Qatar

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