Location:

Qatar is a peninsula located halfway down the west coast of the Arabian Gulf. Its territory comprises a number of islands including Halul, Sheraouh, Al-Ashat and others.

Area:

The total land area of Qatar is approximately 11,521 square kilometers.

Topographic Features:

The terrain is flat and rocky with some low-rising limestone outcrops in Dukhan area in the west and Jabal Fiwairit in the north. It is characterized by a variety of geographical phenomena including many coves, inlets, depressions and surface rainwater-draining basins known as “riyadh” (gardens), which are found mainly in the north and central part of the peninsula. These areas have the most fertile soil and are rich in vegetation.

Capital City:

Doha.

Major Towns:

Doha, Al Wakrah, Al Khor, Dukhan, Al Shamal, Mesaieed, Ras Lafan and others.

Population:

There are 1.7 million people living in the State of Qatar (according to what revealed the last demographic researches from 2010), compared to the 522 000 people counted in 1997. 85% of the Qatari population resides in Doha City and in its suburb Ar-Ryian.

Literacy:

• definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• total population: 89%
• male: 89.1%
• female: 88.6% (2004 census)

GDP growth rate: 19.4% (2010 census)

GDP: $126.5 billion (2010 census)

Inflation rate: 1.1% (2010 census)

Industries: liquefied natural gas, crude oil production and refining, ammonia, fertilizers, petrochemicals, steel reinforcing bars, cement, commercial ship repair

Agriculture products: fruits, vegetables; poultry, dairy products, beef; fish

Unemployment: 0.5% (2010 census)

Currency:

The official currency is the Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 dirhams.

The Exchange parity has been set at the fixed rate of US $ = 3.65 QR.

Climate:

Qatar has a moderate desert climate with long hot summers and short mild winters and little rain in winter.

Official Language:

Arabic is the official language in Qatar, and English is widely spoken.

 Local Time: 3 hours + Greenwich Mean Time.

 Electrical Current: 240 Volts + 6% with frequency 50 hertz

 The legal holidays:

18th of December of every year: the National Day.

3rd of September: the day in which the State of Qatar gained its independence in 1971.      

Eid Al Fitr: starts on the 1st of “as-shawal”- the tenth month of the Islamic year- and lasts for 4 days.

Eid Al Adha: starts on the 9th of the last month of the Islamic year and lasts for 5 days.

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The working schedule:

Governmental institutions start working at 7:00 a.m and finish working at 14:00 p.m. The private companies have two working schedules: from 8:00 a.m to 12:00p.m and from 16:00 to 20:00p.m. Friday and Saturday are non-working days. 

Women’s clothing:

Women garments are wide, loose and decent. They are made of rich fabric and some are embroidered with silver strands especially on the front, the bottom and on the wide- open sleeves of the garment. Qatari women’s garments come in various models: al-darah'a, al-surwal, al-hijab, al-iba'a, al-burgu' of the Bedouins.

Traditional men’s clothing :

The traditional garments for men are known under the following names: el-galbaab, el-ghutra and el-'aqaal.

Short history

The oldest traces of human presence in what we call today Qatar, namely, cuneiform inscriptions, stone lance points and clay pottery, date from 10.000-8000, A.D.

In the 5th century A.D. Herodotus writes about the inhabitants in the area, well known especially for navigation and trade.
In the 1st century A.D. Pliny the Elder names the nomads from the area “Catharrei”, referring thus to their constant wandering about in search for water. The word “Catara” occurs in a map belonging to Ptolemy, drawn up in the 2nd century A.D. in the space of the peninsula.

The difficult climate conditions didn’t allow the nomadic tribes from the center of the Arabic peninsula to settle in Qatar before the 7th century A.D. The tribes were made up from fishermen who were also dealing with pearling.

During the reign of the Arab Manadhira dynasty over Qatar and the neighboring areas, the conversion to the new Islamic religion took place. From that point on, Qatar actively participates in the expansion of the Islam. The inhabitants of the peninsula have contributed to the formation and weaponry and human forces equipping of the first Islamic fleet which transported the armies in the period of the Islamic conquests.

At the beginning of the 16th century, Qatar enters a short period of Portuguese rule. Qatari ally with the Turks in order to send the Portuguese dominators away and as a consequence, they fall under the rule of the Ottoman Empire, together with the entire Arab peninsula, for over 400 years, although the human power and control remain in the hands of the sheiks and princes of the local Arabian tribes.

In the early of the 18th century, the Thani family, whose name comes from its ancestor Sheikh Muhammad Bin Thani, takes the leadership of the country. This family was part of Tamim tribes who lived a fairly long period around Gebrin oasis. Around the middle of the 19th century, under the leadership of Sheik Mohammed Bin Thani, family members established in Doha and took the power of the State of Qatar.

During the First World War, Qatar adopts a pro-British position. In 1916, Qatar becomes a British protectorate, on the basis of an agreement which proved to be not so beneficial for Qatar, particularly form an economic point of view.
In the 30’s, the first oil-bearing plots are leased, the exploitation of which was however blocked by war. After the conflagration came to an end, the exploitation was resumed.

The Second World War finds most of the country in a state of economic decline, the redress beginning in the 60’s.
In 1968, the British decide to give up the region protectorate agreements, offering thus the possibility of the Gulf Emirates to form a federation. Because of the numerous dissensions and divergent interests in the region, this plan is not materialized and Qatar opts for independence, which is granted on the 3rd of September 1971.

Modern Qatar

The modern history of Qatar began in the early of 18th century with the present Al-Thani ruling family of Qatar.

1850	- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Thani established the Al-Thani dynasty;
1878	- Sheikh Qassim Bin Mohammed Al Thani becomes the official successor of his father Sheikh Mohammad Bin Thani;
1913	- Sheikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani becomes the ruler of the country and during his reign petrol is discovered for the .first time in the State of Qatar;
1940	- Sheikh Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani acceded to power;
1949	- Sheikh Ali Bin Abdullah Al-Thani is the head of the country;
1960	- Sheikh Ahmed Bin Ali Al-Thani assumes the power in the country;
1972	- Accession to the throne of the Sheik Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the father of the present Emir, who promotes a policy of social and economic reform which subdued the privileges of the royal family;
1995	- Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani took the power becoming the Emir of the State of Qatar.

The Emir is a partisan of the continuation of the democratic reform processes and of an internal policy based on privatization and diminution of the country’s dependence to the oil industry.