Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Doha
Native name	''ad-Dawḥa''
Type	City and Municipality
Map caption	Location of the municipality of Doha within Qatar.
Subdivision type	Country
Subdivision name
Subdivision type1	Municipality
Subdivision name1	Ad Dawhah
Established title	Established
Established date	1850
Area total km2	132
Population as of	2009
Population total	998,651
Total type	City
Population density km2	auto
Coordinates display	inline,title
Coordinates type	type:city_region:QA-DA
Timezone1	AST
Utc offset1	+3
Footnotes	}}

Doha (, '''' or '''', literally: "the big tree") is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar. Doha is Qatar's largest city, with over 80% of the nation's population residing in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, and is also the economic centre of the country.

Doha also serves as the seat of government of Qatar, which is ruled by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Doha is home to the Education City, an area devoted to research and education. Doha was the site of the first ministerial-level meeting of the Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization negotiations. The city of Doha also held the 2006 Asian Games, which was the largest Asian Games ever held. It hosted the AFC Asian Cup 2011 and will also host a large number of the venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Doha is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.

History

In 1825, the city of Doha was founded under the name Al-Bida. The name "Doha" came from the Arabic ''ad-dawha'', "the big tree." The reference might be to a prominent tree that stood at the site where the original fishing village arose, on the eastern coast of the Qatar peninsula. Or it might have been derived from "dohat" — Arabic for bay or gulf — referring to the doha bay area surrounding corniche. In 1825, during the war between Qatar and Bahrain, Doha had been severely damaged and Abu Dhabi was helping Bahrain. In 1882, al Rayyan built the Al Wajbah fortress, in southwestern Doha. The following year, Sheikh Qassim led a Qatari army to victory against the Ottomans.

The city was made capital of the British protectorate of Qatar in 1916, and when the nation gained independence in 1971.

In 1917, the Al Kout fortress, which is located in the center of the city, was built by Sheikh Abdulla Bin Qassim Al-Thani. Still, during the early 20th century, much of Qatar's economy depended on fishing and pearling, and Doha had about 350 pearling boats. However, after the introduction of the Japanese cultured pearls in the 1930s, the whole region, including the town of Doha, suffered a major depression and Qatar was plunged into poverty. This lasted until in the late 1930s, when oil was discovered. However, the exploration and exportation was halted due to the second world war. Today the nation as a whole produces over 800,000 barrels of oil daily. In 1969, the Government House opened. Today it is considered to be Qatar's most prominent landmark.

The first mention of Al Bida in English sources appeared in 1765, on a rather inaccurate map by Carsten Niebhur, in which Al Bidda is referred to as Guttur. Carsten had not visited Qatar personally, and had relied on the knowledge of local Arabs and English sea captains to fill in this section of his map. In the nineteenth century, Doha was little more than a small village which was known as Al Bida. In 1820, Major Colebrook described it thus:

"''Guttur – Or Ul Budee [Al Bidda], once a considerable town, is protected by two square Ghurries near the sea shore; but containing no fresh water they are incapable of defence except against sudden incursions of Bedouins, another Ghurry is situated two miles inland and has fresh water with it. This could contain two hundred men. There are remaining at Uk Budee about 250 men, but the original inhabitants, who may be expected to return from Bahrein, will augment them to 900 or 1,000 men, and if the Doasir tribe, who frequent the place as divers, again settle in it, from 600 to 800 men.''''"

However, the small size of the place didn't stop it from being bombarded by the British vessel Vestal in 1821, after the city had been deemed to have broken a general treaty of peace. They were bombed again in 1841 after Al-Suwaidi, the Sudanese chief who then ruled Al Bidda, was accused of habouring an outlaw, and the village was destroyed in 1847 after its leader – Bin Tarif Bin Salamah – had been killed in battle against the Al Khalifas of Bahrain near Fuweirat. These major disturbances were probably also punctuated by the customary raids of the nomadic Bedouin;]: raids which would not stop for another hundred years.

At some point after this destruction, the Al Thani family moved from Fuwairet to Al Bidda, for when the British Resident visited the village he found that Sahikh Mohammed Al Thani was now chief of Doha. Doha was now a separate village close to Al Bidda, and in between Al Bidda and Doha lay little Doha, only four hundred yards form Al Bidda. Paradoxically, the roots of its future as the capital of Qatar lay when Doha, along with Al Wakra, were attacked again – by Bahrain in 1867, aided by Abu Dhabi. Doha and Al Wakra attempted to retaliate in a very bloody sea battle.

The British, who wished to avoid disruption to trade and were angry that the Al Khalifas of Bahrein had broken a treaty forbidding maritime warfare in the area, came to Qatar and were met by the headman of Al Bida, Sahikh Mohamad Bin Thani, on behalf of "all the Sheikhs and tribes" in the peninsula. This meeting was, eventually, to lead to Qatar becoming a nation state under the Al Thanis. For a time Ottomans took up a rather nominal control of the country, with a base in Doha, with the acquiescence of Qassim Al Thani, who wished to consolidate his control of the area. However, disagreement over tribute and interference in internal affairs arose which eventually led to battle in 1893. The Ottomans were defeated and retreated to their small fort in the centre of Doha, where they remained until they finally left during the first world war. Partly as a result of the departure of the Ottomans, Qatar was made a formal British protectorate in 1916, with Doha as its capital.

At around the turn of the century, Doha had a population of around 12,000 and around 350 pearling boats. However, the growth of trade in cultured pearls from Japan began to impact upon the region, and this was exacerbated by the depression of the 1930s.

The exploitation of Qatar's oil reserves after the end of the second world war was to save the city, although it was to be some time before the source of their current and future wealth – natural gas – was exploited.

Buildings at the time were simple dwellings of one or two rooms, built from mud, stone and coral. However, the Amirs of Qatar were not long in exploiting the new-found wealth, and slum areas were quickly razed to be replaced by more modern buildings. As with other countries in the region, in this rush to modernise much of the country’s heritage was lost, and in Doha now there is only a single remaining wind tower. The astonishing development of Doha, and the changing shape of the bay, can be seen to this day in Qatar’s National Museum. Doha was a port of some local significance. However, the shallow water of the bay prevented bigger ships from entering the port until the 1970s, when its deep-water port was completed. Further changes followed with extensive land reclamation, which led to the crescent-shaped bay that we can see today.

In 1973, the University of Qatar opened, and in 1975 the Qatar National Museum opened in what was originally the ruler's palace in 1912. The Al Jazeera Arabic satellite television news channel began broadcasting from Doha in 1996. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani currently rules in what some consider to be Qatar's most beautiful city.

By 2010, Qatar had a population of 1,696,563, making it one of the world's fastest-developing countries.

Climate

Doha features an arid climate. It is situated in the Arabian Peninsula, and as such its climate is very hot. Temperatures average over from May to September, and humidity is variable. Dewpoints can reach above in the summer. During the summer months, the city averages almost no precipitation, and less than an during other months. Rainfall is scarce, at an average of per annum, falling on isolated days mostly between October to March. Winters are mild, and the temperature rarely drops below .

Summer temperatures frequently reach 50 °C and above.

Demographics

The demography of Doha is unusual in that the majority of residents are expatriates, with Qatari nationals forming a minority. The largest portion of expatriates in Qatar are from South Asian countries, mainly Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia, with large amounts of expatriates also coming from the Levant Arab countries, North Africa, and East Asia. Doha is also home to expatriates from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, France, South Africa, and Australia as well as many other countries from all over the world.

In the past, expatriates in Qatar were not allowed to own land; however, now people who are not Qatari citizens can buy land in several areas of Doha, including the West Bay Lagoon, the Qatar Pearl and the new Lusail City. Ownership by foreigners in Qatar entitles them to a renewable residency permit, which allows them to live and work in Qatar.

Each month, thousands emigrate to Qatar, and as a result, Doha has witnessed explosive growth rates in population. Doha's population currently stands at around one million, with the population of the city more than doubling in the past decade. Due to the high influx of expatriates, the Qatari housing market saw a shortage of supply which led to a rise in prices and increased inflation. The gap in the housing market between supply and demand has narrowed, however, and property prices have fallen in some areas following a period which saw rents triple in some areas.

Several churches have recently been constructed in Doha, following decrees by the Emir for the allocation of land to churches. In March 2008, the first Catholic Church in Doha, Our Lady of the Rosary, was opened. As a sign of respect to the local (Muslim) population, Christian symbols are not displayed on the outside of the building. Today, several churches exist in Doha, including the Malankara Orthodox Church, Mar Thoma Church (affiliated with the Anglicans, but not part of the Communion), CSI Church, Syro-Malankara Church and the Pentecostal Church.

! Year	! Population	! Metro
1986	217,294
1992	313,639
2001	299,300
2004	339,847	612,707
2005	400,051
2008		998,651

Districts

The following is a list of some of Doha's more prominent districts:

{| |- | valign="top" |

Al Bidda البدع

Bin Mahmoud فريج بن محمود

Al Dafna الدفنة

Al Hilal الهلال

Madinat Khalifa مدينة خليفة

Al Mamoura المعمورة

Al Markhiya المرخية

Al Nasr النصر

| valign="top" |

Old Airport المطار القديم أو المطار العتيق

Onaiza عنيزة

Qutaifiya القطيفية

Ras Abu Aboud راس أبو عبود

Al sadd (Qatar) السد

Rumeilah الرميلة

Al Waab الوعب

Wadi Al Sail وادي السيل

West Bay (Doha) الخليج الغربي

|}

Economy

Much of Qatar's oil and natural gas wealth is visible in Doha, which is the economic centre of Qatar. Doha is home to the headquarters of the country's largest oil and gas companies, including Qatar Petroleum, Qatargas and RasGas. Doha's economy is built on the revenue the country has made from its oil and natural gas industries, and the Qatari government is rapidly trying to diversify the Qatari economy in order to move away from this dependence on oil. As a result, Doha is currently experiencing a very large boom, with the city developing very rapidly – this is mostly the result of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa's modernization program.

Like the nearby city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Doha's economy is moving away from its dependency on the oil and natural gas industries, although unlike Dubai, Doha's main focus is not tourism. Doha is seeing huge amounts of growth, with the population of the city increasing by more than 30,000 between 2004 and 2006; this has caused a boom in the real estate sector, with real estate prices skyrocketing. According to the BBC, as of late January 2007, Doha is now a more expensive city than Dubai in terms of real estate prices. This rate of growth has led to projects such as the Lusail City project, which is being constructed north of Doha and will eventually house 200,000 people. Construction is also booming in Doha, a result of increasing corporate and commercial activity in Doha. This is most visible with the changing skyline of the city, as Doha has over 50 towers currently being constructed, the largest of which is the Dubai Towers. At the same time, 39 new hotels are joining Qatar's booming tourism market, adding about 9,000 new rooms by 2009.

Qatar Airways is headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha.

Some key projects in Doha include:

Aspire Tower

Education City

Museum of Islamic Art

The Pearl

Lusail

Al Waab City

Dubai Towers - Doha

Commercialbank Plaza

Knowledge Enrichment Center of DohaLand and the Heart of Doha

Transportation

Doha has recently been undergoing a huge expansion to its transportation network, including the addition of new highways, the construction of a new airport, and the planned construction of a metro system. This has all been as a result of Doha's massive growth in a short space of time, which has resulted in congestion on its roads.

Roads

Doha has a comprehensive road network made up primarily of two and three lane dual-carriageways. As a result of Doha being a relatively young city, Doha's roads are wide and usually include service roads and large central dividers. While traditionally roundabouts have been used as intersections in the city, this has recently changed as a result of the huge load on the city's road networks. Many major roundabouts have been removed and instead either replaced with traffic lights or with underpasses and overpasses. Furthermore, many major thoroughfares in the city are being converted into highways in order to accommodate the huge increase of traffic on the city's roads.

Highways

There are five main highways connecting Doha to its neighboring cities. These are the Dukhan highway to the west of the city, the Al-Shamal Road, connecting Doha to the north of the country, the Al-Khor Expressway, connecting Doha to the northern town of Al-Khor, and the Wakrah/Messaid Road, connecting Doha to the south of the country. Finally, Salwa Road runs through south Doha and connects the city to the Saudi border to the south.

These highways are all currently undergoing expansion, and are being expanded within Doha itself.

Doha Expressway

The Doha Expressway, also known as the D-Ring Road, is a three-lane dual carriageway that connects the city on a north-south axis. To ease congestion, the D-Ring Road was converted into a major highway through the city between 2006 and 2010, connecting important districts of Doha and connecting Doha with the north of Qatar. Several expansions are planned for the expressway, including connections to the New Doha International Airport and a new route connecting Doha with Al Wakrah.

The Doha Expressway connects with the Al Shamal Road in the north of the city. The Al Shamal Road was recently expanded to a four-lane fully grade separated highway (a total of eight lanes). Through the Al Shamal Road, the new Doha Expressway will connect Doha with the planned Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge at al-Zubarah, connecting the two Gulf states in a similar manner to the way in which Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are currently connected.

Lusail Expressway

The Lusail expressway is expected to connect the new city of Lusail, currently being constructed north of Doha, to central Doha, along with connecting the Pearl to the mainland. The expressway is expected to take the path along the former Istiqlal Road, now Lusail St., and will be a 4-lane dual carriageway passing through the city. The expressway will extend from Lusail City, through Rainbow roundabout, Qatar Sports Club roundabout, and the fire department roundabout.

Dukhan Highway

The existing Dukhan highway has been undergoing a reconstruction project for several years, with new interchanges having been constructed and the road being significantly expanded. In the future, it is planned to expand the highway so that it connects directly into Doha through a system of underpasses and overpasses, with plans to replace the Tilted Roundabout, the Markhiya Roundabout, and the TV Roundabout, all major roundabouts in Doha, with underpasses and overpasses.

Salwa Highway

The Salwa Highway project's first phase has been completed. This phase involved the expansion of the highway, which connects Doha to the southwestern town of Salwa on the Saudi Arabian border, into a four-lane highway with grade separated interchanges. The rest of Salwa Road is expected to be expanded and upgraded, from the recently completed Industrial Interchange to the Jaidah flyover, including the construction of an underpass at the Ramada signals, Doha's busiest traffic light intersection. This project is not expected to commence until after the completion of the Doha Expressway.

F-Ring Road

The F-Ring Road will be the sixth ring road in Doha, and is being constructed as part of the transportation network leading to the New Doha International Airport. The new highway will connect the airport to the Corniche at the new Ras Abu Aboud interchange, currently under construction, and will involve a new ring road south of the E-Ring Road.

Bus system

An extensive bus system, operated by the government-owned Mowasalat company, currently operates in the city of Doha. The bus system covers many areas of the city, and there are stops throughout the city. The bus system is mainly used by lower-income groups, and does not attract many from the higher-income groups in the city, which has resulted in increased congestion on the roads of Doha, as most people prefer cars.

The main bus station is located in the Souqs area of downtown Doha, and services operate to all major towns in Qatar.

Taxis

The Mowasalat company operates all taxis in Qatar under its Karwa brand, with over a thousand taxis operating in the capital. There are a few taxi stands in the city, and difficulties arise in finding taxis due to the small number of taxis on the roads. It is not possible to book a taxi for immediate use.

The majority of taxis are well-equipped, comfortable sedans including cars such as the Toyota Camry and more recently Skoda and Chevrolet have been added to the ranks.

Airport taxis, found at the Doha International Airport, are also available, in the form of the Ford Freestar.

Numerous unlicensed taxis operate in Doha.

Port

The Doha Port is among the country's largest ports, and is located just off the Doha Corniche. The port is the main seaport servicing Doha, although plans for a new port are underway due to the port's location in central Doha and the resultant traffic and pollution problems, the proposed location of the port is near the town of Al Wakra, just south of the New Doha airport.

Air

Doha International Airport is Qatar's only international airport. It is the hub of Qatar Airways, and is served by many other international airlines. Because of the rapid growth in Qatar and the rapid growth of Qatar Airways, many now consider the airport too small and unable to properly handle all of the traffic that goes through the airport. This problem was recently addressed with a large expansion that was made in anticipation of the 15th Asian Games. In order to accommodate increased traffic, the airport's facilities were expanded significantly, including the construction of a separate terminal dedicated to first and business class passengers, and expansion of the current terminal. Furthermore, new stands have been constructed on the opposite side of the runway to handle additional air traffic. These changes have temporarily eased the problem, but because of the airport's small size and limited space for expansion, this has not been enough to permanently solve the problem of the airport crowding.

A new airport, the New Doha International Airport, is being constructed near the existing airport (about 3 miles east), and should solve the problems the current airport has. The first phase of the airport should be completed in late 2009 or early 2010 along with the second phase, and will be able to accommodate 25 million passengers annually. Upon the completion of the third phase in 2015, the airport is expected to be able to handle up to 50 million passengers annually. The new airport is located further away from the central areas of the city than the current airport, reducing noise and environmental pollution. The projected total cost of the New Airport is $22 billion.

When the airport is completed, it will cover 2,200 hectares.

The Al Udeid Air Base, a major U.S. Air Force airbase, is located southwest of Doha.

Education

Education has been a major focus of the Qatari government in recent years. In addition to Qatar University, established in 1973, the government has solicited other universities to establish campuses in Doha, most notably at Education City.

Education City is one of the main projects of the non-profit organization Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It has also launched the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a global forum that brings together education stakeholders, opinion leaders and decision makers from all over the world to discuss educational issues. The first edition will be held in Doha, Qatar from November 16 to 18, 2009.

A key player in the educational field in Qatar is the Supreme Council of Communication and Information Technology ictQATAR. Through its e-education program, ictQATAR is bringing together the power of education and ICT in Qatar.

Doha is also home to many international schools established for its expatriate communities, with dozens of different private schools currently operating in the city, such as

Schools within and around Doha:

Qatar Academy

Qatar International School

The American School of Doha

Compass International Scool

Lebanese School

Doha College

DeBakey High School for Health Professions at Qatar

The Qatar Canadian School

Philippine School Doha

Bangladesh M.H.M High School & College, Doha-Qatar

MES Indian School

DPS-Modern Indian School, Doha-Qatar

Ideal Indian School

Doha Modern Indian School

The Cambridge School (Doha)

Newton International School

Shantiniketan Indian School (wakra)

Birla Public School, Doha-Qatar

Qatar Leadership Academy, Al Khor

Universities/colleges within Education City: ''(See Education City)''

Virginia Commonwealth University

Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar

Texas A&M University at Qatar

Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar

Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar

Northwestern University in Qatar

Other Universities/colleges around Doha:

Qatar University

College of the North Atlantic

CHN University

University of Calgary

Sports

Doha is home to a number of sports stadiums, many of which were renovated in preparation for the 15th Asian Games, held in December 2006, which Doha spent $2.8 billion for preparation. Doha also hosted the 3rd West Asian Games in December 2005. Doha is also expected to host the 2011 Asian Indoor Games; Doha was also host the finals for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. Qatar is aiming to be the region's sports capital.

Sports venues in Doha and its suburbs include:

Hamad bin Khalifa Stadium – Al-Ahly Stadium

Thani bin Jassim Stadium – Al-Gharrafa Stadium

Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (Al Sadd Stadium)

Al Rayyan Stadium- Ahmed bin Ali Stadium

Al-Arabi Stadium – Grand Hamad Stadium

Hamad Aquatic Centre

Khalifa International Stadium – Main venue for the 2006 Asian Games.

Khalifa International Tennis Complex

Qatar Sports Club Stadium

ASPIRE Academy, launched in 2004, is a sports academy which aims to create world-class athletes. It is situated in the Doha Sports City Complex, which also includes the Khalifa International Stadium, the Hamad Aquatic Centre and the Aspire Tower.

The MotoGP motorcycling grand prix of Doha is held annually at Losail International Circuit, located just north of the city.

Under-construction stadiums/sport facilities: The Wall Stadium Paralympic Stadium Doha Sports Museum

The Wall Stadium would become the world's largest underground stadium, dwarfing the Fjellhallen ice-hockey arena in Norway, and would be the main venue for the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The stadium is estimated to cost 20 million dollars. The stadium will have the latest technology and roads leading to the stadium will be easy. While the New Paralympic stadium south of the new City of Lusail will be the most advance Paralympic stadium.

In 2001, Qatar also became the first country in the Middle East to hold a women's tennis tournament: Qatar holds both the Qatar Open for Women and the ladies ITF tournament. Since 2008 and at least for 3 years, the Sony Ericsson Championships (equivalent to the ATP's season-ending Championships) takes place in Doha, in the Khalifa International Tennis Complex, and features record prize money of $4.45 million (check of $1,485,000 for the winner, which represents the largest single guaranteed payout in women's tennis today).

Doha submitted a bid for the 2016 Olympics. It already had more than 70% of the venues ready that were used during the Asian Games in 2006. If Doha had won, an olympic village would have been constructed and would have had the shape of a dove and been 67 hectares in size with a capacity of 18,000 people, housing officials, athletes and coaches. ''(See Doha 2016 Olympic bid)'' On June 4, 2008, the city was eliminated from the shortlist for the 2016 Olympic Games. On August 26, 2011 it was confirmed that Doha would bid for the 2020 Olympics.

In November 2009, Doha hosted the The Oryx Cup World Championship. This is a hydroplane boat race in the H1 Unlimited season. The race took place in Doha Bay on the Persian Gulf. The H1 Unlimited and the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) agreed to have the final race of the 2009 H1 Unlimited unlimited hydroplane season in Doha. Ten of the fastest racing boats in the world traveled to Doha November 2009 for the inaugural Oryx Cup event—the H1 Unlimited World Championship—as a result of an Agreement in Principle reached January 9 between the ABRA and the QMSF.

In December 2010, Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and bring the event to the region for the first time. As a result of Qatar's harsh summers and the small population of the country, the bid contained several unique elements which were unprecedented in World Cup history. The winning bid proposed that all stadiums constructed to host the World Cup would be built as air conditioned indoor venues, in order to ensure that the event could be held in summer.

Culture and Arts

Qatar has a diverse and growing arts and entertainment industry.

Film

The Doha Film Institute (DFI) is an organisation established in 2010 to oversee film initatives and create a sustainable film industry in Qatar. DFI was founded by H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.'''

The Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF) is Qatar's annual film festival organised by DFI. In 2011 the festival will take place between October 25 – 29 2011 at Katara Cultural Village in Doha.

Twin towns and sister cities

Amman, Jordan (since 1995) Beijing, China (since 2008) Bosaso, Puntland State of Somalia (since 1994) Brasília, Brazil Houston, United States Marbella, Spain Port Louis, Mauritius Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom Tunis, Tunisia

See also

Doha Declaration

The Doha Development Round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks

References

External links

Projects in Doha and major construction and architectural developments

Information and History of Doha

Doha Shopping Malls

Category:Capitals in Asia Category:Municipalities of Qatar Category:Populated coastal places in Qatar Category:Populated places established in 1825 Category:Populated places in Qatar

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Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
Name	Aliya Yussupova
Country
Birth date	May 15, 1984
Birth place	Chimkent
Height
Discipline	RG
Show-medals	yes
Medaltemplates	}}

Aliya Yussupova (; born May 15, 1984 in Chimkent, Kazakh SSR, Soviet Union) is an individual Rhythmic Gymnast of Kazakh ethnicity, who competes for Kazakhstan, coached by the Russian coach, Irina Viner.

At the 2004 Athens Olympics she qualified for the finals in 5th. In the finals she was placed 4th with a total of 103.975 (Ribbon 25.550, Clubs 26.325, Ball 26.600, Hoop 25.500).

Aliya is a winner of Kazakhstani National Championships in the individual all-around competition in 2000-2005. In 2006 Asian championships in Surat, India, (from July 29 to August 3), Aliya swept the rhythmic gymnastics medals. She won six gold medals, including four individual apparatus titles, the team gold and individual all-around title.

References

External links

Category:1984 births Category:Living people Category:People from Shymkent Category:Kazakhstani rhythmic gymnasts Category:Gymnasts at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic gymnasts of Kazakhstan

de:Alija Jussupowa fr:Aliya Yussupova kk:Әлия Жүсіпова pt:Aliya Yussupova ru:Юсупова, Алия Махсутовна tt:Alia Yusupova

Coordinates	28°36′36″N77°13′48″N
name	Lea Salonga
birth date	February 22, 1971
birth place	Angeles City and Manila, Philippines
birth name	Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga
spouse	Robert Charles Chien (2004–present)
years active	1978–present
occupation	singer, actress
voicetype	Mezzo soprano
website	http://www.leasalonga.com/
tonyawards	Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical1991 ''Miss Saigon''
laurenceolivierawards	Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical1990 ''Miss Saigon''
dramadeskaward	Drama Desk Award for Best Actress in a Musical1991 ''Miss Saigon''
outercriticssicrlceaward	Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress in a Musical1991 ''Miss Saigon''
theatreworldaward	Theatre World Award for Best Actress in a Musical1991 ''Miss Saigon'' }}

Lea Salonga-Chien (born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. She is best known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical ''Miss Saigon'', for which she won the Olivier, Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics and Theatre World awards.

She was the first Asian to play the roles of Éponine and Fantine in the musical ''Les Misérables'' on Broadway. She also provided the singing voice of two Disney "princesses": Jasmine in ''Aladdin'' (1992), and Fa Mulan in ''Mulan'' (1998) and ''Mulan II'' (2004). Salonga was named a Disney Legend in 2011 for her work at the company.

Career

1978–1988

Salonga made her professional debut in 1978 at the age of seven in the musical ''The King and I'' by Repertory Philippines. She became the lead star of ''Annie'' and joined other productions such as ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'', ''Fiddler on the Roof'', ''The Rose Tattoo'', ''The Sound of Music'', ''The Goodbye Girl'', ''Paper Moon'' and ''The Fantasticks''.

She began her recording career at the age of ten with her first album, ''Small Voice'', which received a gold certification. A song on the album, the duet "Happiness", marked her first recording collaboration with her younger brother Gerard Salonga, who would, years later, work with her as musical director or creative director in her concerts and recordings. Her second album, ''Lea'', was released in 1988.

In addition to performing in musical theater and recordings, Salonga hosted her own musical television show, ''Love, Lea'', and was a member of the cast of German Moreno's teen variety show ''That's Entertainment''. She acted in films, which included the family-oriented ''Tropang Bulilit'', ''Like Father, Like Son'', ''Ninja Kids'', ''Captain Barbell'', and ''Pik Pak Boom''. She also opened for international acts such as Menudo and Stevie Wonder in their concerts in Manila in 1985 and in 1988, respectively.

As a young performer, Lea Salonga received a Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination (the Philippine equivalent of an Oscar nomination) for Best Child Actress. and three wins from the ''Aliw'' (literally, "entertainment") ''Awards'' as Best Child Performer.

1989–1992

Salonga was selected to play Kim in the musical ''Miss Saigon'' in 1989. Unable to find a strong enough East Asian actress/singer in the United Kingdom, the producers scoured many countries looking for the lead role of this major British production. For her audition, the 17-year-old Salonga chose to sing Boublil and Schönberg's "On My Own" from ''Les Misérables'' and was later asked to sing "Sun and Moon" to test the compatibility of her voice quality with the songs in the musical. The members of the panel were impressed with Salonga's rendition of the songs, noting that from Salonga's very first note, they already knew they had a potential Kim. Salonga competed with childhood friend and fellow Repertory Philippines performer Monique Wilson as they were tested with songs from the musical, which included "Too Much for One Heart", a number replaced by the duet "Please" just before the musical opened. Salonga was offered the lead role, with Wilson as the understudy (who was also assigned the role of bar girl Mimi).

For her performance as Kim, Salonga won the ''Olivier'' for ''Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical'' for the 1989–1990 season. From its original London home, ''Miss Saigon'' moved to Broadway in April 1991. Salonga subsequently won the Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and the Theatre World Awards for the same role. Between 1993 and 1996, she was asked periodically to play Kim on Broadway to boost ticket sales. In 1999, she was invited back to London to close the musical, and in 2001, at the age of 29 and after doing the Manila run of the musical, Salonga returned to Broadway to close the Broadway production.

In 1990, Salonga performed in a homecoming concert in Manila entitled ''A Miss Called Lea''. She also received a ''Presidential Award of Merit'' from Philippine president Corazon Aquino.

1993–1996

In 1993, upon completion of her initial stint as Kim on Broadway, Salonga played the role of street waif Éponine in the Broadway production of ''Les Misérables'', and later flew to Los Angeles to perform the song "A Whole New World" of Disney's ''Aladdin'' with Brad Kane at the 65th Annual Academy Awards, where the song won an Oscar. That same year, she released her self-titled international debut album with Atlantic Records, which had modest sales in the USA but went platinum in the Philippines and sold 3 million copies worldwide.

In 1994, Salonga played in various musical theater productions in the Philippines and Singapore. She starred as Sandy in ''Grease'', as Sonia Walks in ''They're Playing Our Song'', and as The Witch in ''Into The Woods''.

Back in the U.S. in 1995, Salonga played the role of Geri Riordan, an 18-year-old adopted Vietnamese American child in the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie ''Redwood Curtain'', which starred John Lithgow and Jeff Daniels. She then flew back to the Philippines to star with Filipino matinée idol Aga Muhlach in the critically acclaimed film ''Sana Maulit Muli'', which gave her a second Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) award nomination, this time for Best Actress. She accepted an invitation from Sir Cameron Mackintosh to play the role of Éponine in his 10th anniversary production called ''Les Miserables in Concert'' at London's Royal Albert Hall. Salonga performed along with Colm Wilkinson, Michael Ball, Judy Kuhn, and Philip Quast.

In 1996, Salonga was in ''Les Misérables'' once again. She played Éponine in the London production of the musical, then continued on to do the role in the musical's U.S. national tour in Hawaii.

1997–2003

From 1997 to 2000, Salonga did recordings and concerts in the Philippines and another engagement in London, in addition to her periodic returns to Miss Saigon in London and on Broadway. In 1997, she released ''I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing'' (recordings from her childhood days) to gold sales in the Philippines. That recording was followed by ''Lea... In Love'' in 1998 and ''By Heart'' in 2000, with both albums reaching multiple platinum status in the Philippines. In addition to the release of these albums, she participated in the tribute concert to Sir Cameron Mackintosh in London called "Hey Mr. Producer: The Musical World of Cameron MacKintosh", where she did numbers from several of his musicals. She also performed in four concerts: ''The Homecoming Concert'', ''The Millennium Concert'', ''The Best of Manila'' and ''Songs from the Screen'' – the last two being benefit shows. Salonga returned to Manila in ''Miss Saigon'', staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines at the end of 2000.

After ''Miss Saigon'''s closing on Broadway in 2001, Salonga recreated the role of Lien Hughes originally played by Ming-Na Wen in the soap opera ''As the World Turns''. After completing her contract that year, she was asked to return to the role in 2003. She guested on Russell Watson's ''The Voice'' concert, narrated for the television special ''My America: A Poetry Atlas of the United States'', and appeared on the Christmas episode of the TV medical drama ''ER'', playing the role of a patient with lymphoma.

In 2002, Salonga returned to Broadway to play the role of a Chinese immigrant in a reinterpretation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''Flower Drum Song'' opposite Jose Llana. This was after the reinvented musical had a run at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in 2001 with Salonga playing the lead role and with the show garnering multiple wins and nominations, including Lead Actress in a Musical for Salonga, from the Theatre Los Angeles Ovation Awards. The show, given a brand new libretto and considered one of the 10 best plays on Broadway in 2002 by ''Time'' magazine, garnered Tony Award nominations for ''Best Book'', ''Best Costume Designer'', and ''Best Choreographer'', and earned nominations from the Outer Critics Circle, the Drama League, the Astaire Awards, and Broadway.com's Audience Awards and Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards as well. The Salonga-led Broadway revival cast album was also a top contender at the 2003 Grammy Awards for ''Best Musical Show Album''. While Salonga's performance was received positively by theater critics such as Matthew Murray, Heather Cross, Patrick Purdon, and John Simon, among others, she was not nominated at the Tony Awards for her brief stint on Broadway that season, although she did get nominations for ''Distinguished Performance'' from the Drama League, for ''Favorite Lead Actress in a Broadway Musical'' from Broadway.com's Audience Awards, and for ''Best Lead Actress in a Musical'' from Broadwayworld.com's Fans' Choice Awards. Between the 2001 Los Angeles and 2002 Broadway productions of ''Flower Drum Song'', she performed in a non-musical theatrical production for the first time, playing the role of Catherine in the stage play ''Proof'' in Manila. This was followed by a major concert, ''The Broadway Concert'', at the Philippine International Convention Center. She also sang with Harry Connick, Peter Gallagher, and Michelle Lee in a tribute number for Richard Rodgers at the 56th Tony Awards.

In 2003, Salonga did her first "all-Filipino" concert in Manila called ''Songs from Home'', which later won a second ''Aliw Award'' as ''Entertainer of the Year''; she also won the previous year. Upon her return to the U.S., she performed in several shows at the Mohegan Sun in Montville, Connecticut. This was followed by a Christmas concert in the Philippines called ''Home for Christmas'' at the end of the year, which was nominated for the 18th ''Aliw Awards'', and performances at the Lenape Regional Performing Arts Center in Marlton, New Jersey the following year, in 2004. Later that year, she played Lizzie in the Manila production of the musical ''Baby'', which earned her another nomination from the ''Aliw Awards''.

2004–2007

In 2005, Salonga played her first US concert tour in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlantic City, and Chicago. Concert dates in Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Virginia followed. Later that year, Salonga performed with a 26-piece ensemble to a sold-out crowd at the Isaac Stern Hall in Carnegie Hall for the benefit of Diverse City Theater Company. Between her concerts, the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences (FAMAS) bestowed her with the Golden Artist Award at the 53rd FAMAS Awards in honor of her international achievements. She performed during the grand opening of Hong Kong's Disneyland and recorded two songs on tenor Daniel Rodriguez's ''In the Presence'' CD. That same year, Salonga did voice work for Disney's English dub of Hayao Miyazaki's ''My Neighbor Totoro'' as Mrs. Kusakabe. Salonga's other Disney film credits include the singing voice of Princess Jasmine for ''Aladdin'' in 1992 and Fa Mulan for ''Mulan'' and ''Mulan II'' in 1998 and in 2004, respectively.

In 2006, at the 15th Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, Salonga concluded the closing ceremony with the song "Triumph of The One" before an audience of 50,000 people at the Khalifa Stadium.

In 2007, Salonga released her first studio album in seven years called ''Inspired'', which has been certified platinum, and finished another stint in the musical ''Les Misérables'' on Broadway, this time as Fantine. She was scheduled to appear in a number of musical events scheduled in different countries until 2008.

Salonga received the ''Order of Lakandula Award'' from Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in recognition of her excellence in her craft and for using her talents to benefit Philippine society. It was also announced that she would return to Broadway in the musical ''Les Misérables'', replacing Daphne Rubin-Vega as Fantine on March 6. Her tenure started, however, on March 2, four days earlier than planned. Her casting on the show has been credited with boosting the musical's ticket sales on Broadway. On September 27, 2007, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was in New York, watched Salonga in her new role in the musical, whose cast that night included Filipino Americans Adam Jacobs as Marius and Ali Ewoldt as Cosette. Her contract with the musical ended on October 21, 2007 and she was succeeded by Broadway's original Cosette Judy Kuhn. For her performances in this revival, Salonga received rave reviews and made it again to the short list of Broadway.com's Audience Award favorites—this time for ''Best Replacement'' for her new role as Fantine. During her stint on Broadway this season, she appeared on Broadway on Broadway 2007 and Stars in the Alley 2007, spoke at the Broadway Artists Alliance Summer Intensives, guested on the Broadway musical 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and participated in Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS' ''12th Annual Nothing Like A Dame'' event to benefit the women's health initiative of The Actors Fund. Right after doing ''Les Misérables'', she performed in two events: at the US Military Academy Band's concert in West Point where she sang four songs and an encore and in her own concert at the Tarrytown Music Hall in New York.

As of November 2007, a number of performances were scheduled for the rest of the year and for 2008, including a Christmas presentation in Manila, concerts in other parts of the Philippines and in California, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Guam and Broadway Asia Entertainment's international tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'', where she plays the lead.

2008–present

On July 3, 2008, Salonga became a columnist in the ''Philippine Daily Inquirer'' with her column "Backstory" (Entertainment section), "Introducing: Lea Salonga, writer". She performed in "Global Pop" at the Music Center on July 11, 2008. It was presented by The Blue Ribbon a group founded by Dorothy Chandler in 1968. Backed by an orchestra of 19 musicians, Lea Salonga received a standing ovation for her solo concert on July 11 at Los Angeles' Walt Disney Concert Hall. Salonga also performed part of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "There's Music in You", as preview of her coming show ''Cinderella'' at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on July 29.

From late July 2008 to mid 2009, Salonga played the title role in a 30-week Asian tour of Rodger and Hammerstein's ''Cinderella'', opening in Manila and continuing to China, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. According to Billboard.com, Salonga was scheduled to perform in Nevada, Washington, California, Indiana, New York, Hawaii and more in 2009 and was also asked to dance novelty Filipino dances "Ocho-ocho" and "Spaghetti".

In July 2009, Salonga agreed to advertise the Avon Products line of anti-aging skin care products Anew Rejuvenate in the Philippines.

Also in the same month, Lea was invited to sing at the 95th Anniversary Special of Iglesia Ni Cristo. She was given a standing ovation after her first song, which was an original Iglesia Ni Cristo composition and arranged by Ryan Cayabyab.

On August 5, 2009, at the final requiem mass for President Corazon Aquino, Lea Salonga sang "Bayan Ko" as the final song right before Aquino's cortege was brought out from the Manila Cathedral.

Salonga celebrated 20 years of ''Miss Saigon'' by performing in a concert called "Lea Salonga...Your Songs", at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) Plenary Hall on December 11 and 12, 2009. Lea conducted an online poll via www.LEAyoursongs.com where fans could request songs they wanted to hear. The concert had crooner Richard Poon, the award-winning dance group Philippine All Stars and Concert Comedy Queen Ai-Ai de las Alas as special guests. "Lea Salonga...Your Songs" was under the musical direction of her brother, Gerard Salonga along with the FILharmoniKA.

From July 23 - August 22, 2010, Salonga played the role of Grizabella in the Manila run of the Asia-Pacific tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's ''Cats'' at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. She returned to ''Les Misérables'' on October 3 in the 25th Anniversary Concert of ''Les Misérables'' as Fantine, fifteen years after appearing in the 10th Anniversary as Eponine.

In 2010, Salonga joined forces with Avon as a celebrity judge for Avon Voices, Avon's first ever global, online singing talent search for women and songwriting competition for men and women.

Salonga was honored as a Disney Legend on August 19, 2011.

Education and personal life

Lea Salonga is the daughter of Feliciano Genuino Salonga and Ligaya Alcantara Imutan and spent the first six years of her childhood in Angeles City before moving to Manila. She is not related to former Senator Jovito Salonga.

She studied and finished her secondary education in 1988 at the O. B. Montessori Center in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, where she was a Bergamo 1 Student and an active participant in school productions. She also attended the University of the Philippines College of Music's extension program aimed at training musically talented children in music and stage movement. A college freshman at the Ateneo de Manila University when she auditioned for ''Miss Saigon'', she later took two courses at Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus while in between jobs in New York.

On January 10, 2004, Salonga married Robert Charles Chien, a Chinese-Japanese managing director of an entertainment software company in Los Angeles, California, whom she met while doing ''Flower Drum Song''. They have a daughter, Nicole Beverly, who was born on May 16, 2006, named after Salonga's late mother-in-law, Beverly. She is also an avid video game enthusiast, and has mentioned her love for the hobby in several of her print articles.

On October 15, 2010, Lea Salonga was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Discography

''Small Voice'' (1981)

''Lea'' (1988)

''Miss Saigon (Original London Cast)'' (1990)

''The King And I (Hollywood Studio Cast)'' (1992)

''Little Tramp – The Musical'' (1992)

''Aladdin (soundtrack)'' (1992)

''Lea Salonga'' (1993)

''Les Miserables - The Dream Cast in Concert'' (1995)

''Hey Mr. Producer: The Musical World of Cameron MacKintosh'' (1997)

''I'd Like to Teach The World to Sing'' (1997)

''Mulan (soundtrack)'' (1998)

''By Heart'' (1999)

''Lea... In Love'' (1999)

''Lea Salonga Live Vol. 1'' (2000)

''Lea Salonga Live Vol. 2'' (2000)

''Lea Salonga: The Christmas Album'' (2000)

''Making Tracks'' (2001)

''Songs from The Screen'' (2001)

''The Broadway Concert'' (2002)

''Flower Drum Song'' (2002)

''100% Lea Gives Her Best'' (2003)

''Songs from Home: Live Concert Recording'' (2004)

''Mulan II'' (2005)

''The Ultimate OPM Collection'' (2007)

''Inspired'' (2007)

''Shelldon'' (2008)

''The Journey So Far - Recorded Live at Cafe Carlyle'' (2011)

Filmography

''Les Misérables: The 25th Anniversary Concert'' (2010) - Fantine

''Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams'' (2007) – singing voice of Princess Jasmine

''Mulan II'' (2004) – singing voice of Fa Mulan

''My Neighbor Totoro'' (2004) – voice of Mrs. Kusakabe in the Disney English language version

''As the World Turns'' (2001) - Lien Hughes (reprised role in 2003)

''Mulan'' (1998) – singing voice of Fa Mulan

''Les Misérables: The 10th Anniversary Concert'' (1995) - Éponine

''Redwood Curtain'' (1995) – Geri Riorden

''Sana Maulit Muli (1995)''- Agnes

''Bakit Labis Kitang Mahal'' (1992) - Sandy

''Aladdin'' (1992) – singing voice of Princess Jasmine

''The heat is on in Saigon'' (1989) – The making of Miss Saigon

''Dear Diary'' (1989)

''Pik Pak Boom'' (1989)

''Ninja Kids'' (1986)

''Like Father, Like Son'' (1985)

''Captain Barbel'' (1986)

''Tropang Bulilit'' (1981)

References

See also

Kuh Ledesma

George Canseco

Pilita Corrales

Martin Nievera

Gary Valenciano

External links

FAO Goodwill Ambassador website

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Category:Filipino musical theatre actors Category:Filipino child actors Category:Filipino female singers Category:Filipino Roman Catholics Category:Drama Desk Award winners Category:Olivier Award winners Category:Tony Award winners Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:People from Manila Category:People from Pampanga Category:Kapampangan people Category:Recipients of the Order of Lakandula Category:1971 births Category:Living people

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