Population: 769,152 (July 2001 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Background: Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the...

Currency: Qatar Riyal (QAR, QAR (3.64 = US$1))

Data from CIA World Factbook. Click on CIA link for more. Click on map or flag for larger images.