QATAR

Qatar became an independent state on September 3, 1971 (but national day is on December 18). Qatar has a high standard of living with all the amenities of any modern state. Economy of the Qatar mainly depends on Oil, fishing and pearling. Islam is the predominate Religion and makes up 78% of the 1,500,000 population. Qatar has 563 km of coastline.

In 2008 the government allowed some churches to conduct mass. In March 2008 the Roman Catholic church “Our Lady of the Rosary” was consecrated in Doha.

Location

Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is an Arab emirate in Southwest Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the larger Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south; otherwise the Persian Gulf surrounds the state. An oil-rich nation, Qatar has the highest GDP percapita in the world.

Geography

Most of Qatar is a flat and rocky, sandy plain. Low hills punctuate the landscape, west and central, with massive sand dunes in the southeast. Qatar has an area of 11,437 km2 and a population of 1,541,130. 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 Gulf. There are mild winters and very hot, humid summers.

Capital

Doha

Climate

The mean Temperatures of the month from Jan are 27.1ºC, 16.9ºC, 18.5ºC, 22.1ºC, 26.6ºC, 31.9ºC, 34.3ºC 35.6ºC, 35.2ºC, 32.8ºC, 29.0ºC, 23.9ºC, 18.9ºC. July to Sept day maximum temperatures are around 40ºC.

Language

Arabic (Official language). English as well as many other languages like Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Tagalog, and Persian are widely spoken in Qatar.

Monetary Unit

Qatari Riyal (QAR)

Largest Cities

Doha, Al-Khor, Rayyan, Wakra

Places to Visit

Doha, Zubara fort. Kite surfing is increasingly popular for the westerners while the locals prefer driving jet-skis at high speed next to the beaches. If you like land more than the sea, feel free to go on one of the safari tours to the desert, try dune bashing with Land cruisers, Nissans etc. Visit the collection of widely scattered malls around Doha and enjoy yourself.

Air Ports

Doha is the main International Airport and Qatar Airways, the National carrier.