Living in Qatar
Formal Name
State of Qatar
Location
The State of Qatar lies halfway along the West Coast of the Arabian Gulf, east of the Arabian Peninsula between 24 degrees 27 minutes and 26 degrees 10 minutes north – and at 50 degrees 45 minutes to 51 degrees 40 minutes east. Its territory comprises a number of islands including Halul, Al Shat, Shira’wa and others.
Land Area
It is a peninsula that extends northward covering an area of 11521 sq. km.
Topography
The topography of the Qatar peninsula generally consists of flat rocky surfaces with some limestone outcrops scattered in the west of the country. However, it includes some ills and sand dunes that reach an altitude of 40 meters above sea level in the eastern and northern parts of the country.
The surface of Qatar is characterized by a number of geographical features, which are popular to the East Coast the Arabian Gulf such as coves, inlets, depressions and surfaces rainwater-draining basins known as al-Rawdat (the gardens). The northern and central region has the most fertile soil where vegetation grows in abundance.
Climate
Qatar has a desert climate of hot summer and relatively warm winter. In summer, the temperature ranges between 25 and 46 degrees centigrade. Rainfall in winter is minimal and on average does not exceed 75.2 mm per year.
Capital City
Doha is the capital city, the seat of government and the location of the main commercial and financial institutions. Situated halfway along the East Coast of the peninsula, the city is an important cultural and commercial center with a vast commercial seaport and a modern international airport that link the country to the rest of the world. More than half of the population lives in Doha.
Population
The population of Qatar is estimated at 744,000 according to the 2004 census, compared to about 522 thousand counted in 1997 census. 83% of the population lives in Doha and its suburb, al-Rayyan.
The People
The people of Qatar are the descendants of Arabian lines of kinship. This relation resulted from the close proximity of their country to the Arabian Peninsula, and the deep-rooted historical and cultural background they share with the people of Arabia. In addition, the composition of the present population was formed by a major migration from the neighboring areas of Najd, a;-lhsa and the Omani mainland in 17th to 18th centuries AD.
Religion and Language
Islam is the official religion of the state and Shari’a (Islamic law) is the main source of legislation. Arabic is the official language. English is widely spoken.
Independence
The State of Qatar became an independent country on the 3rd of September 1971.
Accession of the H.H. The Emir
On the 27th of June 1995 H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani acceded to power in the country
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 $ = 3.65QR's.
Work Hours
Government Offices: 7 am to 2 pm
Private establishments: 8:00 am to 12 noon and 4 pm to 8 pm
Friday and Saturday are the weekend holidays.
Public Holidays
Independence Day: 3rd September.
Eid Al-Fitr: 4 days from 1st to 4th of Shawwal of al-Hijrah
Eid Al-Adha: 5 days from 10th to 15th of Zilhijjah of al-Hijrah
Local Time
3 hours + Greenwich Mean Time
Electrical Current
240 Volts + 6% with frequency 50 hertz
