Qatar

Where the name comes from

Qatar continues ancient Qatara, recorded by Ptolemy and sometimes identified with Zubarah; its exact location and meaning are uncertain.

First people

People lived on the peninsula in the Stone Age, and coastal towns grew through pearling and trade long before gas wealth.^1,2,3,4

Known for

Qatar is known for its huge natural gas reserves and for hosting the 2022 men’s football World Cup.⁵

Outside contact

In the 1800s the Al Thani family took control of the peninsula and dealt with both Britain and the Ottoman Empire; Ottoman troops arrived in 1871 and left in 1915, and British protection began in 1916.²

The modern country

Independence in 1971 kept Qatar a separate state when Britain left the Gulf.²