Brief History of Qatar

The area that is now Qatar has been inhabited for thousands of years. The Arabs conquered the area in the 7th century and the Abbasid ruled for 500 years. In the 16th century the Portuguese established some settlements in the area. Then the Al Khalifa family of Bahrain dominated the area until 1868. In 1872 the Ottoman Empire took over and ruled until 1913. At the start of World War I, Qatar entered into an agreement with Great Britain where Britain would protect Qatar. Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani was made ruler. In 1940 oil was discovered in Qatar. Qatar became very wealthy as a result of oil exports. In September of 1971 Qatar became a full independent country.