Topic > A Very Brief Socioeconomic and Political Look at Qatar

Qatar is a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf and borders Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Doha is the capital of Qatar. Qatar's economy is primarily controlled by oil and natural gas, which make up the majority of its export revenue. The government of Qatar is based on the separation of powers working together and does not tolerate any political opposition. Women in Qatar can only drive when applying for a permit, and non-Qatari women do not need to wear a headscarf in public. In 1867 a conflict broke out with neighboring Bahrain over claims to the territory. As a result, Doha is completely destroyed. Britain then signed a treaty recognizing Qatar as a separate country rather than a dependency of Bahrain. However, in 1916 an agreement was signed between Qatar and Great Britain. The agreement stipulated that Britain monitored Qatar's international relations to ensure protection. Oil reserves were then discovered in 1939. Oil finds replaced pearling and fishing and became Qatar's main source of oil. income. Additionally, oil revenues help expand and modernize Qatar's foundations...