Von Karman-type vortex streets consisting of modified point vortices are shown to be exact non-linear solutions of the quasi-geostrophic (QG) potential vorticity (PV) equations on a two-layer beta-plane. Vortex streets with different vertical structures are considered(barotropic, baroclinic and hetonic). A classification of the solutions in terms of the basic physical model parameters shows that for small ambient vorticity gradients all types of vortex streets can exist as long as the horizontal aspect ratio of the streets and the stratification parameter are in prescribed intervals. For increasing ambient vorticity gradients however some types of vortex streets stop to be solutions until only vortex pair-like-streets survive. No antisymmetric vortex street can exist on the beta-plane if the vorticity gradient exceeds a critical threshold. The baroclinic jets induced by the vortex streets have zonal mean profiles characterized by several coupled length scales with a typical behaviour in the central part and in the tails. The theory of von Karman-type vortex streets yields a critical meridional distance between the vortex rows on beta-plane and can so give further a new explanation for the meridional scale selection process in zonal jets on beta-plane. QG von Karman vortex streets can be used to model global zonal jets in the atmospheres or oceans of fast rotating planets. They especially allow the description of transport and mixing properties of meandering jets consisting of strongly localized PV anomalies, which gives a complementary model to the kinematical jet models traditionally used.