QatarQa·tar (kä?t?r, KH?t??r, k?-tär?) A country of eastern Arabia on a peninsula in the southwest Persian Gulf. A traditional monarchy, it was a British protectorate from 1916 until 1971, when it became independent. Oil was first produced commercially in 1949, and its production still dominates Qatar’s economy. Doha is the capital and the largest city.Qa·tar?i adj. & n.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.Qatar (kæ?t??) or Katarn (Placename) a state in E Arabia, occupying a peninsula in the Persian Gulf: under Persian rule until the 19th century; became a British protectorate in 1916; declared independence in 1971; exports petroleum and natural gas. Official language: Arabic. Official religion: (Sunni) Muslim. Currency: riyal. Capital: Doha. Pop: 2 042 444 (2013 est). Area: about 11 000 sq km (4250 sq miles)Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014Qa?tar (?k? t?r, k??t?r) n. an independent emirate on the Persian Gulf; under British protection until 1971. 723,542; 4416 sq. mi. (11,437 sq. km). Cap.: Doha. Qa?tar?i, adj., n. Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.