Qatar

دولة قطر Dawlat Qatar State of Qatar
Coat of arms of Qatar Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: As Salam al Amiri
Capital	Doha 25°18′N 51°31′E
Largest city	capital
Official languages	Arabic
Government	Constitutional Monarchy
- Emir	Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
- Prime Minister	Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani
Independence2
- from the Bahrain	September 3 1971
Area
- Total	11,437 km² (164th) 4,416 sq mi
- Water (%)	negligible
Population
- July 2007 estimate	841,000
- 2004 census	744,029[1] (159th)
- Density	74/km² 192/sq mi
GDP (PPP)	2005 estimate
- Total	$25.01 billion
- Per capita	$31,397
GDP (nominal)	2005 estimate
- Total	$42.463 billion
- Per capita	$49,655
HDI  (2004)	0.844 (high)
Currency	Riyal (QAR)
Time zone	AST (UTC+3)
- Summer (DST)	(not observed) (UTC+3)
Internet TLD	.qa
Calling code	+974

Qatar (Arabic: قطر ; IPA: [ˈqɑ̱.tˁɑ̱r] officially the State of Qatar (Arabic: دولة قطر transliterated as Dawlat Qatar), is an emirate in the Middle East and Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the north-easterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula.

It is considered one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity".

Bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, and surrounded by the Persian Gulf, the peninsula forms a shape that folklore says resembles the palm of a right hand extended in prayer.

Geography

Map of Qatar

Qatar is a peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, in a strategic location near major petroleum deposits. The country shares its land border with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with which in 1993 it continued to have a dispute in the Khawr al Udayd area. The boundary with Saudi Arabia was settled in 1965 but never demarcated. Qatar's northwest coast is fewer than 30 kilometers from Bahrain.

Qatar occupies 4416 square miles (11,437 square kilometres) on a peninsula that juts 100 miles (160km) north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula. It is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut in the United States.

Much of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand. To the southeast lies the spectacular “Khor al Adaid” ("Inland Sea"), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Gulf. The highest point occurs in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcrops running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border, and reaching about 295 feet (90 meters) above sea level.

This area also contains Qatar's main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.

The long summer, from June through September, is characterized by intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity, with temperatures exceeding 130°F (55°C). Temperatures are moderate from November through May, although winter temperatures may fall to 17° C, which is relatively cool for the latitude. Rainfall is negligible, averaging 100 millimeters per year, confined to the winter months, and falling in brief, sometimes heavy storms that often flood the small ravines and the usually dry wadis. Sudden, violent dust storms occasionally descend on the peninsula, blotting out the sun, causing wind damage, and momentarily disrupting transport and other services.

Desert in Qatar

The scarcity of rainfall and the limited underground water, most of which has such a high mineral content that it is unsuitable for drinking or irrigation, restricted the population and the extent of agricultural and industrial development the country could support until desalination projects began. Although water continues to be provided from underground sources, most is obtained by desalination of seawater.

Although most of the country consists of sand deserts, a small part of the country houses different vegetation zones, where trees, reeds and shrubs like tamarind, phragmites, and mace can grow. These regions are mostly to the east, near the coast

The capital, Doha, is located on the central east coast on a sweeping (if shallow) harbor. It is the major administrative, commercial, and population center. Other ports include Umm Said, Al Khawr, and Al Wakrah. Only Doha and Umm Said are capable of handling commercial shipping, although a large port and a terminal for loading natural gas are planned at Ras Laffan, north of Al Khawr. Coral reefs and shallow coastal waters make navigation difficult in areas where channels have not been dredged.

History

The Emiri Diwan.

Like the other Arab emirates on the Persian Gulf— Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar has been inhabited for millennia, a part of the Persian Empire and Persian Gulf trade route connecting Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Societies retained their tribal structures based on extended family kinships and clientage. For the bulk of its history the arid climate fostered only short-term settlements by nomadic tribes. Clans such as the Al Khalifa and the House of Saud (which would later ascend thrones of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia respectively) swept through the Arabian peninsula and camped on the coasts within small fishing and pearling villages. In the 1760s, members of the Al-Khalifa of the Utub tribe migrated from Kuwait and central Arabia and established a pearling and commercial base in Zubarah in the north.

British interest

During the nineteenth century, when the British sought out Qatar and the Persian Gulf as an intermediary vantage to their colonial interests in India, the Al Khalifa clan reigned over the Northern Qatari peninsula from the nearby island of Bahrain to the west. In 1868, at the request of Qatari nobles, the British negotiated the termination of the Al Khalifa claim to Qatar, except for the payment of tribute. The tribute ended with the occupation of Qatar by the Ottoman Turks in 1872, when the Al Khalifa family moved to Bahrain.

Towards autonomy

Although Qatar had the legal status of a dependency, resentment festered against the Bahraini Al Khalifas along the eastern seaboard of the Qatari peninsula. Muhammad bin Thani was elected sheikh and ruled in Al-Bida (later known as Doha) from 1850 to 1878. The Al Thani family had lived in Qatar for 200 years. They belong to the Al-Maadeed of the Bani Tamim tribe, one of the largest of all Arab tribes, whose history goes back to pre-Islamic times. In 1867, the Al Khalifas sent a naval force to Al Wakrah to quash the Qatari rebels. However, the Bahraini aggression violated the 1820 Anglo-Bahraini Treaty. Britain censured Bahrain and recognized Mohammad bin Thani as the representative of the Qatari people. This diplomatic foray ensured the Al Thani's role as rulers of the territory. Qasim Al-Thani (Mohammad's son) accepted the title of governor from the Ottoman Turks, who were trying to establish authority in the region. Qasim Al-Thani defeated the Turks in 1893, an event taken to confirm Qatar's autonomy.

World War I

When the Turks left at the beginning of World War I, the British recognized Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani as ruler. The 1916 treaty between the United Kingdom and Sheikh Abdullah was similar to those entered into by the British with other Gulf principalities. Under it, the ruler agreed not to dispose of any of his territory except to Britain and not to enter into relationships with any other foreign government without British consent. In return, the British promised to protect Qatar from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of a land attack. A 1934 treaty granted more extensive British protection.

Oil

In 1935, a 75-year oil concession was granted to Qatar Petroleum Company, which was owned by Anglo-Dutch, French, and U.S. interests. High-quality oil (petroleum) was discovered in 1940 at Dukhan, on the western side of the Qatari peninsula. Exploitation was delayed by World War II, and oil exports did not begin until 1949. During the 1950s and 1960s gradually increasing oil reserves brought prosperity, rapid immigration, substantial social progress, and the beginnings of Qatar's modern history.

Independence

The reach of the British Empire diminished after the Second World War, especially following Indian independence in 1947. Pressure for a British withdrawal from the Arab emirates in the Persian Gulf increased during the 1950s, and the British welcomed Kuwait's declaration of independence in 1961. When Britain officially announced in 1968 that it would disengage politically, though not economically, from the Persian Gulf in three years' time, Qatar joined Bahrain and seven other Trucial States in a federation. Regional disputes however, quickly compelled Qatar to resign and declare independence from the coalition that would evolve into the seven-emirate United Arab Emirates. In 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state.

Since 1995, Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has ruled Qatar, seizing control of the country from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while the latter vacationed in Switzerland. Under Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a notable amount of liberalization, including the enfranchisement of women, a new constitution, and the launch of Al Jazeera, the controversial Arabic language satellite television news channel. Qatar ranks as the eleventh richest country in the world per capita

Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq In 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking a country that had not previously experienced acts of terrorism. It is not clear if the bombing was committed by an organized terrorist group, and although the investigation is ongoing there are indications that the attack was the work of an individual, not a group.

Government and politics

Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani with President George W. Bush.

The politics of Qatar take place in a framework of an absolute monarchy whereby the Emir of Qatar is not only head of state, but also the head of government. The head of state is the emir, and the right to rule Qatar is passed on within the Al Thani family. Politically, Qatar is evolving from a traditional society into a modern welfare state.

As a hereditary monarch, the emir also holds the positions of Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has been emir since June 1995. His fourth son, Crown Prince Tamin bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, is heir apparent. The head of government is the prime minister, Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani since April 2007. The emir appoints the Council of Ministers. There are no elections.

The legislature comprises a unicameral advisory council or Majlis al-Shura. The 35 members are appointed. No legislative elections have been held since 1970 when there were partial elections. Council members have had their terms extended every four years since. A new constitution, which came into force in June 2005, provides for a 45-member Consultative Council, or Majlis al-Shura. The public would elect two-thirds of the Majlis al-Shura, and the emir would appoint the remaining members. Elections were planned for late 2007. Suffrage is universal for those aged 18 years and over.

The judiciary comprises courts of first instance, appeal, and cassation (annulment). The emir appoints all judges based on the recommendation of the Supreme Judiciary Council - for renewable three-year terms. The legal system is a discretionary system of law controlled by the emir, although civil codes are being implemented. Islamic law dominates family and personal matters.

Wahhabi law

Qatar explicitly uses Wahhabi law, a puritanical version of Islam which takes a literal interpretation of the Qur'an, as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow this specific Islamic doctrine. In the early twentieth century, when the Al-Thanis realized that converting to the doctrine of their larger neighbor might bode well for the survival of their regime, they imported Wahhabi Islam from Saudi Arabia. Wahhabism takes a more tolerant form in Qatar than in Saudi Arabia, though it still governs a large portion of Qatari mores and rituals.

The Basic Law of Qatar, 1970, institutionalized customs rooted in Qatar's Wahhabi heritage, granting the emir pre-eminent power. The emir's role is influenced by continuing traditions of consultation, rule by consensus, and the citizen's right to appeal personally to the emir. The emir, while directly accountable to no one, cannot violate the Shari’a (Islamic law) and, in practice, must consider the opinions of leading notables and the religious establishment. Their position was institutionalized in the advisory council, an appointed body that assists the emir in formulating policy. There is no electoral system. Political parties are banned.

The influx of expatriate Arabs has introduced ideas that call into question the tenets of Qatar's traditional society, but there has been no serious challenge to Al Thani rule.

Liberalization

The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernization after Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani came to power. Under his rule, Qatar became the first Persian Gulf country where women gained the right to vote. Also, women can dress mostly as they please in public (although in practice local Qatari women generally don the black abaya). Before the liberalization, it was taboo for men to wear shorts in public. The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. However, public bars and nightclubs in Qatar operate only in expensive hotels, much like in the emirates and Bahrain, though the number of establishments has yet to equal that of UAE. Qatar has further been liberalized due to the 15th Asian Games, but is cautious of becoming too liberal.

File:Qatar governorates numbered english.png

Qatar municipalities.

Qatar is divided into 10 municipalities: Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwariyah, Al Jumaliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jariyan al Batnah, Ash Shamal, Umm Salal, Mesaieed, Old Airport.

Qatar's military is made of soldiers from other Arabian Peninsula countries. This Middle Eastern Alliance is called the United Persian Gulf Fighters. It includes soldiers from Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Oman. Most soldiers come from Oman, but the headquarters is set in Doha, Qatar.

Human rights

To Western eyes, the Qatari authorities seem to keep a relatively tight rein on freedom of expression and moves for equality; but when compared to neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Qatar boasts one of the best standards-of-living and quality-of-life in its region. Freedom in the World 2006 lists Qatar as "Not Free", and on a 1-7 scale (1 being the most "free") rates the country a 6 for political rights and 5 for civil liberties.

Economy

Qatar's great wealth is most visible in its capital, Doha.

Before the discovery of oil the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearling. After the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry faltered. However, the discovery of oil reserves, beginning in the 1940s, transformed the nation's economy. Now the country has a high standard of living, with many social services and all the amenities of any modern nation.

Qatar's national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports. The country has oil estimated at 15 billion barrels (2.4km³), while gas reserves in the giant north field (South Pars for Iran) which straddles the border with Iran and are almost as large as the peninsula itself are estimated to be between 800-900tcf (Trillion Cubic Feet - 1tcf is equal to around 80 million barrels of oil equivalent). Qataris' wealth and standard of living compare well with those of Western European nations; Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the Middle East, nine places ahead of nearest competitor United Arab Emirates. With no income tax, Qatar is also one of the two least-taxed sovereign states in the world.

File:Aspire Tower.jpg

The Aspire Tower, built for the 2006 Asian Games, is visible across Doha.

While oil and gas will probably remain the backbone of Qatar's economy, the country seeks to stimulate the private sector and develop a "knowledge economy". In 2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar. Qatar also established "education city" which consists of international colleges. For the 15th Asian Games in Doha in 2006, it established a "sports city" consisting of Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres. Qatar also plans to build an "entertainment city" in the future.

Qatar pursues a vigorous program of "Qatarization," under which all joint venture industries and government departments strive to move Qatari nationals into positions of greater authority. Growing numbers of foreign-educated Qataris are returning home to assume key positions formerly occupied by expatriates. Qatar has tightened the administration of its foreign manpower programs in the interests of security.

The Qatar Financial Centre provides financial institutions with a world class financial services platform situated in an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources. It has been created with a long term perspective to support the development of Qatar and the wider region, develop local and regional markets, and strengthen the links between the energy based economies and global financial markets.

Apart from Qatar itself, which needs to raise the capacity of its financial services to support more than $130-billion worth of projects, the QFC also provides a conduit for financial services providers to access nearly $1-trillion of investment across the GCC as a whole over the next decade. The largest project ever in Qatar, the new town of Lusail, is under construction.

Qatar has a modern telecommunication system centered in Doha. Qtel's ISP branch, Internet Qatar, uses SmartFilter to block websites they deem inappropriate to Qatari interests and morality.

Al Jazeera is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel of the same name, but has since expanded into a network of several specialty TV channels.

Exports totalled $33.25-billion in 2006. Export commodities included liquefied natural gas, petroleum products, fertilizers, and steel. Export partners included Japan 36.9 percent, South Korea 19.4 percent, and Singapore 8.2 percent.

Imports totalled $12.36-billion. Import commodities included machinery and transport equipment, food, chemicals Import partners included France 11.4 percent, Japan 10.4 percent, the United States 10.3 percent, Germany 8.3 percent, Saudi Arabia 7.2 percent, UK 6.9 percent, Italy 6.5 percent, South Korea 5.5 percent, United Arab Emirates 4.8 percent.

Per capita GDP was $31,397 in 2005, a rank of 11 out of 194 nations.

Demographics

The Doha City Center mall.

Many Qataris are descended from a number of migratory tribes that came to Qatar in the eighteenth century to escape the harsh conditions of the neighboring areas of Nejd and Al-Hasa on the Arabian Peninsula. Some are descended from Omani tribes. In 2007, the country had a total population of approximately 841,000, of whom approximately 200,000 were believed to be citizens. About 90 percent live in Doha, the capital. The petrochemical industry has attracted people from all around the world. Foreign workers with temporary residence status make up about four-fifths of the population. Most of them are South Asians, Egyptians, Palestinians, Vietnamese, Jordanians, and Iranians. About 5000 U.S. citizens resided there as of 2001. Life expectancy for the total population was 73.67 years in 2005.

Ethnicity

Arabs make up 40 percent of the population, Pakistanis 18 percent, Indians 18 percent, Iranian 10 percent, and others 14 percent. Residents of Qatar may be classified in three groups: the Bedouin, Hadar, and Abd. The Bedouin descend from the nomads of the Arabian Peninsula. The Hadar's forebears were town dwellers, and most descend from migrants from present-day Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The Abd descend from slaves brought from east Africa. All three groups identify themselves as Qatari.

Religion

File:Doha Mosque.jpg

A mosque in Doha.

Religion is not indicated on national identity cards and passports, nor is it a criterion for citizenship in Qatar according to the Nationality Law. Ninety five percent of Qatar’s population, including the ruling family, are Sunni Muslims. Of the citizen population, Shi'a Muslims account for approximately 10 percent and Sunni Muslims, specifically Wahhabis, comprise the remaining 90 percent. The Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War, and alleged discrimination against Shi'a Muslims have exacerbated sectarian tensions, although these divisions are rarely discussed openly. Non-citizens are Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, and Baha'is. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Messaeed, and Dukhan.

The Christian community is a diverse mix of Indians, Filipinos, Europeans, Arabs, and Americans. It includes Catholic, Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican, and other Protestant denominations. There is some limitation of the religious liberty of Christians. No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country. The Hindu community is almost exclusively Indian, while Buddhists include South and East Asians. Most Baha'is in Qatar may come from nearby Iran.

Language

Arabic serves as the official language. The Qatari dialect of Arabic is similar to the version spoken in the other Gulf States. Farsi, the official language of Iran, is widely spoken by families that trace their descent from that country. As a result of the influx of foreign workers, other languages spoken include English, Urdu and Hindi, Malalayam, and Tagalog. While many Qataris speak more than one language, it is rare for immigrants to learn Arabic. Communication between Arabs and foreign workers are conducted in English or the language of the expatriate.

Culture

Qatar explicitly uses Wahhabi law as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow this specific Islamic doctrine. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab founded Wahhabism, a puritanical version of Islam which takes a literal interpretation of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. In the eighteenth century, Abd Al-Wahhab formed a pact with the al-Saud family, the founders of Saudi Arabia.

In the early twentieth century, when the Al-Thanis realized that converting to the doctrine of their larger neighbor might bode well for the survival of their regime, they imported Wahhabi Islam from Saudi Arabia to Qatar. Perhaps as an effect of the importation, Wahhabism takes a more tolerant form in Qatar than in Saudi Arabia, though it still governs a large portion of Qatari mores and rituals. For example, almost all Qatari women wear the black abaya (also donned in Saudi Arabia); the government, however, does not impose the style universally. The abaya is mainly passed down from generation to generation and is still present because of the traditional values of the country.

Shi'as comprise just over 10% of the Muslim population^{[citation needed]}. Most of Qatar is Muslim.

Education

In recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Along with the country’s free healthcare to every citizen, every child has free education from kindergarten through to university. The country has one university, the University of Qatar, and a number of higher educational institutions. Additionally, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, some major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. These include Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Texas A&M University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry. Education City is also home to a fully accredited International Baccalaureate school, Qatar Academy.

In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council. The Council directs and controls education for all ages from the pre-school level through the university level, including the "Education for a New Era" reform initiative.

The Emir's third wife, Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the Qatar Foundation and is on the board of Qatar's Supreme Education Council. As she took the initiative in the foundation of new campus called College of the North Atlantic (CNA-Q) by the Canadian nationals and got inaugurated in the later year 2005.

Communications

Qatar has a modern Telecommunication system centered in Doha. Tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat. People can call to Qatar using their submarine cable, satellite or using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol); however, Qtel has interfered with VoIP systems in the past, and Skype's website has been blocked before.

Qtel's ISP branch, Internet Qatar, uses SmartFilter to block websites they deem inappropriate to Qatari interests and morality.

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة‎, al-ğazīrä, [al.dʒaˈziː.ra], meaning "The Island") is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel of the same name, but has since expanded into a network of several specialty TV channels.

See also

2006 Asian Games in Doha Al Jazeera television ASPIRE sports academy Communications in Qatar Foreign relations of Qatar List of cities in Qatar

List of Qatar-related topics Military of Qatar Public holidays in Qatar Scouting and Guiding Transport in Qatar Politics of Qatar

External links

Government

• Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• (Arabic) Ministry of Education
• Supreme Education Council - "Education for a New Era" Reform Initiative
• Ministry of Interior
• Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affair
• The Planning Council
• Qatar Financial Centre Authority

News

• Al-Jazeera
• (Arabic) Al Watan
• Gulf Times newspaper
• Qatar Journal newspaper
• The Peninsula newspaper
• Qatar Tribune newspaper
• business news smartqatar.com - Qatar]

Overviews

• Main Portal of the State of Qatar
• Encyclopaedia Britannica, Qatar - Country Page
• BBC Country Profile - Qatar
• CIA World Factbook - Qatar
• US State Department - Qatar includes Background Notes, Country Study and major reports

Directories

• smartqatar.com Search engine specialized in Qatar Business,companies,products, - Qatar
• Interactive Map Directory - Doha
• Qatar Blogs Project Qatar
• Arab Gateway - Qatar
• Open Directory Project - Qatar
• Qatar Links
• Yahoo! Qatar
• Places in Doha
• Future events in Doha

Stadium]

• Qatar Corniche Fish Market
• User-Submitted Pictures of Qatar

Other links

• QatarChatter.com Complete information site on Qatar from What's On to the latest on the economy including restaurant reviews, etiquette guides and news
• Qatar Living Online community with maps, galleries and discussion groups for visitors and residents of Qatar
• Qatar Constitution
• Interactive Map Site for Doha, Qatar (uses satellite imagery via Google)
• The Doha Debates
• Al Hannah Practical Guide to Living in Doha Wiki hosted at CMU Qatar with useful information for expatriates in the region
• Qatar's location on a 3D globe (Java)

Geographic locale

Countries and territories of the Middle East Bahrain · Egypt · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestinian territories · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · United Arab Emirates · Yemen Sometimes included: Afghanistan • Algeria • Libya • Morocco • Tunisia • Cyprus • Turkey Countries of Southwest Asia Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Cyprus · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Turkey · United Arab Emirates · Yemen Countries of Asia Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan1 · Bahrain · Bangladesh · Bhutan · Brunei · Cambodia · China, People's Republic of · China, Republic of (Taiwan)2 · Cyprus · Egypt3 · Georgia1 · India · Indonesia4 · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Japan · Jordan · Kazakhstan1 · Korea, Democratic People's Republic of · Korea, Republic of · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Malaysia · Maldives · Mongolia · Myanmar · Nepal · Oman · Pakistan · Philippines · Qatar · Russia1 · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Syria · Tajikistan · Thailand · Timor-Leste (East Timor)4 · Turkey1 · Turkmenistan · United Arab Emirates · Uzbekistan · Vietnam · Yemen3 For dependent and other territories, see Dependent territory and List of unrecognized countries. 1 Partly or significantly in Europe.  2 The Republic of China (Taiwan) is not officially recognized by the United Nations; see Political status of Taiwan. 3 Partly or significantly in Africa.  4 Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania. Template:Countries bordering the Persian Gulf

International membership

Template:Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG) Template:Arab League UN Security Council Members Permanent Members China - France - Russia - United Kingdom - United States Members 2021-2022 India - Ireland - Kenya - Mexico - Norway Members 2022-2023 Albania - Brazil - Gabon - Ghana - United Arab Emirates Template:Semitic-speaking nations

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