LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Qatar
built 288 days ago
Be sure to check out the renowned Arabian cuisine which is available throughout Qatar, including the Balhambar Restaurant where diners are treated to traditional Qatari dishes prepared with pride by local residents. As a note of interest, the Balhambar Restaurant is an investment project of the Social Development Centre (an initiative of Qatar Foundation). Local residents are trained at the restaurant to prepare traditional dishes in an effort to preserve the culture and heritage of Qatar. With the shimmering waters of the Arabian Gulf as a backdrop, combined with delicious traditional Qatari dishes, this is a dining experience not to be missed.
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Qatar is a traditional monarchy headed by an emir, who is the head of state. The government is headed by the prime minister, who is appointed by the emir. A new constitution came into force in 2005, providing for a 45-seat consultative council, two thirds of whose members would be elected and one third appointed by the emir. Elections are expected in late 2007. The previous provisional constitution (1972) called for elections to the 35-seat advisory council (Shura), but none were held; council members were appointed by the ruling family. Administratively, the country is divided into ten municipalities.
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Although Qatar had the legal status of a dependency, resentment festered against the Bahraini Al Khalifas along the eastern seaboard of the Qatari peninsula. In 1867, the Al Khalifas launched a successful effort to quash the Qatari rebels sending a massive naval force to Wakrah. However, the Bahraini aggression was in violation on the 1820 Anglo-Bahraini Treaty. The diplomatic response of the British to this violation set into motion the political forces that would eventuate in the founding of the state of Qatar. In addition to censuring Bahrain for its breach of agreement, the British Protectorate (per Colonel Lewis Pelly) asked to negotiate with a representative from Qatar. The request carried with it a tacit recognition of Qatar’s status as distinct from Bahrain.
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Qatar has moderate desert climate. Summers are hot and dry while winters are mild. Rainfall is scarce. Doha, the capital, is well connected to the world by air, sea and land. Arabic is the official language and Islam is the official religion. English is widely spoken and understood.
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In this Olympic Games, Qatar participated with 32 athletes. The first Qatari achievement in the Olympic Games was seized this time. The athlete Mohamed Sulaiman won the bronze medal in 1.500m discipline and Qatar, as a result, came 54 among 173 countries. Ibraheem Ismael reached seventh in 400m event and Talal Mansour, Arab Champion, reached 9th in 100m event.
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The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernisation after the current Emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, came to power after becoming Emir in place of his father. Under his rule, Qatar became the first Arab country in the Persian Gulf where women gained the right to vote [8] as well as holding senior positions in government. Also, women can dress mostly as they please in public (although in practice local Qatari women generally don the black abaya). Before the liberalisation, 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 and clubs, much like in the UAE, though the number of establishments has yet to equal that of UAE.
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