Qatar Geography
Landscape
As the only country starting with Q featured on Countryaah, Qatar borders Saudi Arabia in the south.
The desert- like peninsula of Qatar, fringed by coral reefs, protrudes about 170 km into the shallow waters of the Persian Gulf and is up to 80 km wide. From the salt marshes and dunes in the south, the mainland rises slightly to the north to a flat limestone plain with only a few oases interspersed. The highest point in the country is the Qurayn Abu al-Bawl (103 m above sea level). There are high temperatures and high humidity. There is no free flowing water; The groundwater level is only reached in sinks and the water is used by agriculture. The population in the cities is supplied with drinking water by seawater desalination plants in Ras Abu Funtas.
Qatar: Museum of Islamic Art in Doha
The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha (Qatar), built on an artificial island and designed by the architect Ieoh Ming Pei (opened in 2008).
Qatar
Doha, the capital of Qatar, grew rapidly due to the oil boom; the cityscape is dominated by modern architecture, some of which cites Arabic forms.
Population
Since the beginning of oil production, the population has risen sharply due to immigration of foreign workers (mainly other Arabs, Indians, Pakistani and Iranians). The vast majority of them provide services in the construction and manufacturing industries. Only a little more than one in ten of the almost exclusively urban population is now a citizen of Qatar. Accordingly, in addition to the official language Arabic, English, which is often used as a second language, as well as Farsi (Persian) and Urdu are widespread.
Qatar: Doha
Doha, the capital of Qatar, grew rapidly due to the oil boom; the cityscape is dominated by modern architecture, some of which cites Arabic forms.
Social: Qatar has one of the most developed and costly welfare systems in the Gulf States, but is largely dependent on foreign labor. In 2014 there were 20 doctors and 12 hospital beds for every 10,000 residents.
The biggest cities in Qatar Stäng table
| Biggest Cities (residents 2015) | |
| Doha | 956 500 |
| Ar Rayyan | 605 700 |
| Al Wakrah | 299,000 |
| Al Khawr | 202 000 |
| Al Shahaniya | 187 600 |
Religion
The constitution defines Islam as the state religion, whereby all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs, are guaranteed equality before the law. Foreigners living in Qatar are allowed to practice their religions. With the consecration of the Catholic Church “Our Lady of the Rosary” in Doha (March 15, 2008) there is the first Christian church in Qatar.
The ruling house and the vast majority (85–95%) of the local population profess the Sunni Islam of the Hanbali legal school with Wahhabi characteristics (Wahhabis). The proportion of Shiites in Qatar’s citizens is estimated at 5–15%. The citizens themselves, however, represent a minority of only about 10.5% of the total resident population. Hindus and Catholic Christians form the numerically largest non-Islamic religious groups among the foreigners with shares of over 35% and about 20%, respectively, followed by the Buddhists about 7%. The Catholics belong legally to the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia (seat: Manama in Bahrain).
National symbols
The national flag was first hoisted around 1949 and officially introduced with independence in 1971. The chocolate brown (“maroon”) cloth shows a white stripe on the leech, the dividing line consists of eight whole and two half teeth. The color of the flag is based on the traditionally used red natural dye, which turns brown under the influence of the sun.
The round coat of arms shows a dhow (Arab sailing ship) and an island with two palm trees in the yellow field above two curved swords on wavy blue and white lines. The state name is in the border in Arabic (above) and English (below).
Qatar: coat of arms
The coat of arms of Qatar shows a traditional dhow and an island with two palm trees over two curved swords on wavy blue and white lines. In the border is the state name in Arabic and English.
Media
Freedom of expression and freedom of the press are restricted by strict media laws as well as penal regulations, subject bans and internet bans. Self-censorship is common.
Press: Arabic-language daily newspapers are “Ash-Sharq” (founded 1985), “Al-Arab” (founded 1972), “Ar-Rayah” (founded 1979) and Al-Watan (founded 1995). “The Gulf Times” (founded in 1975), “The Peninsula” (founded in 1996) and “Qatar Tribune” (founded in 2006) appear in English.
News agency: Qatar News Agency (founded in 1975, officially).
Broadcasting: “Qatar Radio” (founded in 1968), which broadcasts in Arabic, English, French and Urdu, as well as “Qatar TV” (since 1970) and “Ar-Rayyan TV” (founded in 2012) are state-owned. In addition, programs from four other TV networks are received in Qatar. The sports channel »Al-Dawri wal-Kass« is popular. In Arabic-speaking countries as well as in Europe and America, the programs of the Doha-based, independent broadcasting family »Al-Djazira« (»The Island«), which started in 1996 as an Arabic 24-hour news channel, are received via satellite.
Unions
In 2004 it was announced that the establishment of trade unions would be approved. So far, however, there are only politically insignificant “workers’ committees”.
