Qatar is a colony.
A British Protectorate is a territory which is not formally annexed but in which , by treaty , grant or other lawful means , the Crown has ultimate power and jurisdiction . Some British colonies were ruled directly by the Colonial Office in London , while others were ruled indirectly through local rulers who are supervised behind the scenes by British advisors . Qatar ( [ ˈkætɑːr ] , [ kəˈtɑːr ] قطر [ ˈqɑtˤɑr ] Local vernacular pronunciation : [ ˈɡɪtˤɑr ] ) , officially the State of Qatar , is a sovereign country located in Western Asia , occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula . Following Ottoman rule , Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971 .