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Qatar is a small country in the Persian
(Arabian) Gulf. It borders on Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates by
land and Bahrain by Sea. Doha is the capital city of Qatar. Qatar gained
independence from British rule on September 3,
1971. Qatar has been ruled by the Al-Thani family and is
currently ruled by the Emir, HH Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. The
traditional Qatar economy was built around pearling and the town of Zubara
in the north was the main centre for pearl diving.
With the advent of the cultured pearl, the pearl industry collapsed in the
1930s. Although oil was discovered in
Qatar in the late 1930s, it was not until a decade later that production
began in earnest.
Qatar is small, flat, dry and hot, with little or no arable land.. It is
160 Km long and 55 to 80 Km wide with a total area of 11,437 sq km.
Summertime temperatures are usually in the high 30s to low 40s (Celsius),
although temperatures into the high 40s are often recorded. Winter (if it
can be called that) temperatures are mild and rarely go into the single
digits.
 The
people of Qatar are primarily of Arab descent,
reflecting the country's close proximity to the Arabian peninsula and its
ties of history, language and religion with the other Gulf states. Arab
tribes who migrated to the area in the 18th century form the basis of the
population. Most of the present inhabitants of Qatar live in the capital,
Doha, but there are a fair number living in the towns and villages of
Wakrah, Dukhan, Umm Said, Al-Khor and Madinat Shamal. Only 25% of the
population of Qatar is Qatari. The remainder is foreign, overwhelmingly
Pakistani. Most Qataris are of Arab ancestry, though there are a number of
families of Persian origin.
The capital of the
country, Doha is situated half-way down the east coast of the
peninsula. It is an important cultural and commercial centre and enjoys
excellent communications with the outside world through its modern
seaport, airport and telephone links.
Among the attractions in the city are the Qatar National Museum, the
Handicrafts Centre and the traditional
 souks
and bazaars. The Qatar National Library is a well-equipped institution
housing a rich collection of books, rare volumes and manuscripts. The city
is also well-known for its fine mosques.
The principal suburb of Doha is Al-Rayan, about 7km from the centre of the
capital. It is an elegant area with palaces, fine buildings and a horse
racing course.
Another suburb is Khalifa Town, which is about 6km from the city centre.
The majority of houses here were built through government financial
sponsorship as part of the housing programme and were given to Qatari
citizens on very easy terms.
Today, while Qatar still has an oil-based economy,
it is natural gas on which the future economy will be built. Qatar has
some of the largest reserves of natural gas in the world and it is
expected that this gas will carry the economy through the 21st century.
Though Islam
is the religion of the majority of people in Qatar, it is slightly less
strict than the Saudi Arabian variety. For example, alcohol which is
prohibited in Saudi Arabia is available to non-Muslims resident in Qatar.
It is also available to residents of some hotels in Doha.
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