STATE OF QATAR

HISTORY

Ancient History
Recent Discoveries In Wadi Debay'an, A Site Located A Few Kilometers South Of Zubarah, Indicate Human Presence From 7,500 Years Ago. Amongst The Findings Were A Wall Built Of Stone, Possibly Used As A Fish Trap
Advent Of Islam
Although The Peninsula Land Mass That Makes Up Qatar Has Sustained Humans For Thousands Of Years, For The Bulk Of Its History, The Arid Climate Fostered Only Short-Term Settlements By Nomadic Tribes.Islam Was Spread In The Entire Arabian Region By The End Of The 7th Century, Resulting In The Islamization Of The Native Arabian Pagans.

GEOGRAPHY

Climate
The Spring Season In March Is Warm And Pleasant With Occasional Thunderstorms. The Frequent Winds From The Northwest Are Cold In Winter And Spring And Hot In Summer. Southeasterly Winds, Usually Hot And Damp, Spring Up Between July And October; Hot And Dry South Winds Prevail In Spring And Early Summer

POLITICS

Foreign Relations
Qatar Was Also An Early Member Of OPEC And A Founding Member Of The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). It Is A Member Of The International Court Of Justice Jurisdiction.Qatar Hosts The Al Udeid Air Base, Which Acts As The Hub For All American Air Operations In The Persian Gulf.
Military
The Qatar Armed Forces Are The Military Forces Of Qatar. The Country Maintains A Modest Military Force Of Approximately 11,800 Men, Including An Army (8,500), Navy (1,800) And Air Force (1,500). Qatar's Defense Expenditures Accounted For Approximately 4.2% Of Gross National Product In 1993.

ECONOMY

Economy
Before The Discovery Of Oil, The Economy Of The Qatari Region Focused On Fishing And Pearl Hunting. Report Prepared By Local Governors Of Ottoman Empire In 1892 States That Total Income From Pearl Hunting In Year Of 1892 Is 2,450,000 Kran.After The Introduction Of The Japanese Cultured Pearl Onto The World Market In The 1920s And 1930s
Energy
As Of 2012, Qatar Has Proven Oil Reserves Of 15 Billion Barrels And Gas Fields That Account For More Than 5% Of The Global Resource, It Is The Richest Per-Capita State In The World.

DEMOGRAPHICS

Ethnic Groups
First Records About The Demographics Of Qatar Dated Back To 1892 Which Was Prepared By Ottoman Governors In The Region. Based On This Census, Which Only Includes The Residents In Cities, Total Population Of Qatar In 1892 Was 9,830
Religion
Islam Is The Predominant Religion. Most Qatari Citizens Belong To The Strict Wahhabi Sect Of Islam. Most Qatari Citizens Are Sunni Muslims, Between 5-15% Of Qatari Citizens Are Shia Muslims
Languages
Arabic Is The Official Language Of Qatar, With Qatari Arabic The Local Dialect. Qatari Sign Language Is The Language Of The Deaf Community. English Is Also Widely Spoken,And Is Considered To Be A Rising Lingua Franca, Especially In Commerce.

CULTURE

Music
The Music Of Qatar Is Based On Bedouin Poetry, Song And Dance. Most Of Qatari Music Uses An Array Of Percussion Instruments, Including Al-Ras (A Large Drum Whose Leather Is Heated By An Open Fire).
Media
Qatar's Media Was Classified As "Not Free" In The 2012 Freedom Of The Press Report By Freedom House. Criticism Of The Emir In The Media Is Illegal: According To Article 46 Of The Press Law

EDUCATION

Education
Qatar Has Hired RAND To Reform Its K–12 Education System. Through The Qatar Foundation, The Country Has Built An Education City, Hosting Local Branches Of The Weill Cornell Medical College, Georgetown University School Of Foreign Service, Northwestern's Medill School Of Journalism

QATAR EMBASSY IN SRI LANKA

Address
11, Rajakeeya Mawatha,
Colombo 07, 
Sri Lanka
Telephone
+94 112 690 440
Fax
+94 112 690 443
Email
qatarembcmb@sltnet.lk

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