Qatar: What do the inhabitants of the richest country in the world lack? Qatar: history, culture and general information
In my mind richest country world, tiny Qatar, was one of the last lines in the list of places where I would like to go. Well, imagine a kind of stubby appendix of lifeless sand protruding into the Persian Gulf for a hundred and fifty kilometers. Add the absence of any decent history and architecture, but then the crazy oil that fell on the heads of the poor and illiterate Bedouins, and then thanks to the British. Let's dilute what has been said with a difficult climate for life with dusty winds from Arabia and temperatures well over +40 most of the year. We must pay tribute to Emir Al Thani, a very advanced person with huge ambitions: he set himself the goal of turning his endlessly dull kingdom into a world political, financial and cultural center. He created the Al Jazeera television company, he hosts international sports competitions in Qatar, he is trying to create universities in the country. This idea is invested astronomical sums, but as everything revolved around oil, it revolves. Apart from the fact that by taking up the practice of interfering with its generous dollar in all conflicts in the Middle East, Qatar has spoiled relations with its neighbors and found itself isolated. Did the story interest you so much that you dropped everything and went looking for tickets to Qatar? Not? Here I am not. And yet I ended up in this strange and unattractive state.
All thanks to Qatar Airways, which offers cheap tickets to Asian countries with a transfer in Doha. What's more, you can choose a long-term connection of up to 96 hours for the price of a regular ticket and even get free 24-hour accommodation from the airline. good hotel. To do this, you go to the Discover Qatar website, where you enter your reservation number of the mentioned airline (this feature does not apply to other air carriers) and make a reservation. Some hotels offer a free shuttle service from and to the airport. Others do not offer. Some include breakfast, others do not. See, choose. It was thanks to this that I ended up in a country where I would never have flown of my own free will.
Looking back, I wonder if I was disappointed with the days spent in Qatar on the way from California to India? No wasn `t. Because I didn't expect anything. Everything was fine and there is nothing to complain about: the shuttle from the hotel met in the arrivals hall, took us, were extremely polite and helpful. The breakfasts are excellent, the hotel has a swimming pool and a gym. The hotel was a Holiday Inn 4 * half an hour walk from the waterfront and the city center. My number -
Arrived at night and immediately went to bed. Waking up in the morning, I went to the window and saw this picture -
Everything was in light brown dusty colors and nature itself signaled that it was better for me to spend the day in the room. It would be hard there without a pleasant air conditioner, I had no doubt about that. Suspicions of the tests that awaited me increased thanks to the ubiquitous Google when I entered a query for the weather in Doha -
The heat does not surprise me, because for more than 25 years I have lived in Israel, which is not at all cold, where in summer the temperatures regularly go off scale for +35 and more. In such weather, I was usually either at home or in an air-conditioned office. But he also often went out on the street and even calmly walked for hours in a cap and with a bottle of water. It's hot, you sweat, you get tired. But in general, tolerable. But the heat that is now in Qatar is beyond words. This is some kind of horror. Firstly, in Israel +42 degrees is nonsense, happening for several days a year somewhere in Eilat on the Red Sea, where it is the hottest. And here such a temperature is the norm, it can be higher, up to +50 in the shade. It feels like you are in a highly overheated dry sauna. Eagerly gasping for hot air with your mouth like a fish. But I know how to properly withstand the heat. Don't stress and protect yourself. Yes, it is just as important here as it is not here. Cap, light and loose clothing, required more water. And at the slightest feeling of discomfort, stop. If so, then go ahead!
I go out into the street and fly into the wall with my forehead. Not into a stone wall, but into a wall of heavy and hot air. Here, with all the cells of your skin, you feel as if you are swimming in boiling glycerin. Even I, exhausted by the Israeli heat, was shocked. It's not too late to get back to the hotel. But no, real heroes don't give up. I was not able to rent a car because I have an Israeli driver's license, which will never be given a car here. As you know, Qatar does not recognize Israel, following the all-Arab policy of intercession for the "Palestinian brothers." I do not want to go into the intricacies of relations between Qatar and Israel, because everything is not easy there. They do not recognize and at the same time they are spinning business and almost officially meet with the Israeli leadership, and Israeli citizens can visit Qatar by applying for a visa online on the website of the Qatar Foreign Ministry. But yes, backstage is one thing, but my driver's license is another. What then? Take a taxi? It's so expensive.
The only thing left is to walk.
I honestly walked around Doha for about 16 kilometers. Along the empty streets, where you will not meet anyone except rare Indians. Local Arabs hide in buildings and do not leave the air conditioners. So, I made stops every half an hour approximately. I find a shadow, for example, under a palm tree and lie down in literally weed words. I lie like this for about ten minutes and then I get up and move on. Everything is according to the rules, like a good Bedouin.
The city is deserted. The Qataris travel through it exclusively by private transport, they prefer to spend time in offices and at home under air conditioning, and in half a day I met a few indigenous people of this state.
Qatar is a new state that gained independence from the British only in 1971. Doha was until recently a dusty village, but over the past four decades has developed into a two-million metropolis -
Contrary to Qatar's image as an exceptional wealthy state, much of Doha looks like this, not unlike the average bedroom communities of Amman, or Cairo. The Israelis will see in this development the most typical Tel Aviv (see my article ""). In a word, I walk here as if at home, and perhaps the absence of signs in Hebrew and the portraits of the Emir remind me that this is not Israel -
Doha is also one big construction site. They build absolutely everywhere, a real construction boom. Moreover, it is obvious that the boom was provoked by colossal injections from oil revenues and does not rest on anything else. Take away oil tomorrow and the country will be empty. It's no secret that out of 2.5 million people in Qatar, 88% are disenfranchised foreign workers living here on annual visas and praying to Allah that the visa be extended for another year -
Actually, you will meet only foreigners on the street in such heat -
How these lucky people plow at plus fifty - I don't know. It was hard for me not only to plow, but even just to walk. And they are dragging bags of cement on themselves, digging, drilling, and nailing something. The city is under construction
And yet, Doha is more about such views than chic office towers made of glass and concrete -
And even such, very poor areas are still enough. Workers from India and Pakistan live here -
Draining water after washing (!) in a public place will pay 300 rials -
Leaving for eternal parking on the street old car- 1000 rials and so on -
It is interesting to read the advertisements of the Indo-Pakistani workers. Please note that the offered rooms and apartments for rent require you to have an education. At least a bachelor's degree. Only the lucky owner of the crust will be able to claim a bed in a room for ten. It's almost no joke
Someone Katmal will save you from bed bugs and at the same time tighten your health -
In vain I didn’t take a diploma with me, I could apply for a bed in the company of the same professors and artists of large and small theaters, that is, construction laborers -
I move slowly to the embankment, winding through the quarters -
The heat begins to press seriously. First, stop and let yourself catch your breath a little, it helps.
Desert all around
Actually, five of these Bedouin fortresses of the last century built are the historical monuments of Qatar -
They built something from scratch, and restored something. Now you can see the semblance of the old city -
A little more, the business district is already visible on the horizon -
Doha is not a city for backpackers. There are very few pedestrian crossings, and even fewer sidewalks. To cross the expressway running along the embankment, you either have to stomp a kilometer to the traffic light, or run across, risking your life -
The skyscrapers of the business part of the Qatari capital are visible in the haze. This is not a photomontage, everything is really in a dusty brown haze -
I feel like my body is working really hard. Pressing heat and the sun at its zenith, beating in the head, even despite the cap. I make a stop, listen to the pulse - however, 110 beats per minute with a calm walk. Water no longer helps, resting under palm trees lowers the pulse to 100, but it still does not fall below. Overheat. It is hard for the average person to walk for half a day in the heat reaching +50 in the shade. IN again I lie down under a palm tree -
The old port for "dhow" - wooden longboats used in previous years for fishing, search for pearls and just to deliver goods from neighboring Iran. Today it is largely a tourist attraction -
The Emir's Palace, which cannot be photographed. The stern soldier saw that I was obviously going to take down his master's palace and blew his whistle. But I still managed to pull the trigger. What kind of threat does a picture of the palace, taken from five hundred meters away - I don’t know, but I traditionally call it "Arab stupidity" and don't try to argue -
Water no longer helps, resting under palm trees lowers the pulse to 100, but it still does not fall below. It is not right. The body signals that it needs a serious rest and further walking under the scorching sun will lead to unpleasant consequences, up to fainting. In the end, almost exhausted, I go down to the underground parking and for half an hour I literally fall down the stairs there. I lean back against the concrete wall, which brings a pleasant coolness. I'm getting back to normal. It becomes obvious that it is time to return to the hotel.
The last argument that made me stop walking was the camera - it got so hot that it stopped working. Caught a taxi and drove the remaining four kilometers to the hotel. I go in and the guard asks if I'm all right. Yes, quite, but what? He says that I am very pale. I entered the room, where the air conditioner maintains a comfortable +22 degrees, lay down in bed and returned to normal half an hour later. The camera also recovered and is now normal. Uff...
Qatar is a small state that entirely occupies the Qatari Peninsula in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. The country is washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf from the northern, eastern and western sides. A detailed map of Qatar shows that despite its coastal position, the country does not have large island territories.
Deserted, arid and extremely rich in underground minerals, Qatar is very similar to its neighbors, except for its size.
The State of Qatar is one of the smallest states in Asia, and in the Middle East in miniature is second only to Bahrain.
Qatar on the world map: geography, nature and climate
The area of Qatar is only 11,586 km 2, but this value is not constant, since in recent decades Qatar is actively engaged in the artificial expansion of its territories. The only terrestrial neighbor of the country on the southern border is Saudi Arabia, but often the United Arab Emirates is also indicated on the world map as another neighbor of Qatar. This is due to a long-standing territorial dispute over neighboring lands with Qatar. The country also has maritime borders with Bahrain in the west and with the United Arab Emirates in the east. The length of the land border is only 60 km, while the length of the coastline of Qatar is 563 km.
Geographical position
Almost the entire area of Qatar is covered with deserts. South part The country is the most severe in terms of its conditions and is represented by classic high sand dunes.
Stony desert soils with saline areas abound in the central part. Only in the north there are a number of oases formed near underground water sources.
There are no lakes or permanent rivers on the territory of the country, except for five wadis, which are only occasionally filled during heavy rains.
The relief of Qatar is not diverse. Only in the western part of the country is there a chain of low sandy hills. Their highest point on the map of Qatar in Russian is the hill Aba el-Baul - only 105 m above sea level.
Numerous Coral reefs protecting the ports of Qatar from rare storms.
Animal and plant world
The nature of Qatar is extremely poor. Only in winter period in the northern regions, a sparse grass cover appears. Desert territories can only boast of wormwood, camel thorn and acacia.
In places of surface occurrence of groundwater, there are several dozens of small oases. The animal world is also not very diverse.
The peninsula is dominated by typical desert dwellers such as reptiles (snakes and lizards) and small rodents(jerboas and gerbils). Occasionally you can meet foxes, jackals and hyenas. Of the birds here you can meet large eagles and hawks.
The coast is very diverse - sea gulls, flamingos, herons and geese live here in abundance. Due to the constant heat, representatives of the fauna of Qatar are predominantly nocturnal. The country's territorial waters are rich various types commercial fish, shellfish and shrimp.
Climate
Despite the coastal location, the entire territory of the country is characterized by a sharply continental climate. The average daily summer temperature fluctuates around 35 0 C. In winter, it rarely drops below 20 0 C. The hot seasons are characterized by frequent sandstorms, which bring dry Arabian air currents. In the southern regions of Qatar, the average annual rainfall is minimal (up to 55 mm), and in the north it barely reaches 120 mm.
Map of Qatar with cities. Administrative division of the country
Qatar is a traditional Arab emirate. Only in 2004 did the authorities abandon the feudal division of the country in favor of the modern one. In total, today's Qatar is divided into 7 municipalities. As you can see on the map of Qatar with cities in Russian, most of The population is concentrated on the coasts. The metropolitan agglomeration is not as large as it usually happens in Arab countries. Only about 40% of the population lives in and around Doha.
Doha
Doha is one of the most modern cities in the world. Over the past 20 years, its population has quadrupled. The city is located on the eastern coast of the peninsula and is the industrial center of the country. A feature of the city are large artificial islands piled up in the area of Qatar University. Along with the artificial islands of the UAE, they have become a key tourist attraction for the entire Persian Gulf region.
El Wakra
Five kilometers south of the capital located El Wakra. This is a modern tourist city, which in 2022 should share with Doha the title of the football capital of the world. The city also houses the largest medical complex in the country.
Abu ez-Zuluf
The city of Abu ez-Zuluf, located in the very north of the country, is noteworthy. The coastal town does not have even the slightest elevation above the bay. Altitude cities above the sea surface - 0 meters.
- a state on the Qatar peninsula, protruding into the Persian Gulf from east coast Arabian Peninsula. To the south, Qatar borders Saudi Arabia and the United United Arab Emirates. However, the borders of the state are not demarcated.
The name of the country comes from the name of the ancient village of Kadaru.
Official name: State of Qatar
Capital:
The area of the land: 11.4 thousand sq. km
Total population: 1.7 million people
Administrative division: 9 cities of central subordination: Er-Rayan, al-Shamal, Jarayan al-Batin, Um-Sa-lal, Ed-Doha, El-Wakra, Al-Jamalia, Howr, Huwayr.
Form of government: Absolute monarchy.
Head of State: Emir.
Composition of the population: 40% - Arabs, 18% - Pakistanis, 18% - Indians, 10% - Iranians.
Official language: Arabic, English is widely spoken.
Religion: 95% are Muslims.
Internet domain: .qa
Mains voltage: ~240 V, 50 Hz
Phone country code: +974
Climate
The climate is subtropical arid. Summers are very hot (average temperature of the warmest month, July, 35°C) with frequent dusty and sandstorms. Winters are warm (the average temperature of the coldest month, January, is 22°C). The average annual rainfall, falling from November to May (with a maximum in February), ranges from 55 mm in the south to 125 mm in the north. Dry northern winds carrying masses of sand from the Arabian deserts.
Geography
Qatar is a small country located on the peninsula of the same name at the southeastern tip of Arabia. From three sides it is washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf. area along with small islands, scattered along the coast, is 11.4 thousand square meters. km.
The northern part of the Qatar Peninsula is a low-lying desert plain, almost entirely covered with sand that forms moving dunes. South sandy desert replaced by rocky (even more lifeless), with vast areas of salt marshes. In the south of the country high sandy hills rise; here is the most high point countries - 103 m. The coastline of Qatar is slightly indented and forms only a few convenient bays, however, they are also difficult to access, since almost the entire coast is framed by a belt of coral reefs and islands reaching 4 km in width.
Flora and fauna
Vegetable world
Almost the entire territory of Qatar is a barren desert. Only during the period of winter rains does a sparse cover of hard-leaved grasses appear and leaves and flowers bloom on xerophilous shrubs and dwarf shrubs. The deserts of Qatar are characterized by wormwood, camel thorn, kermek, astragalus, acacia, comb (tamarix). In some places, oases are common in conditions of shallow groundwater.
Animal world
The animal world is poor. Reptiles (lizards, agamas, snakes, roundheads, geckos) and rodents (gerbils, jerboas) predominate. There are jackals, foxes, hyenas, gazelles are very rare. Among the birds, such large predators, like eagles, kites, many sparrows, sea gulls, flamingos, herons, geese are found on the coast. Such arachnids as scorpions, phalanges, spiders are characteristic.
Due to the heat, many animals are nocturnal or only active in the morning. More than 70 species of commercial fish, crustaceans (including shrimp), mollusks (including pearl mussels), and sponges are found in the waters of the Persian Gulf. There are sea turtles.
Attractions
Due to its natural and climatic features, Qatar is not rich in historical and natural monuments. The main attraction of the country is its rich story, as evidenced by the ever-expanding archaeological excavations that reveal more and more traces of ancient civilizations on the territory of Qatar. Also attractive are softer than in neighboring countries, Islamic traditions, original culture and magnificent products of local artisans.
Banks and currency
Qatari riyal (QR, actually pegged to the US dollar), equal to 100 dirhams. In circulation are banknotes in denominations of 500, 100, 50, 10, 5 and 1 rial, as well as coins in denominations of 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 dirhams (however, only coins of 50 and 25 dirhams are in wide circulation, the minting of the rest discontinued in the 70s of the XX century, although they are still found in circulation in the markets in the interior of the country).
Banks are open from Saturday to Thursday from 7.30 to 13.30. Exchange offices are open on the same days from 8.00-9.00 to 13.00, and from 15.00 to 20.00 (some are open until 21.00 and later). Friday is a non-working day in all organizations.
Currency exchange is possible in almost any bank and shop, as well as in numerous private money changers, which provide a slightly better exchange rate than banks.
Credit cards and traveler's checks are accepted for payment in almost all major shopping centers, hotels and transport (the exchange rate of checks different systems somewhat different from each other and constantly changing). Preference is usually given to checks in US dollars and pounds sterling. ATM machines operate in almost every bank, hotel or store.
Useful information for tourists
The best time to visit Qatar is September-January and March-May. Beautiful hotels and sandy beaches await you. On many beaches, the pools are interconnected, equipped with water slides. The Persian Gulf is considered to be an excellent place for diving. One of the most popular activities offered to tourists in Qatar is a safari.
Payment for services in a restaurant is usually added to the bill, local traditions do not require you to leave an additional tip, however, for good service it is possible to leave the service staff any amount at the discretion of the guest.
Today, in the long-suffering Middle East, torn apart by contradictions and wars, there has been the emergence of another outcast, whom the regional leading countries - concurrently all the closest allies and vassals of the United States and the West - are trying to subject to the already familiar group persecution. Only this time, the victim candidate himself belongs to such allies: it is Qatar.
It is traditionally customary for us to sympathize with the weak, whom hooligans or gopniks beat in a herd. The degree of sympathy and indignation increases if these ubiquitous gopniks, on whom there is nowhere to put stigma, are operating under the "roof" of the United States and act from a false position of moral rightness and infallibility.
Even now, a reflex tendency of sympathy for Qatar is noticeable, an attempt to put it on a par with such victims of aggression as Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, Syria, etc. Let's see what Qatar is like so as not to accidentally accept seasoned wolf for the lamb.
Qatar and its place in the global division of labor
In popular belief, Qatar is portrayed as a symbol of Middle Eastern luxury and prosperity. This is facilitated by Qatar's second place in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and the high-profile monarchical titles of almost every second inhabitant of this country (there are only kings and princes around), and the aristocratic manners of the Qatari elite bathed in luxury.
In fact, the GDP of Qatar is relatively small, and is approximately comparable to the GDP of Ukraine or Israel, and several times inferior to the GDP of the same Egypt. It is GDP in absolute terms (and not in per capita terms) that gives a more accurate idea of the economic power of the country and its capabilities.
Qatar's outstanding GDP per capita is due to the fact that Qatar is a dwarf kingdom with a small inhabited area and an equally small population. That is why it takes its rightful place in this indicator among other similar dwarf showcase kingdoms, such as Liechtenstein, Monaco and Luxembourg. And then, as the saying goes: Less people, more oxygen.
At a superficial glance at the statistical data on the territory and the number of inhabitants, it may seem that the emirate of Qatar is more comparable in scale, for example, with Chechnya, and not with the same Luxembourg.
Qatar - territory: 11,586 km²; population: 2,258,283 (2016).
Luxembourg - 2,586 km²; 582 291 people (2016).
Chechnya - 15,647 km²; 1 414 865 people (2017).
But in fact, most of the territory of Qatar is a desert that is lifeless and extremely poor in natural sources of fresh water. Slightly more than 1% of the land is irrigated, and the bulk of the population is concentrated in the capital Doha and a couple of other relatively large cities. In fact, Qatar is a city-state. Like all other dwarf states, today's Qatar is not self-sufficient and is not able to independently provide its current population with food and other benefits necessary for life, the bulk of food in it is imported.
Moreover, the vast majority of the population of Qatar itself is also imported. In 1971, when Qatar formally left the protectorate of Great Britain (under which it had been since the beginning of the 20th century, and before that it was also usually someone's province or colony - Ottoman Empire, Portugal, etc.) the population of Qatar was only 130 thousand people, of which even then only 60 thousand people. were the local Arab population, the rest - immigrants from other countries. In 2015, out of a conditional 2.3 million people. of the population, only 11.6% were native Qataris. The legislative difference between indigenous and non-indigenous residents (a kind of segregation) can be traced very clearly: local Qatari Arabs are a privileged minority living on oil rent, the bulk of the population are workers and servants imported into the country, who live in Qatar not at all as rosy as may seem from afar to dreamers of a foreign freebie (such a delusion ends tragically for some).
The casket of the "economic miracle" of Qatar opens simply: Qatar has always (before independence and after) been closely integrated into the world capitalist system as a typical raw material appendage. It has always been a mono-economy focused on oil and gas (large LPG plants, for example, have been built there since the 1970s). Fossil raw materials were supplied to the rich markets of the countries of the Western camp, the proceeds from this rent went to the maintenance of the local comprador elite and feeding the local indigenous population (which was possible due to its small number). There were particularly fat years, when financial bubbles were inflated in the oil and gas markets and energy quotes beat all records. IN Lately However, things were not going so well: during the economic wars, oil and gas prices were forcibly collapsed (as an action against countries such as Russia and Venezuela), and Qatar, foreseeing future troubles, as well as Russia, was preoccupied with finding ways to diversify economy.
Your son of a bitch: democracy and human rights
Since Qatar regularly fulfilled its role as a raw material appendage, did not create problems and completely suited the imperialist metropolises, the West safely turned a blind eye to its features, to put it mildly. Fully in the spirit of the famous expression attributed to Roosevelt: "He is, of course, a son of a bitch, but he is our son of a bitch."
You can start with the fact that Qatar, like Saudi Arabia in the neighborhood, as well as other Middle Eastern satrapies, is an absolute monarchy. With the virtually unlimited power of the royal family.
Political parties are banned in the country. Any independent political activity - too. Propaganda of religions other than Sunni Islam may result in criminal prosecution. You can’t even talk about some freedoms for gays promoted by the West, which does not in the least prevent the West from considering Qatar as its reliable partner and not noticing anything at all. To put it simply, the situation with human rights and freedoms in this kingdom, as well as in neighboring ones, leaves much to be desired.
Slavery and human trafficking
The import of workers, servants and, to put it bluntly, slaves (slavery was officially banned in the country only in 1952, under pressure from the then dominant Great Britain) is reflected in the distortions in the sex and age structure of the population. The number of sexually mature men is several times higher than the number of women (in the age group from 25 to 54 years - and this is more than 70% of the population - 5 times). That is, women in Qatar are in the same deficit as fresh water in local deserts. Add to this an archaic attitude towards a woman as property (with polygamy, numerous prohibitions, curtailment of rights, cruel punishments “for adultery”, etc.), hot oriental temperament (large families, etc.) and you will not be surprised at all that Qatar, in company with other Middle Eastern countries (including Israel), is accused of massive illegal human trafficking, including for the purpose of sexual exploitation. In the emirates and neighboring countries, from time to time there are public initiatives to legalize sexual slavery if non-Muslim foreign women fall into it. There is nothing out of the ordinary in these initiatives, if we remember that during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, according to whose precepts the Middle Eastern monarchies try to live, slavery was the norm.
In wealthy Qatar, victims come to get, for example, a generously paid job as a housekeeper and risk being forced into sexual slavery. It is believed that the main traffic of slaves comes from Southeast Asia, but after the victory over the damned communist totalitarianism, countries such as Russia and Ukraine have also become notable exporters of "female meat". Deliveries from our countries are in special demand among the Arabs, because yesterday the opportunity to acquire a free, proud and beautiful woman into sexual slavery Soviet woman considered something completely unthinkable. And now it is not only possible, but even cheap. Failed teachers, medical and scientific workers unenviable fate(however, this is from what ideological point of view to look at, an inveterate one, for example, may not agree with such a statement).
Spread of terrorism
Another cute fun of almost all Middle Eastern kingdoms is the spread of terrorism. We are talking not only about ordinary support, based on situational tactical needs (which, for example, the United States or enlightened Europeans openly indulge in). Middle Eastern commodity monarchies purposefully create and develop military and paramilitary formations of a sectarian network type in order to promote their own medieval ideology. Ideas on how to convince others of your innocence are drawn directly from the tenets of the times of transition from the stage of savagery to feudalism, when a militarily organized semi-nomadic society lived mainly due to raids and robbery.
However, it is possible that this is only organizational form mediation for the implementation by proxy of the military-political tasks of the United States. There is a lot of evidence of mutual support, strategic and tactical coordination of the military-political forces of the West and the most odious terrorist groups.
Conclusion
Qatar is a reserve of medieval archaism on the basis of capitalist relations, existing solely thanks to the patronage of the West. Until recently, the West has safely turned a blind eye to all these cute pranks, including "support for terrorism." The apotheosis of this hypocrisy was the campaign against secular Libya “for democracy”, when the Middle Eastern satrapies (who, when asked about the state of affairs in their home, could answer in the spirit of “Democracy? Human rights? No, they didn’t hear”) as part of a luminous coalition (with European monarchies for company) flew to bomb the “dictator” Gaddafi, who did not hold any official positions, was progressive even by formal European standards.
Until recently, at Qatar itself, everything was under control and everything was going well. And now it turns out as if according to the proverb: "Do not dig a hole for another, you yourself will fall into it."
A state located in the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula.
Territory - 11.4 thousand square meters. km. The capital is Doha.
Population - about 700 thousand people. (1997), mostly Arabs.
The official language is Arabic.
The state religion is Islam.
From the 7th century was part of the Arab Caliphate, then from the XIII century. - ruled by the emirs of Bahrain, from the 16th century. under Portuguese rule. Since 1871, Qatar has been under the domination of Turkey, since 1916 - a protectorate of Great Britain. In 1971, independence was proclaimed.
State structure
Qatar is a unitary state.
The provisional Constitution of 1970 is in force, as amended in 1995. In 1999, a constitutional committee was convened to develop a permanent Basic Law. The form of government of Qatar is an absolute monarchy. Political regime- feudal-absolutist. There is no organized opposition in the country, activity political parties prohibited.
According to the Constitution, the entire legislative and executive power belongs to the head of state - the Emir, who is elected from among his midst by the male members of the ruling Al Thani family (numbers 3,000 people). The powers of the monarch are extremely wide. He represents the state in foreign relations, is the supreme commander of the armed forces of Qatar; appoints and dismisses civil and military servants, forms the Defense Council. By his decree, the Emir can cancel any decision of the court.
The executive body is the government - the Council of Ministers, which is designed to help the Emir in the implementation of his executive functions. The Emir can directly lead the government as Prime Minister (currently the Emir's brother holds this post). The Emir appoints ministers on the recommendation of the Prime Minister and, at his own discretion, can remove them from their posts at any time. Ministers bear collective political responsibility to the Emir, as well as individual responsibility for the performance of their duties.
In 1972, the Advisory Council (Majlis ash-shura) was formed, consisting of 35 people appointed by the Emir. The monarch has the right to appoint an additional unlimited number of members, if he deems it necessary. In accordance with the Constitution, the Emir approves and promulgates laws after they have been discussed in the Advisory Council, but no approval of the bill is required. The Advisory Council also discusses the general policy of the state in its main areas and has the right to address an inquiry to any minister on matters that are within the jurisdiction of the ministry headed by him.
In 1999, Qataris (including women) received the right to elect and be elected to the Central Municipal Council (29 members) - an advisory body on public utilities, transport, etc.
Legal system
general characteristics
The legal system of Qatar is based on Islamic law. According to the Constitution (Article 1), Sharia is the "main", "fundamental" source of legislation. At the same time, many branches of legislation are quite secular in nature and follow the principles of Romano-Germanic law.
Until the early 1970s. legal system The country remained very archaic, it was dominated by uncodified Muslim law. With the proclamation of independence, a course was taken for intensive modernization of the entire state-legal building. In 1971, the Emir adopted the Civil, Civil Procedure, Criminal and Criminal Procedure Codes, drawn up on the basis of Egyptian samples (see the section "Egypt").
The Interim Constitution of 1970 declared the general democratic rights and freedoms of the individual (equality, freedom of the press, inviolability of the home, private and collective property). However, in modern conditions Qatar, they are not fully implemented.
The right of personal status (marriage, divorce, inheritance) remains uncodified in Qatar, based directly on Sharia and the doctrines of the Hanbali school of Muslim law.
as principles economic policy State The Constitution of Qatar proclaims the "interests of society", "common good", "prosperity of the country and all citizens." In accordance with these principles, the state exercises direct control over the economy, ensuring its stability. At the same time, the legislation establishes guarantees of property rights and private entrepreneurship. In the regulation of civil and commercial relations, the leading role is played by the Law of 1971 on civil and commercial relations, which is somewhat influenced by Sharia. One of the important sources of commercial law is the Law on commercial companies 1981 Foreign investment regulates the Law of 1990, which establishes very severe restrictions on foreign capital.
In the region of intellectual property Act 1978 on trademarks and the Intellectual Property and Copyright Protection Act 1995.
High revenues from the sale of oil and gas have allowed Qatar to make great strides in the development of the social security and health care system. Education according to the Constitution became compulsory, universal and free.
Labor laws do not allow workers to unionize and bargain collectively, but strikes are permitted (in the event government mediation of a labor dispute fails).
The main source of criminal law is the Qatari Criminal Code of 1971, which provides for the application of Sharia norms to Muslims for committing certain types of crimes. The death penalty is prescribed by law for a number of crimes: murder; crimes against the state; providing false information if it resulted in an innocent person being sentenced to death; recidivist drug trafficking.
The rules of procedure provided for by the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1971, the Code of Civil and Commercial Procedure of 1990 differ significantly in Sharia and general courts. Basic procedural guarantees are provided for in the criminal process. Pre-trial detention for more than 4 days must be authorized by the court.
Judicial system. Control bodies
Prior to the adoption of the interim Constitution of 1970, there was no clear distinction between the executive and judicial powers in Qatar, and many court cases were decided directly by the Emir. The Constitution (Article 65) declared that judges are independent in exercising their powers and no one should interfere in the administration of justice. There was also some limitation of the competence of the Sharia courts, which previously dealt with all disputes, conflicts, offenses and crimes. Currently, they operate in the field of personal and family law, which directly follows from the fundamental sources of Sharia. They also deal with crimes such as murder, rape and illicit sex when committed by Muslims. The system of Sharia courts includes the courts of first instance and the Sharia Court of Appeal ( Supreme Court sharia).
In addition to the Sharia courts, there are general criminal and civil courts, which deal with a wide range of offenses and crimes, as well as all civil disputes. The highest instance for general courts is the Court of Appeal. Along with the general ones, there are special traffic and labor courts.
The Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry plays an important role in resolving commercial disputes.
Literature
Al Baharna H.M. Qatar // International Encyclopedia of Comparative Law. Vol. 1. 1972. P. Q1-4.
Amin S.H. Middle East Legal Systems. P.298-304. Glasgow, 1985.
Redden K.R. Qatar in Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia. Vol. 5. Buffalo, 1990.
Redden K.R. and Amin S. H. The Legal Systems of Islamic Countries. L., 1997.