Qatar - geography
Qatar is located on a peninsula in the Persian Gulf. From the northwest
coast there are only 25 km to the island state of Bahrain; both countries claim
the Huwar archipelago, which lies between them. The peninsula is flat (highest
point is about 40 masl) and largely barren with sandy desert to the south and
only a bit of natural vegetation to the north. The climate is tropical desert
with very hot summers with daytime temperatures frequently of 45-50 °C. The
winter months are mild and pleasant with average temperatures of around 20 °
C. Sandstorms can occur all year round, but are especially frequent in the
spring. There may be rain in the winter, but insufficient for agricultural
purposes. Lakes and streams do not exist, and more than half of the water supply
is provided by desalinating seawater. Nevertheless, remarkable agricultural
production has been created by exploiting the few groundwater sources and by
using desalinated seawater. The process involves enormous amounts of energy, and
Qatar is one of the countries in the world that uses the most energy per
capita. resident.
Qatar's population has increased tenfold since the 1960's. The growth is
mainly due to immigration of guest workers, which amounts to approximately 75% of the
population. The vast majority come from India, Pakistan, South-East Asia and the
poorer Arab countries, but there are also many Westerners, including approximately 300
Danes. The capital Doha houses more than half of the population, while the Mes
Said oil and industrial center 30 km south of it is under rapid development. A
new city is under construction in Ras Laffan to the NE.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Qatar? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
Qatar's rapid prosperity development is based on oil production, which began
in 1949. The country has 0.4% of the world's known oil reserves (1997), and
production is rising sharply; with the current production, the reserves last
only 15 years. On the other hand, one of the world's largest natural gas fields,
North Field, has been found in the Persian Gulf NE of Qatar, and the country now
has 7.5% of the world's natural gas reserves; it is more than eg the whole of
North America. The extraction of both oil and natural gas takes place in
collaboration with foreign companies, e.g. AP Moller.
The government has actively participated in the establishment of a number of
major industrial projects with a view to developing economic sectors other than
oil and natural gas; in addition to large petrochemical companies, these are
heavy industry and smaller, privately owned enterprises in the food and
construction sector.
Despite the unfavorable natural conditions, there is a significant
agricultural production of vegetables, grains, eggs and poultry in addition to
dairy farming and small fishing industries.
Qatar has a well-developed public sector that is committed to ensuring that
oil revenues benefit its citizens. Among other things. there is a focus on
education and the health sector. Access to medical care and hospitals is free
for all citizens.
Until 1995, Qatar was one of the most conservative communities in the Arabian
Peninsula with tight political and religious control and strict regulations for
women. The ruling al-Thani family, like the majority of the indigenous
population, belongs to the Sunni Orthodox sect, Wahhabism, which is also the
dominant one in Saudi Arabia; however, Islam is not practiced as rigorously in
Qatar as in the neighboring state. As in Bahrain, there are also Shia Muslim
groups, but in Qatar it has not given rise to major conflicts. Qatar has become
known in part for hosting the Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera, partly by
allowing the United States to have its military headquarters in the country in
connection with the Iraq war in 2003. Qatar, which aims to become the Persian
Gulf's center for teaching and research, has embarked on a radical reform of the
education sector from primary school to university and established the prestige
project Education City.
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