qatar

  rtheastern coast of the   Arabian Peninsula   in the   Middle East ; it shares   its sole land border   with   Saudi Arabia   to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the   Persian Gulf . The   Gulf of Bahrain , an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby   Bahrain . The capital is   Doha , home to over 80% of the country's inhabitants. Most of the land area is made up of flat, low-lying   desert . Qatar has been ruled as a  hereditary monarchy  by the  House of Thani  since  Mohammed bin Thani  signed an agreement with Britain in 1868 that recognised its separate status. Following  Ottoman  rule, Qatar became a  British protectorate  in 1916 and gained independence in 1971. The current  emir  is  Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani , who holds nearly all executive, legislative, and judicial authority in an  autocratic  manner...