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. For culture and traditions of Qatar, please check animalerts.
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.
