In 1867 Qatar had a conflict with neighbouring Bahrain over territorial claims. Doha was destroyed completely.

A Treaty between Qatar and the British was signed in 1916 and Qatar became a British protectorate.

Oil reserves were first discovered in 1939. Exploitation was delayed by World War II, but soon oil came to replace pearling and fishing as Qatar's main source of revenue.

In the 1950s Oil revenues funded the expansion and modernisation of Qatar's infrastructure.

Britain announced in 1968 that it will withdraw its forces from the Gulf. Qatar negotiated with Bahrain and present-day United Arab Emirates on forming a federation but with no result.

On September 3rd 1971 Qatar became independent.

In 1972 Khalifa bin Hamad al-Thani took power in a palace coup after infighting in the ruling family.

Qatar General Petroleum Corporation was established in 1974, and with this petroleum extraction came under full national control.

Sheikh Khalifa was deposed by his son, Hamad, in a bloodless coup in 1995.

The TV news station Al-Jazeera was launched in 1996, funded by the emir.

Municipal elections, the first democratic polls since 1971, marked in 1999 the start of a democratisation programme. Qatar had become the first state of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to introduce universal suffrage.

In February 2000 a cousin of the emir and 32 other people were jailed for life for planning a foiled coup in 1996.

A new constitution was approved in a referendum in 2003. It provides for a 45-member parliament with 30 elected members and the rest selected by the emir.


Sources: BBC News, Lexicorient, Freedom House, Embassy of the State of Qatar in Washington D.C.