Pronounced in English as somethign like "Cutter" and "Gutter", Qatar, a.k.a. the The State of Qatara or even Dawlat Qaṭar is a small peninsular country rich in oil and gas protected by the U.S. Navy, which is more generally said to be in the business of "protecting freedom." Long ruled by as absolute monarchy, the country has undergone a limited liberalization under its current monarch (emir) Shaykh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who replaced his father in a bloodless palace coup in 1995.

According to the Living Planet Report 2012 Qatar is one of the ten countries with the highest Ecological Footprints.

External LinksEdit

• Qatar: Background and U.S. Relations Christopher M. Blanchard. Congressional Research Service. June 6, 2012.

See alsoEdit