Qatar: Introduction

Qatar is a country in the Middle East occupying the Qatar Peninsula on the larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf. Much of the country is desert. The government system is an emirate. The chief of state is the Amir, or Sheikh, and the head of government is the Prime Minister. Qatar has a mixed economic system in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.