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Qatar
QatarFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to:navigation, search State of Qatar دولة قطر Dawlat Qaṭar Flag Coat of arms Anthem: As Salam al Amiri Capital (and largest city) Doha 25°18′N 51°31′E﻿ / ﻿25.3°N 51.517°E﻿ / 25.3; 51.517 Official language(s) Arabic Demonym Qatari Government Emirate/Absolute monarchy - Emir H.H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani - Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani Independence1 - current ruling family came to power December 18, 1878 - Termination of special treaty with the United Kingdom September 3, 1971 Area - Total 11,437 km2 (164th) 4,416 sq mi  -  Water (%) negligible Population - 2009 estimate 1,409,000[1] 1,309,000 from the same ref under "Population" - 2004 census 744,029[2] (150th) - Density 123.2/km2 (123rd) 319.1/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2009 estimate - Total $102.147 billion[3] - Per capita $83,840[3] GDP (nominal) 2009 estimate - Total $83.910 billion[3] - Per capita $68,871[3] HDI (2007) ▲ 0.910[4] (very high) (33rd) Currency Riyal (QAR) Time zone AST (UTC+3) - Summer (DST) (not observed) (UTC+3) Drives on the right Internet TLD .qa Calling code 974

Qatar (Standard Arabic: [ˈqɑtˁɑr]; English pronunciation: /kəˈtɑr/ kə-TAR;[5][6] local pronunciation: [ɡitˁar][7]), also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is an Arab emirate in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island nation of Bahrain.

Qatar is an oil- and gas-rich nation, with the third largest gas reserves[8] and the highest GDP per capita in the world.[9] An absolute monarchy, Qatar has been ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s and has since transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Emir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Contents [hide] 1 Etymology 2 History 2.1 20th and 21st century 3 Government and politics 4 Administrative divisions 5 Economy 6 Transportation 7 Climate 8 Environmental issues 9 Geography 10 Religion 11 Population 12 Culture 13 Qatari law 14 Education 15 Health care 16 Communications 17 Human rights 18 International Rankings 19 See also 20 References 21 External links [edit] Etymology The name may derive from "Qatara", believed to refer to the Qatari town of Zubara, an important trading port and town in the region in ancient times.

In Standard Arabic the name is pronounced [ˈqɑtˁɑr], while in the local dialect it is [ɡitˁar].[7] In English-language broadcast media within Qatar—for example, television commercials for Qatar Airways and advertisements concerning economic development in Qatar—the name is pronounced "KA-tar", with a distinct differentiation between the syllables from the forming of the 't' sound.

[edit] History Main article: History of Qatar Zubara fortRecent discoveries on the edge of an island in the West of Qatar indicate early human presence in pre-historic Qatar. Discovery of a 6th millennium BC site at Shagra, in the South-east of Qatar revealed the key role the sea (Gulf) played in the lives of Shagra’s inhabitants. Excavation at Al-Khore in the North-east of Qatar, Bir Zekrit and Ras Abaruk, and the discovery there of pottery, flint, flint-scraper tools, and painted ceramic vessels there indicates Qatar’s connection with the Al-Ubaid civilization which flourished in the land between the Tigris and the Euphrates during the period of 5th –4th millennium BC. There had also been a barter-based trading system between the settlements at Qatar and the Ubaid Mesopotamia, in which the exchanged commodities were mainly pottery and dried fish.[10]

Islam conquered the entire Arabian region in the 7th century in a string of wide spread conflicts resulting in the Islamization of the native Arabian pagans. With the spread of Islam in Qatar, Muhammad sent his first military envoy Al Ala Al-Hadrami to Al-Mundhir Ibn Sawa Al-Tamimi, the ruler of Bahrain, which extended from the coast of Kuwait to the south of Qatar, including al-Hasa and Bahrain Islands, in the year 628, inviting him to accept Islam as he had invited other kingdoms and empires of his time such as Byzantium and Persia. Mundhir, responding Muhammad, announced his conversion to Islam, and all the inhabitants of Qatar became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Qatar.

In medieval times, Qatar was more often than not independent and a participant in the great Persian Gulf–Indian Ocean commerce. Many races and ideas were introduced into the peninsula from Africa, South and Southeast Asia, as well as the Malay archipelago. Today, the traces of these early interactions with the oceanic world of the Indian Ocean survive in the small minorities of races, peoples, languages and religions, such as the presence of Africans and Shihus.

Although the peninsular land mass that makes up Qatar has sustained humans for thousands of years, for the bulk of its history the arid climate fostered only short-term settlements by nomadic tribes.

The British initially sought out Qatar and the Persian Gulf as an intermediary vantage point en route to their colonial interests in India, although the discovery of oil and other hydrocarbons in the early twentieth century would re-invigorate their interest. During the nineteenth century, the time of Britain’s formative ventures into the region, the Al Khalifa clan reigned over the Northern Qatari peninsula from the nearby island of Bahrain to the west.

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 squash the Qatari rebels, sending a massive naval force to Al 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 on December 18, 1878 (for this reason the date of December 18 is celebrated each year as the National Day 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. The Qataris chose as their negotiator the respected entrepreneur and long-time resident of Doha, Muhammed bin Thani. His clan, the Al Thanis, had taken relatively little part in Persian Gulf politics, but the diplomatic foray ensured their participation in the movement towards independence and their hegemony as the future ruling family, a dynasty that continues to this day. The results of the negotiations left Qatar with a new-found sense of political selfhood, although it did not gain official standing as a British protectorate until 1916.

[edit] 20th and 21st century Diwan Al-EmiriThe reach of the British Empire diminished after the Second World War, especially following Indian independence in 1947. Pressure for a British withdrawal from the Arab emirates in the Persian Gulf increased during the 1950s, and the British welcomed Kuwait's declaration of independence in 1961. When Britain officially announced in 1968 that it would disengage politically (though not economically) from the Persian Gulf in three years' time, Qatar joined Bahrain and seven other Trucial States in a federation. Regional disputes, however, quickly compelled Qatar to resign and declare independence from the coalition that would evolve into the seven-emirate United Arab Emirates. On September 3, 1971, Qatar became an independent sovereign state.

In 1991, Qatar played a significant role in the Persian Gulf War, particularly during the Battle of Khafji in which Qatari tanks rolled through the streets of the town providing fire support for Saudi Arabian National Guard units which were fighting against units of the Iraqi Army. Qatar also allowed Coalition troops from Canada to use the country as an airbase to launch aircraft on CAP duty.

Since 1995[update], Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has ruled Qatar, seizing control of the country from his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani while the latter vacationed in Switzerland. Under Emir Hamad, Qatar has experienced a notable amount of sociopolitical liberalization, including the endorsement of women's suffrage or right to vote, drafting a new constitution, and the launch of Al Jazeera, a leading English and Arabic news source which operates a website and satellite television news channel.

The International Monetary Fund states that Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the world, followed by Liechtenstein. The World Factbook ranks Qatar at second, following Liechtenstein.

Qatar served as the headquarters and one of the main launching sites of the US invasion of Iraq[11] in 2003.

In March 2005, a suicide-bombing killed a British teacher at the Doha Players Theatre, shocking for a country that had not previously experienced acts of terrorism. The bombing was carried out by Omar Ahmed Abdullah Ali, an Egyptian residing in Qatar, who had suspected ties to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.[12][13]

[edit] Government and politics Main article: Politics of Qatar Qatar has an emirate government type.[9] Based on Islamic and civil law codes; discretionary system of law controlled by the Amir, although civil codes are being implemented; Islamic law dominates family and personal matters; the country has not accepted compulsory International Court of Justice jurisdiction.[9]

[edit] Administrative divisions Main article: Municipalities of Qatar Before 2004, Qatar was divided into ten municipalities (Arabic: baladiyah), also occasionally or rarely translated as governorates or provinces:

1.Ad Dawhah 2.Al Ghuwariyah 3.Al Jumaliyah 4.Al Khawr 5.Al Wakrah 6.Ar Rayyan 7.Jariyan al Batnah 8.Ash Shamal 9.Umm Salal 10.Mesaieed Since 2004, Qatar has been divided into seven municipalities.[14] A new municipality, Al Daayen, was created under Resolution No. 13,[15] formed from parts of Umm Salal and Al Khawr; at the same time, Al Ghuwariyah was merged with Al Khawr; Al Jumaliyah was merged with Ar Rayyan; and Jarayan al Batnah was split between Ar Rayyan and Al Wakrah.

[edit] Economy Main article: Economy of Qatar See also: List of tallest buildings in Doha, Qatar Qatar's capital, Doha.Qatar has experienced rapid economic growth over the last several years on the back of high oil prices, and in 2008 posted its eighth consecutive budget surplus. Economic policy is focused on developing Qatar's nonassociated natural gas reserves and increasing private and foreign investment in non-energy sectors, but oil and gas still account for more than 50% of GDP, roughly 85% of export earnings, and 70% of government revenues.

Oil and gas have made Qatar the second highest per-capita income country – following Liechtenstein – and one of the world's fastest growing. Proved oil reserves of 15 billion barrels should enable continued output at current levels for 37 years. Qatar's proved reserves of natural gas are nearly 26 trillion cubic meters, about 14% of the world total and third largest in the world.

Before the discovery of oil, the economy of the Qatari region focused on fishing and pearl hunting. After the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearl onto the world market in the 1920s and 1930s, Qatar's pearling industry faltered. However, the discovery of oil, beginning in the 1940s, completely transformed the state's economy. Now the country has a high standard of living, with many social services offered to its citizens and all the amenities of any modern state.

Qatar’s national income primarily derives from oil and natural gas exports. The country has oil reserves of 15 billion barrels (2.4 km³), while gas reserves in the giant North Field (South Pars for Iran) which straddles the border with Iran and are almost as large as the peninsula itself are estimated to be between 80 trillion cubic feet (2,300 km3) to 800 trillion cubic feet (23,000 km3) (1 trillion cubic feet is equivalent to about 80 million barrels (13,000,000 m3) of oil). Qatar is sometimes referred to as the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. Qataris’ wealth and standard of living compare well with those of Western European states; Qatar has the highest GDP per capita in the Arab World according to the International Monetary Fund (2006)[16] and the second highest GDP per capita in the world according to the CIA World Factbook.[9] With no income tax, Qatar, along with Bahrain, is one of the countries with the lowest tax rates in the world.

Aspire Tower, built for the 2006 Asian Games and located in the Aspire Zone, is visible across Doha West BayWhile oil and gas will probably remain the backbone of Qatar’s economy for some time to come, the country seeks to stimulate the private sector and develop a “knowledge economy”. In 2004, it established the Qatar Science & Technology Park to attract and serve technology-based companies and entrepreneurs, from overseas and within Qatar. Qatar also established Education City, which consists of international colleges. For the 15th Asian Games in Doha, it established Doha Sports City, consisting of Khalifa stadium, the Aspire Sports Academy, aquatic centres, exhibition centres and many other sports related buildings and centres. Following the success of the Asian Games, Doha kicked off an official bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics in October 2007.[17] Qatar also plans to build an "entertainment city" in the future.

Qatar aims to become a role model for economic and social transformation in the region. Large scale investment in all social and economic sectors will also lead to the development of a strong financial market.

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides financial institutions with world class services in investment, margin and no-interest loans, and capital support. These platforms are situated in an economy founded on the development of its hydrocarbons resources, specifically its exportation of petroleum. It has been created with a long term perspective to support the development of Qatar and the wider region, develop local and regional markets, and strengthen the links between the energy based economies and global financial markets.

Apart from Qatar itself, which needs to raise capital to finance projects of more than $130 billion, the QFC also provides a conduit for financial institutions to access nearly $1.0 trillion of investments which stretch across the GCC (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf) as a whole over the next decade.

The new town of Lusail, the largest project ever in Qatar, is under construction.

[edit] Transportation The primary means of transportation in Qatar is by road, due to the very cheap price of petroleum. The country as a result has an advanced road system undergoing vast upgrades in response to the country's rapidly rising population, with several highways undergoing upgrades and new expressways within Doha under construction. A large bus network connects Doha with other towns in the country, and is the primary means of public transportation in the city.

The Salwa International Highway currently connects Doha to the border with Saudi Arabia, and a causeway with both road and rail links to Bahrain at Zubarah is due to begin construction shortly. The causeway will become the largest in the world, and will be the second to connect Bahrain to the Arabian Peninsula.

Currently, no rail networks exist in the country. In November 2009, however, its government signed a $26 billion contract with the German company Deutsche Bahn to construct a railroad system over the next 20 years. The network will connect the country itself, and will include an international link with neighbouring states as part of a larger rail network being constructed across the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. A railway link is also under construction between Qatar and Bahrain as part of the Qatar Bahrain Causeway.

Qatar's main airport is the Doha International Airport, which served almost 15,000,000 passengers in 2007. In comparison, the airport served only 2,000,000 passengers in 1998. As a result of the much larger volumes of passengers flying into an through the country today, the New Doha International Airport is currently under construction, and will replace the existing airport in 2011.

[edit] Climate Main article: Climate of Qatar Climate data for Qatar [hide]Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Average high °F (°C) 72 (22) 73 (23) 81 (27) 90 (32) 100 (38) 106 (41) 106 (41) 106 (41) 100 (38) 95 (35) 84 (29) 75 (24) Average low °F (°C) 55 (13) 55 (13) 63 (17) 70 (21) 77 (25) 81 (27) 84 (29) 84 (29) 79 (26) 73 (23) 66 (19) 59 (15) Precipitation inches (mm) 0.5 (12.7) 0.7 (17.8) 0.6 (15.2) 0.3 (7.6) 0.1 (2.5) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0.1 (2.5) 0.5 (12.7) Source: weather.com[18] 2009-10-26

[edit] Environmental issues Qatar has the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions, at 55.5 metric tons per person in 2005.[19] This is almost double the next highest per-capita emitting country, which is Kuwait at 30.7 metric tons (2005) and they are three times those of the United States. Qatar has had the highest per-capita carbon dioxide emissions for the past 18 years. These emissions are largely due to high rates of energy use in Qatar. Major uses of energy in Qatar include natural gas processing, water desalination and electricity production. Between 1995 and 2011 the electricity generating capacity of Qatar will have increased to six times the previous level. The fact that Qataris do not have to pay for either their water or electricity supplies is thought to contribute to their high rate of energy use. Despite being a desert state they are also one of the highest consumers of water per capita per day, using around 400 litres.[20]

[edit] Geography Main article: Geography of Qatar Desert landscape in Qatar Map of QatarThe Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (161 km) north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia and is slightly smaller than the state of Connecticut, USA. Much of the country consists of a low, barren plain, covered with sand. To the southeast lies the spectacular Khor al Adaid (“Inland Sea”), an area of rolling sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the Persian Gulf. There are mild winters and very hot, humid summers.

The highest point in Qatar is Qurayn Abu al Bawl at 103 metres (338 ft)[9] in the Jebel Dukhan to the west, a range of low limestone outcroppings running north-south from Zikrit through Umm Bab to the southern border. The Jebel Dukhan area also contains Qatar’s main onshore oil deposits, while the natural gas fields lie offshore, to the northwest of the peninsula.

[edit] Religion Islam is the predominant religion, as Muslims constitute 87.6% of the population.[9]

Sunni Muslims account for 99% percent of the Muslim population. The majority of non-citizens are from South and Southeast Asian and Arab countries working on temporary employment contracts, accompanied by family members in some cases. Most non-citizens are Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, or Bahá'ís. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Mesaieed, and Dukhan.

The Hindu community is almost exclusively Indian, while Buddhists include South, Southeast, and East Asians. Most Bahá'ís come from Iran. Religion is not a criterion for citizenship, according to the Nationality Law. However, nearly all Qatari citizens are either Sunni or Shi'a Muslims, except for at least one Christian, a few Bahá'ís, and their respective families who were granted citizenship.[citation needed]

No foreign missionary groups operate openly in the country,[21] but in 2008 the government allowed some churches to conduct Mass. In March 2008 the first Roman Catholic Church “Our Lady of the Rosary” was consecrated in Doha. Besides Roman Catholics, there are also some Protestant sects like the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[22]

[edit] Population Main article: Demographics of Qatar Besides ethnic Arabs, much of the population is made up of expatriates taking up employment in various sectors of the Qatari economy. Arabic serves as the official language. However, English as well as many other languages like Hindi, Pashto, Malayalam, Punjabi, Urdu, Sindhi, Balochi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Tagalog, and Persian are widely spoken in Qatar.

Expatriates form the majority of Qatar’s residents. The petrochemical industry has attracted people from all around the world. Most of the expatriates come from South Asia and from non-oil-rich Arab states. Because a large percentage of the expatriates are male, Qatar has a heavily skewed sex ratio, with 3.46 males per female.[23]

In July 2007, the country had a growing population of approximately 907,229 people,[9] of whom approximately 350,000 were believed to be citizens.[24] Qatari citizens follow the dominant Hanbali branch of Islam practiced in neighboring Saudi Arabia, therefore it is considered to be that among the Persian Gulf states closest to Saudi Arabia culturally.

The majority of the estimated 550,000 non-citizens are individuals from South and South East Asian and Arab countries working on temporary employment contracts in most cases without their accompanying family members. Most foreign workers and their families live near the major employment centers of Doha, Al Khor, Mesaieed, and Dukhan.

Year Population 1908 est. 22,000[25] 1939 est. 28,000[25] late 1960s 70,000[26] 1986 369,079 1997 522,023[27] 2000 744,483 2001 769,152 2002 793,341 2003 817,052 2004 840,290 2005 863,051 2006 885,359 2007 1,207,229 2008 1,524,789[9] 2009 1,309,000[1]

[edit] Culture This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2010)

See also: Music of Qatar Qatari culture (music, art, dress, and cuisine) is extremely similar to that of other Arab countries of the Persian Gulf; see Culture of the Arab States of the Persian Gulf. Arab tribes from Saudi Arabia migrated to Qatar and other places in the gulf; therefore, the culture in the Persian Gulf region varies little from country to country.

Qatar explicitly uses Sharia law as the basis of its government, and the vast majority of its citizens follow Hanbali Madhhab. Hanbali (Arabic: حنبلى ) is one of the four schools (Madhhabs) of Fiqh or religious law within Sunni Islam (The other three are Hanafi, Maliki and Shafii). Sunni Muslims believe that all four schools have "correct guidance", and the differences between them lie not in the fundamentals of faith, but in finer judgments and jurisprudence, which are a result of the independent reasoning of the imams and the scholars who followed them. Because their individual methodologies of interpretation and extraction from the primary sources (rusul) were different, they came to different judgments on particular matters. Shi'as comprise around 2% of the Muslim population in Qatar(including foreigners).

[edit] Qatari law When contrasted with other Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, for instance, Qatar has comparatively liberal laws, but is still not as liberal as some other Arab states of the Persian Gulf like UAE or Bahrain. Qatar is a civil law jurisdiction. However, Shari'a or Islamic law is applied to aspects of family law, inheritance and certain criminal acts. Women can legally drive in Qatar and there is a strong emphasis in equality and human rights brought by Qatar's National Human Rights Committee. Qatar also has the largest fines in the world in terms of traffic violation as per the recent change in 2010.

The country has undergone a period of liberalization and modernisation during the reign of the current Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who came to power in 1995. The laws of Qatar tolerate alcohol to a certain extent. However, the few bars and nightclubs in Qatar operate only in expensive hotels and clubs, much like in the UAE. Also like in the UAE, Muslims are banned from drinking alcohol. Expatriate residents in Qatar are eligible to receive liquor permits permitting them to purchase alcohol for personal use through Qatar Distribution Company, the only importer and retailer for alcohol in Qatar. Under Qatar's Sharia, it is illegal to show alcohol or be drunk in public.

During the month of Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking in public is strictly banned from dawn to sunset. This also is applied in the UAE.

In common with other Persian Gulf Arab countries, sponsorship laws exist in Qatar. These laws have been widely described as akin to modern-day slavery.[28] The Sponsorship system (Kafeel or Kafala) exists throughout the GCC and means that a worker (not a tourist) may not enter the country without having a kafeel, cannot leave without the kafeel's permission (an Exit Permit must first be awarded by the sponsor, or kafeel), and the sponsor has the right to ban the employee from entering Qatar within 2–5 years of his first departure. Many sponsors do not allow the transfer of one employee to another sponsor.

[edit] Education Main article: Education in Qatar Cornell University's Weill Medical College in QatarIn recent years Qatar has placed great emphasis on education. Citizens are required to attend government provided education from kindergarten through high school.[29] Qatar University was founded in 1973. More recently, with the support of the Qatar Foundation, some major American universities have opened branch campuses in Education City, Qatar. These include

Carnegie Mellon University Georgetown University School of Foreign Service Texas A&M University Virginia Commonwealth University Cornell University’s Weill Cornell Medical College Northwestern University

In 2004, Qatar established the Qatar Science & Technology Park at Education City to link those universities with industry. Education City is also home to a fully accredited International Baccalaureate school, Qatar Academy. Two Canadian institutions, the College of the North Atlantic and the University of Calgary, also operate campuses in Doha. Other for-profit universities have also established campuses in the city.[30]

In 2009, the Qatar Foundation launched the World Innovation Summit for Education – WISE – a global forum that brought together education stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision makers from all over the world to discuss educational issues. The first edition was held in Doha, Qatar from 16 to 18 November 2009.

Moreover, in 2007 the American Brookings Institution announced that it was opening the Brookings Doha Center to undertake research and programming on the socio-economic and geo-political issues facing the region.

In November 2002, the Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani created the Supreme Education Council.[31] The Council directs and controls education for all ages from the pre-school level through the university level, including the “Education for a New Era”[32] reform initiative.

The Emir’s second wife, Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, has been instrumental in new education initiatives in Qatar. She chairs the Qatar Foundation, sits on the board of Qatar’s Supreme Education Council, and is a major driving force behind the importation of Western expertise into the education system, particularly at the college level.

There are currently a total of 567 schools in operation within Qatar, both in the public and the private sector. A large number of new schools are also under construction, particularly public schools, in order to meet increased demand which arose as a result of the large increase in population that the country has seen of late. The number of universities operating in the country are 9, serving 12,480 students.

[edit] Health care Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) -affiliated with Cornell University- is the premier non-profit health care provider in Doha, Qatar. Established by the Emiri decree in 1979, HMC manages four highly specialised hospitals: Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital and the Primary Health Care Centres. These hospitals are quite sophisticated by the standards of the region, with most hosting advanced fMRI and other scanning machines. Most of them have many patients affected by Down syndrome and other mental illnesses caused by the high rate of cousin marriage in the country. Qatar has among the highest rates in the world for obesity, diabetes and genetic disorders.[33] Some big clans don’t allow marriage outside their family.[33]

[edit] Communications Main article: Communications in Qatar Qatar has a modern telecommunication system centered in Doha. Tropospheric scatter to Bahrain; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia and UAE; submarine cable to Bahrain and UAE; satellite earth stations – two Intelsat (one Atlantic Ocean and one Indian Ocean) and one Arabsat. Callers can call Qatar using submarine cable, satellite or VoIP. However, Qtel has interfered with VoIP systems in the past, and Skype's website has been blocked before. Following complaints from individuals, the website has been unblocked, and Paltalk has previously been blocked.

Qtel’s ISP branch, Internet Qatar, uses SmartFilter to block websites they deem inappropriate to Qatari interests and morality.

In Qatar, ictQATAR (Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology) is the government agency regulating telecommunication.

Vodafone Qatar, in partnership with the Qatar Foundation, received the second public mobile networks and services license in Qatar on 28 June 2008 and switched on their mobile network on 1 March 2009. They launched 07/07/09, opening their online store first followed by retail and third party distribution locations throughout Doha.

Al Jazeera (Arabic: الجزيرة‎ al-ğazīrä [aldʒaˈziːra], “The Peninsula”) is a television network headquartered in Doha, Qatar. Al Jazeera initially launched as an Arabic news and current affairs satellite TV channel of the same name, but has since expanded into a network of several specialty TV channels. Print media is going through expansion, with over three English dailies and Arabic titles. Qatar Today is the only monthly business magazine in the country. It is published by Oryx Advertising, which is the largest magazine publisher in Qatar. The group also publishes several titles such as Qatar Al Youm, the only monthly business magazine in Qatar in Arabic language, Woman Today, the only magazine for working women, and GLAM,[34] the only fashion magazine. In December 2009 Oryx launched T Qatar: The New York Times Style Magazine,[35] which marks the entry of an international magazine into Qatar.

[edit] Human rights Main article: Human rights in Qatar Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offence was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse.[9]

According to the Trafficking in Persons Report by the US State Department, men and women who are lured into Qatar by promises of high wages are often forced into underpaid labor. Many of these people are commonly known as peasants. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labour are rarely enforced and that labour laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centres, pending the completion of legal proceedings. The report places Qatar at tier 3, as one of the countries that neither satisfies the minimum standards nor demonstrates significant efforts to come into compliance.[36][37]

The government maintains that it is setting the benchmark when it comes to human rights[38] and treatment of labourers.

Qatari contracting agency Barwa is constructing a residential area for laborers known as Barwa Al Baraha, also called Workers City. The project was launched after a recent scandal in Dubai's Labor camps. The project aims to provide a reasonable standard of living as defined by the new Human Rights Legislation.[39] The Barwa Al Baraha will cost around $1.1 billion and will be a completely integrated city in the industrial area in Doha. Along with 4.25 square meters of living space per person, the residential project will provide parks, recreational areas, malls, and shops for labourers. Phase one of the project was set to be completed at the end of 2008, and the project itself will be completed by the middle of 2010.[40]

[edit] International Rankings Main article: International rankings of Qatar Organization Survey Ranking Institute for Economics and Peace [2] Global Peace Index[41] 16 out of 144 United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 33 out of 182 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 22 out of 180 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 22 out of 133

[edit] See also Main article: Outline of Qatar North Dome Gas Field Natural Gas in Qatar 2006 Asian Games in Doha Al Jazeera television Communications in Qatar Foreign relations of Qatar List of cities in Qatar List of Qatar-related topics Military of Qatar Public holidays in Qatar Scouting and Guiding Transport in Qatar Politics of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Al Nuaim General Secretariat for Development Planning Permanent Population Committee [edit] References This article incorporates public domain material from the CIA World Factbook document "Qatar".

1.^ a b Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2009) (PDF). World Population Prospects, Table A.1. 2008 revision. United Nations. 2.^ [1][dead link] 3.^ a b c d "Qatar". International Monetary Fund. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2010/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?sy=2007&ey=2010&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=453&s=NGDPD%2CNGDPDPC%2CPPPGDP%2CPPPPC%2CLP&grp=0&a=&pr.x=72&pr.y=0. Retrieved 2010-04-21. 4.^ "Human Development Report 2009: Qatar". The United Nations. http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_QAT.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 5.^ "CMU Pronouncing Dictionary". Speech.cs.cmu.edu. http://www.speech.cs.cmu.edu/cgi-bin/cmudict?stress=-s&in=QATAR. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 6.^ Koerner, Brendan I (Dec. 3, 2002). "How Do You Pronounce "Qatar"?". Slate. http://www.slate.com/id/2074824/. "The most accurate English estimate is something halfway between 'cutter' and 'gutter.' It's not 'KUH-tar,' the pronunciation that has become the standard among overseas TV and radio newscasters." 7.^ a b Johnstone, T.M. "Ķaṭar." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth , E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 04 April 2009 www.brillonline.nl 8.^ https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2179rank.html 9.^ a b c d e f g h i "Middle East :: Qatar". CIA World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/qa.html. Retrieved 2009-08-12. 10.^ "History of Qatar". Diwan.gov.qa. http://www.diwan.gov.qa/english/qatar/qatar_history.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 11.^ "Qatar (01/10)". State.gov. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 12.^ Coman, Julian (March 21, 2005). "Egyptian Suicide Bomber Blamed for Attack in Qatar". The Independent. 13.^ "The Advent of Terrorism in Qatar". Forbes. March 25, 2005. http://www.forbes.com/2005/03/25/cz_0325oxan_qatarattack.html. 14.^ Municipalities of Qatar, Statoids.com 15.^ "AlDaayen Municipality". Baladiya.gov.qa. http://www.baladiya.gov.qa/portal/page?_pageid=135,231041&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL&subTabIndex=5500&branchIndex=0&tabIndex=8000. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 16.^ International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database, October 2007, for the year 2006: Countries 17.^ "Doha 2016 bid brings wind of change". aljazeera.net (Doha: Al Jazeera). 2007-10-26. http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5CB341CF-C302-41B2-B376-FE6A4103A3D8.htm?FRAMELESS=true&NRNODEGUID=%7b5CB341CF-C302-41B2-B376-FE6A4103A3D8%7d. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 18.^ "Monthly Averages for Doha, Qatar". weather.com. The Weather Channel. http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/QAXX0003?from=36hr_bottomnav_business. Retrieved October 26, 2009. 19.^ World Resources Institute Climate Analysis Indicator Tool (requires free registration) 20.^ Qatar to use biofuels? What about the country's energy consumption? Fred Pearce guardian.co.uk Thursday 14 January 2010 21.^ "CIA The World Fact Book". State.gov. 2006-06-29. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90219.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 22.^ First Catholic Church Opens In Qatar Fox News, Friday, March 14, 2008 23.^ "Population in Qatar". Statistics Authority. http://www.qsa.gov.qa/Eng/population_census/2009/population_census_March.htm. Retrieved 21 April 2009. 24.^ "Qatar". International Religious Freedom Report 2005. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor – United States Department of State. 2005-11-08. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/51608.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 25.^ a b John Lockerbie (1998-06-06). "The population of Qatar". Catnaps.org. http://www.catnaps.org/islamic/population.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 26.^ "Qatar - Country overview, Location and size, Population, Industry, Mining, Manufacturing, Services, Tourism". Nationsencyclopedia.com. http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Qatar.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 27.^ "CGIS Home Page - Main Section". Gisqatar.org.qa. 1998-12-31. http://www.gisqatar.org.qa/alkhabar/Spring99/census.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 28.^ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (2008-06-04). "Refworld | Trafficking in Persons Report 2008 - Qatar". UNHCR. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/country,,,,QAT,4562d8cf2,484f9a3732,0.html. Retrieved 2010-03-28. 29.^ "Qatar constitution". http://english.mofa.gov.qa/details.cfm?id=80. 30.^ "Stenden University Qatar". http://www.stenden.com/en/stenden/Locations/qatar/Pages/default.aspx. Retrieved 2009-05-22. 31.^ "About the SEC". Supreme Education Council. http://www.english.education.gov.qa/section/sec. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 32.^ "Education for a New Era". Supreme Education Council. http://www.english.education.gov.qa. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 33.^ a b SLACKMAN, MICHAEL (April 26, 2010). "Privilege Pulls Qatar Toward Unhealthy Choices". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/27/world/middleeast/27qatar.html?ref=global-home. 34.^ Oryx Publishing launches GLAM 35.^ T Qatar launched 36.^ "Country Narratives -- Countries Q through Z". Trafficking in Persons Report. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, United States Department of State. 2007-06-12. http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/82807.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 37.^ "India escapes U.S. list of worst human traffickers". cnn.com (Washington: Cable News Network). 2007-06-12. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/12/human.trafficking/index.html. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 38.^ "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee report". Qatar National Human Rights Committee. 2006-05-03. http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20060503034405. Retrieved 2008-03-25. . According to zawya.com, the web link “is the unofficial translation by The Peninsula team of the 57-page Arabic text of the report released by the National Human Rights Committee yesterday.” 39.^ "Qatar: National Human Rights Committee Support Expats". The Peninsula via iLoveQatar.net. 2008-06-18. http://www.iloveqatar.net/forum/read.php?28,2540,2540. Retrieved 2008-08-04. 40.^ Bowman, D (2008-03-02). "Qatar to build $1.1bn labourer city". ArabianBusiness.com (Dubai: ITP Digital Publishing). http://www.arabianbusiness.com/512568-qatar-to-build-11bn-labourer-city. Retrieved 2008-03-25. 41.^ "Vision of Humanity". Vision of Humanity. http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/home.php. Retrieved 2010-03-28. [edit] External links Find more about Qatar on Wikipedia's sister projects:

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Induction cooker From Wikipedia,
'''Induction cooker '''From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Induction stove (top view)

Inside an induction stove An induction cooker uses a type of induction heating for cooking. It is chiefly distinguished from other common forms of stovetop cooking by the fact that the heat is generated directly in the cooking vessel, as opposed to being generated in the stovetop (as by electrical coils or burning gas) and then transferred to the cooking vessel. In an induction stovetop, a coil of copper wire--an electromagnet--is placed underneath the cooking pot. An oscillating current is applied to that coil, which produces an oscillating magnetic field. That magnetic field creates heat in the cooking vessel over it, in two different ways. First, it induces a current in the electrically conductive pot, which produces Joule (I2R) heat. Second, it also creates magnetic hysteresis losses in the ferromagnetic pot. The first effect dominates: hysteresis losses typically account for less than ten percent of the total heat generated.[1] Induction cookers are faster and more energy-efficient than traditional electric cooktops; moreover, they allow instantaneous control of cooking energy, which no energy source other than gas offers. Because induction heats the cooking vessel itself, the possibility of burn injury is significantly reduced compared to other methods: only skin contact with the cooking vessel itself (or, when high heat has been used, the stovetop for a while after the vessel has been removed) can cause harm. There are not the high temperatures of flames or red-hot electric heating elements found in traditional cooking equipment, which generates heat independent of the cooking vessel. Further, induction cookers do not themselves warm the surrounding air, resulting in further energy efficiencies. It is possible to build an induction cooker that works with any conductive pot, even if the pot is not ferromagnetic (for example, an aluminum or copper pot). But the increased permeability of an iron or steel pot makes the system substantially more practical, by increasing the inductance seen at the drive coil and by decreasing the skin depth of the current in the pot, which increases the AC resistance for the I2R heating. [2] Most practical induction cookers are designed for ferromagnetic pots; consumers are advised that the cooker will work only with pots to which a magnet will stick. Moreover, it is not possible to build an induction cooker that would work with a cooking vessel made of an electrically insulating material (for example, a glass or ceramic pot). Since heat is being generated from an induced electric current, the unit can detect whether cookware is present (or whether its contents have boiled out) by monitoring the voltage drop caused by resistance in the circuit (which reflects how much energy is being absorbed). That allows such functions as keeping a pot at minimal boil or automatically turning an element off when cookware is removed from it. Induction heating could be considered to have reached mainstream status in the USA when in 2008 Consumer Reports reviewed induction appliances alongside gas and thermal heating. Contents [hide] 1 Benefits 2 Drawbacks 3 Economic and environmental considerations 4 Common usage 5 Heat generation 6 Early production 7 Vendors 8 See also 9 References 10 External links [edit]Benefits

Induction stove (side view) This form of flameless cooking has certain advantages over conventional gas flame and electric cookers, as it provides rapid heating, improved thermal efficiency, and greater heat consistency, yet the same or greater degree of precise control as gas.[3] In situations in which a hotplate would typically be dangerous or illegal, an induction plate is ideal, as it creates no heat itself. The amount of time that it takes a pot of water to boil depends on the power. That time can be from three minutes for 3600-watt induction elements to around ten minutes for 1200-watt ones. But the speed of boiling water is a process heavily dependent on the amount of water; the speed benefits of induction cooking are better seen when stir-frying--a thin pan with three tablespoons of oil may heat up to stir-fry temperature in as little as ten seconds. Induction cookers are safer to use than conventional stoves because there are no open flames and the "element" itself reaches only the temperature of the cooking vessel; only the pan generates heat. Induction cookers are easier to clean because the cooking surface is flat and smooth, even though it may have several zones of heating induction. In addition, food tends not to burn onto the cooking surface since it is nowhere near as hot as the pot and contents. [edit]Drawbacks

Cookware used on induction cookers must be made of ferrous materials. Induction cookers do not work at all with nonconducting (glass or ceramic) cookware. Copper or aluminum pans, which are in some ways better than steel or iron owing to their higher thermal conductivity producing a more even temperature distribution, will not work on a typical induction cooker. But so-called "clad" multi-layer cookware will, having an outer layer of suitably ferrous material bonded to interior layers of aluminum or copper then stainless steel, thereby combining thermal conductivity with magnetic permeability. Cast-iron cookware (including ceramic- or porcelain-coated cast iron) is suitable, as is much--but by no means all--stainless-steel or clad cookware. (Most cookware appropriate for use on induction cooktops will be so labelled.) While induction cookers work well with flat-bottomed pans, significantly curved-bottom pans, such as woks (despite companies selling "induction-compatible" ones), do not do well except on a correspondingly curved induction unit designed expressly for woks. Induction cookers are more expensive than other electric cooktops. Induction cookers require especially careful installation, because the electronics within an induction cooker need to avoid significant amounts of heat during operation. Units are usually equipped with fan-cooled heat sinks attached to the components requiring cooling, and proper flow channels and venting for that heated air are essential to the long-term "health" of the unit; thus, the dimensioning specified by the maker must be scrupulously observed. Also owing to heat-venting requirements, not all induction cooktops can safely be installed over all wall ovens; it is necessary to refer to the cooktop maker's installation instructions to determine which combinations are considered acceptable, and many makers' instructions seek to steer buyers to using an oven of the same brand (even if others would function satisfactorily). [edit]Economic and environmental considerations

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the efficiency of energy transfer for an induction cooktop is 90%, versus 71% for a smooth-top non-induction electrical unit, for an approximate 20% saving in energy for the same amount of heat transfer.[4] There are many inexpensive single-induction-zone cooktops, primarily available from Asian makers. That availability derives from Asia's densely populated cities, where living space is at a premium so that these efficient, low-waste-heat units are especially popular there. Single-zone induction cookers are available only in few retail outlets in North America, but are widely available through online retailers and auction sites; some induction units sell for as low as $60 USD in supermarkets. Twin-burner standalone units are also available, and are gradually gaining in popularity in Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. When the environment is taken into consideration, a more appropriate measure should be efficiency from source to output. Even though induction cooking is efficient at the cooktop, the overall efficiency from the energy source to the food is comparable to that for cooking with gas. Currently, electricity generation efficiency from coal- or gas-fired power plants (responsible for 80% of total electricity) is about 33%, and the energy lost during transmission is usually about 5%; thus, the overall source-to-food efficiency is around 28%. In comparison, cooking with gas has about 30% efficiency at the stove and a gas transmission loss of about 6%, leading to an overall efficiency for gas cooking of about 27.9%.[citation needed](see PG&E foodservice technology center for more reference. If, however, 100% "green energy" is being used (energy produced wholly from renewable sources such as wind or solar), then an induction cooker has practically no effect on the environment. Before fully renewable energy becomes widespread, cookware with a heat-sink base or other energy-efficient cookware design achieving an overall efficiency of over 50% may be a good practical interim solution to reduce CO2 emissions from stovetop cooking.

This table may contain original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding references. Statements consisting only of original research may be removed. More details may be available on the talk page. (December 2009) Technology	Efficiency	Time required to boil 2 quarts (1.9 litres) of water	Energy consumption when boiling 2 litres of water (from 20 degrees Celsius) Induction stove	83 to 90%[5]	4 minutes 46 seconds	745 kJ Halogen stove	60%	9 minutes 0 seconds	1120 kJ Electron Coil or Cast Iron	55%	9 minutes 50 seconds	1220 kJ Gas	40%[6]	8 minutes 18 seconds	1700 kJ Note: This table considers only the efficiency of the cooktop; it does not consider the efficiency of distribution systems for gas and electricity. Electricity production from burning gas has an efficiency of about 1/3, consequently, the entries for electric efficiencies should be reduced by a factor of 3. [edit]Common usage

Induction equipment may be a build-in stovetop, part of a range, or a standalone countertop unit; build-in and rangetop units typically have multiple elements (what on a gas unit would be called "burners"), while standalones are usually single-element, though occasionally dual-element. All such elements share a basic design: an electromagnet sealed beneath a heat-resisting glass-ceramic sheet that is easily cleaned. The pot is placed on the glass coating and begins to heat up, along with its contents. In Japan, a large percentage of rice cookers are powered by induction [citation needed]. In Hong Kong, power companies recommend a number of models for ready selection that are safe, clean, energy-efficient, and easy to install[citation needed]. [edit]Heat generation

Inside view An induction cooker works like an electrical transformer: it transfers electrical energy into the pot, using a time-varying magnetic field. A coil of specially bundled wire, known as litz wire is mounted underneath the cooking surface, and a large alternating current is made to flow through that wire. That current creates a changing magnetic field. When an electrically conductive pot is brought close to the cooking surface, that magnetic field induces an electrical current, called an "eddy current", in the pot. Because the metal pot is not a perfect conductor, those eddy currents encounter some electrical resistance; that resistance converts the current into heat. As a result, the metal pot heats up. Heat is then transferred from the pot to the food inside the pot by conduction. The cooking surface is designed to be a good thermal insulator, so only minimal heat is transferred from the pot to the cooking surface (and thus wasted). In normal operation, the cooking surface stays cool enough to touch without injury after the cooking vessel is removed. If the pot is made from an electrical insulator, then no current can flow through the pot. This means that no heat will be generated. Inductive cookers thus do not work with Pyrex glass or ceramic. Current is flowing through both the pot and the driving coil; ideally, the pot will heat up and the coil stay cool, since any energy that does not go in to heating the pot is wasted. That situation is encouraged by the geometry of the design and by the coil and the pot being made of different metals. The coil is typically made from copper, or another metal with high electrical conductivity; the pot is typically made from stainless steel or iron, which is much less conductive. The pot is also ferromagnetic. Since the increased permeability of the material decreases the skin depth, the resistance will be further increased. The copper coil, on the other hand, is made from wire known as litz wire, which is a specially configured bundle of many tiny wires in parallel, which effectively have a very thick skin depth at the high frequencies present in an induction heater. Furthermore, the copper is formed into a coil with many turns, while the bottom of the pot effectively forms a single shorted turn. That "transformer" thus steps down the voltage and steps up the current, which means that the resistance of the pot--as viewed from the primary--appears larger. That in turn means that most of the energy becomes heat in the high-resistance steel, while the driving coil stays cool. The reasons iron or steel cookware work on an induction cooker but aluminum or copper do not relate mostly to the materials' permeability and resistivity. Aluminum or copper cookware is more conductive, and the skin depth in these materials is larger since they are nonmagnetic. That means that the effective resistance of such pots will be much lower. That lower permeability also decreases the inductance seen at the drive coil. Thus, the inductive cooker will not work efficiently with such pots: more heat will be dissipated in the drive coil, and less in the pot. With iron or steel cookware, some heat is also generated due to the ferromagnetic material's magnetic hysteresis. This is a smaller component of the total heat generated.[7] The differences in hysteresis losses are a much smaller effect. Those two contributions, I2R losses (Joule heating) from eddy currents and hysteresis losses, correspond to the two types of losses in the core of a transformer. In a normal transformer, those losses are undesired, because the useful output is electrical power; in an inductive cooker, the useful output is heat, so such "losses" are exactly what is desired. [edit]Early production

First patents date from the early 1900s.[8] Demonstration stoves were shown by the Frigidaire division of General Motors in the mid-1950s on a touring GM showcase in North America. The induction stove was shown heating a pot of water with a newspaper placed between the stove and the pot, to demonstrate the convenience and safety. But the unit was never put into production. Modern implementation in the USA dates from the early 1970s, with work done at the Research & Development Center of Westinghouse Electric Corporation at Churchill Borough, near Pittsburgh, PA, USA. [citation needed] That work was first put on public display at the 1971 National Association of Home Builders convention in Houston, Texas, as part of the Westinghouse Consumer Products Division display. [citation needed] The stand-alone single-burner range was named the Cool Top Induction Range. It used transistors developed for automotive electronic ignition systems to drive the 25 kHz current. Westinghouse decided to make a few hundred production units to develop the market. Those were named Cool Top 2 (CT2) Induction ranges. The development work was done at the same R&D location, by a team led by Bill Moreland and Terry Malarkey. The ranges were $1500. That price included a set of high quality cookware made of Quadraply, a stainless steel/carbon steel/aluminum/stainless steel laminate (outside to inside). Production took place in 1973 through 1975, and stopped coincidentally with the sale of Westinghouse Consumer Products Division to White Consolidated Industries Inc. CT2 had four burners of sufficient power, about 1600 watts. The range top was a PyroCeram ceramic sheet surrounded by a stainless-steel bezel upon which four magnetic sliders adjusted four corresponding potentiometers set below. That design, using no through-holes, made the range proof against spills. The electronic section was made in four identical modules. Provision was made for fan cooling of the electronics. In each of the electronics modules, the 240V, 60Hz domestic line power was converted to between 20V and 200V of continuously variable DC by a phase-controlled rectifier. That DC power was in turn converted to 27 kHz AC by two arrays of six paralleled Motorola automotive-ignition transistors in a half-bridge configuration driving a series-resonant LC oscillator, of which the inductor component was the induction-heating coil and its load, the cooking pan. That elegant circuit design, largely by Ray MacKenzie, successfully dealt with certain bothersome overload problems. Control electronics included functions such as protection against over-heated cook-pans and overloads. Provision was made to reduce radiated electrical and magnetic fields. There was also magnetic pan detection. CT2 was UL Listed, and received Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approval, both firsts. Numerous patents were also issued. CT2 won several awards, including Industrial Research Magazine's IR-100 1972 best-product award, and a citation from the United States Steel Association. Raymond Baxter demonstrated the CT2 on his BBC series, Tomorrow’s World. He showed how the CT2 could cook through a slab of ice. Sears Kenmore sold a free-standing oven/stove with four induction-cooking surfaces in the mid-1980s (Model Number 103.9647910). The unit also featured a self-cleaning oven, solid-state kitchen timer, and capacitive-touch control buttons (advanced for its time). The units were more expensive than standard cooktops. [edit]Vendors

The market for induction stoves is dominated by German players, such as AEG, Bosch, Miele, Schott AG and Siemens. The Spanish company Fagor, Italian firm Smeg and Sweden's Electrolux are also key players in the European market. Prices range from about GBP250 to 1000 within the UK. In 2006, Stoves launched the UK's first domestic induction hob on a range cooker at a slightly lower cost than those imported. The European induction cooking market for Hotels, Restaurants and other caterers is primarily satisfied by smaller more specialist commercial induction catering equipment manufacturers such as Adventys of France [1] Control Induction of the UK [2] and Scholl of Germany[3] Taiwanese and Japanese electronics companies are the dominant players in induction cooking for East Asia. After aggressive promotions by utilities in HK like CLP Power HK Ltd[4], many local brands like icMagIC[5], Zanussi, iLighting, German Pool [6] also emerged. Their power and ratings are high, more than 2800 W. They are multiple zone and capable of performing better than their gas counterpart. The efficiency is as high as 90% and saves a lot of energy and environmentally friendly. Their use by local Chinese for wok cooking is getting popular. Some of these companies have also started marketing in the West. However, the product range sold in Western markets is a subset of that in their domestic market; some Japanese electronics manufacturers only sell domestically. Small stand-alone induction cookers are relatively inexpensive, priced from around $60 USD. Units may have two, three, four, or five induction zones, but four (normally in a 30-inch-wide unit) is the most common in the US and Europe, two is most common in Hong Kong, and three is most common in Japan. Some have touch-sensitive controls. Some induction stoves have a memory setting, one per element, to time the amount of heat required. [edit]See also