Qatar

Location:

Middle East, peninsula bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia

Border Countries:

Saudi Arabia 60 km

Terrain:

mostly flat and barren desert covered with loose sand and gravel

Geography:

strategic location in central Persian Gulf near major petroleum deposits

Capital:

Doha

About Qatar

Ruled by the al-Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Qatari economy was crippled by a continuous siphoning off of petroleum revenues by the Amir, who had ruled the country since 1972. His son, the current Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa al-Thani, overthrew him in a bloodless coup in 1995. In 2001, Qatar resolved its longstanding border disputes with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. As of 2007, oil and natural gas revenues had enabled Qatar to attain the highest per capita income in the world.

Population:

824,789 (July 2008 est.)

Language:

Arabic (official), English commonly used as a second language

Religion:

Muslim 77.5%, Christian 8.5%, other 14% (2004 census)

Phone Service:

modern system centered in Doha

Currency:

Qatari rial (QAR)

Climate:

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Natural Hazards:

haze, dust storms, sandstorms common