Country name: conventional long form: State of Qatar, conventional short form: Qatar, local long form: Dawlat Qatar, local short form: Qatar
Note: closest approximation of the native pronunciation falls between cutter and gutter,
Government type: traditional monarchy
Capital: Doha
Administrative divisions: 9 municipalities (baladiyat, singular - baladiyah); Ad Dawhah, Al Ghuwayriyah, Al Jumayliyah, Al Khawr, Al Wakrah, Ar Rayyan, Jarayan al Batinah, Madinat ash Shamal, Umm Salal
Independence: 3 September 1971 (from UK)
Constitution: provisional constitution enacted 19 April 1972; in July 1999 HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad Al Thani issued a decree forming a committee to draft a permanent constitution; in the 29 April 2003 referendum, 96.6% of Qatari voters approved the new constitution; on 8 June 2004 the new constitution came into force.
