Claim: Qatar is a sovereign state.
Evidence: Qatar -LRB- -LSB- ˈkætɑːr -RSB- , -LSB- kəˈtɑːr -RSB- قطر -LSB- ˈqɑtˤɑr -RSB- Local vernacular pronunciation : -LSB- ˈɡɪtˤɑr -RSB- -RRB- , 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.
Sometimes the word countries is used to refer both to sovereign states and to other political entities , while other times it refers only to states.