4%, USA 10.3%, Germany 8.3%, Saudi Arabia 7.2%, UK 6.9%, Italy 6.4%, South Korea 5.5%, UAE 4.8% (2005)
Industry: There are 7 natural gas production points, 1 on land and 6 offshore. An industrial city called ras laffan was established in the part of the country facing the gulf.
The presence of oil has also contributed to the development of fertiliser and cement industry in the country.
Energy: Electricity production: 12.4 billion kWh
Electricity consumption:11.53 billion kWh
Transport: Highways: 1,230 km, Pipelines: condensate 319 km; condensate/gas 209 km; natural gas 1,024 km; liquid petroleum gas 87 km; crude oil 844 km,
Ports: Doha, Halul Island, Umm Sa'id (Musay'id), Airports: 5
Helicopter sites: 1
Health: All health services are free of charge in the country.
Education: In terms of science and culture Qatar's history dates back to a little older than its independence and thanks to a new education programme prepared in the country in 1959, there was an opening in the country's education. In this country, where the level of science is high, there are currently 7 universities and in these universities, teachers of Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian and British origin usually teach. In the field of culture, the Culture and Arts Administration undertakes the responsibility of directing the cultural activities of the country and organises cultural events. This organisation also continuously organises various festivals to promote Qatar's Islamic and Arab identity and its cultural position in the region.
Until 2002, in addition to Qatari students, students from 52 different countries attended this university and a total of 23,167 students graduated, including 16,500 Qatari students. Some foreign universities opened campuses in Qatar.
National Day: 3 September 1971
International Organisations of which he is a member: UN, OIC[3] (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), Arab League.
[1] www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)
[2] Islamic World, Ahmet Kavas.
[3] oic-oci.org
