Qatar
 

Formally to 3 Nov 1916   18th cent. - c.1855/60   c.1855/60 - c.1932   c.1916 State Flag c.1932 - 1936 1936 - 1949 1949 - 9 Jul 1971 Adopted 9 Jul 1971 Map of Qatar Hear National Anthem "Al-Salam Al-Amiri" (The Peace for the Anthem) Adopted 7 Dec 1996 Hear Former Anthem 1954 - 7 Dec 1996 (No Words)  Constitution (9 Jun 2005) Capital: Doha Currency: Qatari Rial (QAR); 1966-1973 Qatari-Dubai Riyal (XQDR); 1959-1966 Persian Gulf Rupee (XPGR); 1892-1959 Indian Rupee (INR) National Holidays: 18 Dec (1878) National Day (from 21 Jun 2007) -------------------------------- (from 1971): 3 Sep (1971) Independence Day Population: 2,444,174 (2018) GDP: $339.5 billion (2017) Exports: $67.5 billion (2017) Imports: $30.7 billion (2017) Ethnic groups: non-Qatari 88.4%, Qatari 11.6% (2015) Total Active Armed Forces: 11,800 (2018) U.S. Forces: 335 (2023) Merchant marine: 140 ships (2018) Religions: Muslim 67.7%, Christian 13.8%, Hindu 13.8%, Buddhist 3.1%, folk religion 0.1%, Jewish 0.1%, other 0.7%, unaffiliated 0.9% (2010) International Organizations/Treaties: ABEDA, AFESD, AIIB, AL, AMF, AOAD, APA, APM, Arabsat, BTWC, CAEU, CD, CICA, CPLP (associate observer), CTBT, CWC, EITI, ESCR, FAO, G-77, GAFTA, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, ICSID, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, IRENA (signatory), ISA, ISESCO, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, NATO (cooperation initiative), NPT, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF (associate), OPCW, OST, PAM, PCA, SCO (dialogue partner), SICA (observer), UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, UNRWA, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Qatar Chronology c.650 BC - c.300 AD        Part of Gerrha kingdom. 1550 - 1670                Part of the Ottoman Empire. 1793 - 1818                Annexed to Diriyah (see Saudi Arabia). 12 Sep 1868                Muhammad ibn Thani signs treaty with the British,                              effectively establishing Qatar (previously                               considered to be a dependency of Bahrain) as                               an independent State (al-Thani authority limited                              to Doha and Wakrah, only later expanded to                               include the entire peninsula).  1872                       Sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire over Qatar                               recognized (as kazan [district] of Sandjak                              al-Hasa, within vilayet of Baghdad [from 1875                               Basra vilayet][see Iraq]). 29 Jul 1913                Ottomans agree to drop claims to Qatar by                              Anglo-Ottoman Convention (not ratified).  3 Nov 1916 -  3 Sep 1971  British protectorate (Qatar)(under the                              chief political resident of the Persian                               Gulf; see under Bahrain).  1 Jul 1937                Zubara annexed (previously under Bahrain).  3 Sep 1971                State of Qatar

Rulers¹ (also 1872 - 3 Nov 1916, Kaymakam [district administrator])
12 Sep 1868 - 18 Dec 1878  Muhammad ibn Thani                    (b. c.1788 - d. 1878)
18 Dec 1878 - 17 Jul 1913  Sheikh Qasim ibn Muhammad Al Thani    (b. c.1825 - d. 1913)
1893 - 1905                Sheikh Ahmad ibn Muhammad             (b. 1853 - d. 1905)
                             Al Thani -Regent
17 Jul 1913 - 20 Aug 1949  Sheikh Abdullah ibn Qasim Al Thani    (b. 1876 - d. 1957)
                             (regent 13 May - 17 Jul 1913)
20 Aug 1949 - 24 Oct 1960  Sheikh Ali ibn Abdullah Al Thani      (b. 1894 - d. 1974)
24 Oct 1960 -  3 Sep 1971  Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali Al Thani         (b. 1917 - d. 1977)
Emirs¹
 3 Sep 1971 - 22 Feb 1972  Sheikh Ahmad ibn Ali Al Thani         (s.a.)
22 Feb 1972 - 27 Jun 1995  Sheikh Khalifah ibn Hamad Al Thani    (b. 1932 - d. 2016)
27 Jun 1995 - 25 Jun 2013  Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifah Al Thani    (b. 1952)
25 Jun 2013 -              Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani       (b. 1980)

Prime ministers
29 May 1970 - 27 Jun 1995  Sheikh Khalifah ibn Hamad Al Thani    (s.a.)             Non-party
27 Jun 1995 - 29 Oct 1996  Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifah Al Thani    (s.a.)             Non-party
29 Oct 1996 -  3 Apr 2007  Sheikh Abdullah ibn Khalifah Al Thani (b. 1959)          Non-party
 3 Apr 2007 - 26 Jun 2013  Sheikh Hamad ibn Jassim ibn Jabr      (b. 1959)          Non-party
                             Al Thani
26 Jun 2013 - 28 Jan 2020  Sheikh Abdullah ibn Nasser ibn        (b. 1960)          Non-party
                             Khalifah Al Thani
28 Jan 2020 -  7 Mar 2023  Sheikh Khalid ibn Khalifa ibn         (b. 1968)          Non-party
                             Abdul Aziz Al Thani 
 7 Mar 2023 -              Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Rahman      (b. 1980)          Non-party    
                             Al Thani

British Advisers
Jan 1950 - 1952            Phillip L. Plant
1952 - 1960                Geoffrey Maberly Hancock              (b. 1901 - d. 1985)

British Political Officers (from Oct 1954, Political Agents)(subordinated to the
chief political residents of the Persian Gulf; see under Bahrain)
Jul 1949 - 23 Aug 1949     John Amory Forrest Gethin (acting)    (b. 1916 - d. 1965)
23 Aug 1949 - 11 Mar 1951  Arthur John Wilton                    (b. 1921 - d. 2011)
1951 - 1952                Christopher Thomas Ewart-Biggs        (b. 1921 - d. 1976)
                             (1st time)
28 Feb 1952 -  8 Aug 1952  Michael Scott Weir (acting)           (b. 1925 - d. 2006)
1952 - 1953                Christopher Thomas Ewart-Biggs        (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)
Oct 1953 - Nov 1953        Charles William Wallace (acting)      (b. 1926 - d. 2014)
1953 - 1955                William Bennett Morison Johnston      (b. 1922 - d. 2001)
27 Mar 1955 - 23 Apr 1958  Derrick Charles Carden                (b. 1921 - d. 2006)
Jan 1958 - 29 Apr 1959     John Spenser Ritchie Duncan           (b. 1921 - d. 2006)
Jul 1959 - 1962            John Campbell Moberly                 (b. 1925 - d. 2004)
Jul 1962 - 1965            Philip McKearney                      (b. 1926 - d. 2022)
25 Feb 1965 - 1969         Ranald Hugh Montgomerie Boyle         (b. 1921 - d. 1999)
1969 -  6 Sep 1971         Edward Firth Henderson                (b. 1917 - d. 1995)

  ¹The full style of the ruler:
(a) to 3 Sep 1971: Hakim Qatar ("Ruler of Qatar");
(b) from 3 Sep 1971: Emir Dawlat Qatar ("Emir of the State of Qatar").

Territorial Disputes: None (on 16 Mar 2001 the World Court granted Bahrain sovereignty over the Hawar Islands and Qitat Jaradah shallows, and Qatar sovereignty over Zubarah and the shallows surrounding the islet of Fasht-el-Dibal). 

Party abbreviations: political parties are banned.