Qatar Latest News
India recently defended Qatar’s sovereignty at the U.N. Human Rights Council.
About Qatar
- Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country located in Western Asia.
- It is located on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula.
- It has a total area of 11,586 sq.km.
- It shares a sole land border with Saudi Arabia to the south and is surrounded by the Persian Gulf on all other sides.
- The Gulf of Bahrain separates Qatar from the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- Doha is its capital and largest city.
- Languages: Arabic is the official and English is the common language in the country.
- Official Currency: Riyal (QAR)
- Qatar has been ruled by the House of Thani family since 1868.
- It was a British protectorate from 1916 and became fully independent in 1971.
Qatar Landscape
- The landscape of Qatar is primarily flat and barren desert.
- Sand dunes dominate the southern part of the country, especially in the area known as the Khor al Adaid, or the “Inland Sea”.
- To the north and west, the terrain turns slightly rockier and features low-rising limestone formations.
- Qatar has wadis, which are valleys that remain dry except during the rainy season when they can briefly turn into rivers.
- One of the most distinct geographical features of Qatar is its salt flats or sabkhas. They form as a result of the country's high evaporation rates, which leave behind salt deposits.
- It includes a number of islands in the coastal waters of the peninsula. Hawar Archipelago, Halul and Al Bashiria are the most well known among these.
Qatar Ethnic Groups
- Qatar was originally settled by Bedouin nomads from the central part of the Arabian Peninsula.
- Qatari citizens, however, constitute only a small portion—roughly one-ninth—of the total population today.
- Economic growth beginning in the 1970s created an economy dependent on foreign workers—mostly from Pakistan, India, and Iran—who now far outnumber nationals.
- Few Qataris retain a nomadic lifestyle.
Qatar Economy
- The Qatari economy is, to a very large extent, dependent on income derived from the exploitation of oil, natural gas and subsidiary industry, which accounts for more than 90 percent of annual exports.
- It has the third largest reserves of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world.
- Doha, the capital city, is a regional financial hub, home to various international banks, financial institutions, and investment firms.
Source: TH
