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• Qatar which is officially called the State of Qatar is in the Middle East, bordering Saudi Arabia in the south and the Persian Gulf in the other sides.

• Fast Facts

  1. Capital: Doha
  2. Government: Constitutional Monarchy
  3. Population: 841,000
  4. Currency: Rial
  5. Exchange Rate: 3.6328
  6. Official Language: Arabic

• Brief Overview

  Qatar was a British protectorate until 1971, when it became independent. Its main industry was pearl fishing until reserves of oil were located on its lands in the 1940s.

  Prince Hamad bin Khalifa ousted his father from his position as emir in 1995 to assume power. He immediately began instituting more liberal policies, which ultimately led to the formation of Al-Jazeera, the top news network in the Middle East.

  Qatar has substantial wealth from its oil and gas exports; most citizens live a life which is highly subsidized by the government.

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