I.

Qatar - also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is an Arab
country, known officially as an emirate, in the Middle East, occupying the small
Qatar Peninsula on the northseasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. It is
bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise, the Persian Gulf surrounds the
state. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of
Bahrain. Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves, and
the highest GDP per capita in the world. An absolute monarchy, Qatar has been ruled
by the al-Thani family since the mid-19th century and has since transformed itself
from a British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with
significant oil and natural gas revenues.

In 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah al-Thani became Emir when he seized power
from his father, who he accused of stealing state funds.

In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi
Arabia.

II.