Qatar

Capital: Doha Population: 1,903,447 Official Languages: Arabic Time Zone: +3 Dialing Code: +974

Government: Absolute monarchy Area: 11,571 km2 largest city: Doha Currency : Riyal ISO 3166 code: QA

Basic Info

Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. A strait of the Persian Gulf separates Qatar from the nearby island state of Bahrain.

Geography

The Qatari peninsula juts 100 miles (161 km) north into the Persian Gulf from Saudi Arabia. It lies between latitudes 24° and 27° N, and longitudes 50° and 52° E.

Climate

The long summer (May through September) is characterized by intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity, with temperatures reaching 50 °C (122 °F). Temperatures are moderate from November to May, although possibly falling to 5 °C (41 °F). Rainfall is negligible, averaging 100 mm (3.9 in) per year, confined to the winter months, and falling in brief, sometimes heavy storms that often flood the small ravines and the usually dry wadis. Sudden, violent dust storms occasionally descend on the peninsula, blotting out the sun, causing wind damage, and temporarily disrupting transport and other services.

Religion

islam is the predominant religion. According to the 2004 census, 77.5% of the population are muslim, 8.5% are Christian and 14% are "Other". Shi'as comprise between 5% to 10% of the muslim population in Qatar.

Administrative divisions

Qatar maintains a modest military force of approximately 11,800 men, including an army (8,500), navy (1,800) and air force (1,500). In 2008 Qatar spent US$2.355 billion on military expenditures, 2.3% of the gross domestic product.

1 Madinat ash Shamal 2 Al Khor 3 Umm Salal 4 Al Daayen 5 Al Rayyan 6 Doha 7 Al Wakrah

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