Qatar
Qatar, 1971 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in 1916 and gained independence in 1971. Qatar has been ruled as a hereditary monarchy by the House of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed an agreement with Britain in 1868, which officially recognised its separate status. The current emir is Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who, like previous emirs, holds nearly all executive, legislative, and judicial authority in an autocratic manner under the Constitution of Qatar.
Seat of power: Doha
Rulers
Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar, 1972–1995
On 22 February 1972, Sheikh Khalifa became the Emir of Qatar, seizing power from his cousin, Emir Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani in a bloodless coup d'état. He immensely reduced the traditional powers afforded to the heir-apparent and gave all of the power to himself.
Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar, 1995–2013
Hamad seized power from his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless palace coup d'état in 1995. As emir of Qatar, Hamad ruled the country as an absolute monarch, with supreme authority over all branches of state power, and no political parties were allowed. Hamad founded news media group Al Jazeera in 1996.
Portrait of Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani: Michał Józefaciuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, file
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Emir of the State of Qatar, 2013 to today
Tamim bin Hamad is Emir of Qatar, reigning since 2013. Sheikh Tamim promoted sport as part of Qatar's bid to raise its international profile. Under his guidance, Qatar won the rights to host the 2014 FINA Swimming World Championships and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Portrait of Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: Khamenei.ir, CC BY 4.0, file
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Culture
- Qatar is one of the world's largest exporters of liquefied natural gas and the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita.
- On 21 June 2026, the population of Qatar was 3,180,059, although 3.02 million are foreign expatriates and migrant workers.
- Its economy has grown rapidly due to its resource-wealth, and its geopolitical power has risen through its media group, Al Jazeera Media Network, and reported financial support for rebel groups during the Arab Spring.
Picture
Msheireb Downtown Doha is a planned city in Doha, Qatar constructed as a regeneration of the historical district of Mushayrib.
Image: Hufton and Crow, CC-BY-SA-4.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.