Qatar
Qatar has the longest flag of any country, and in 2022 it became the first Arab nation to host the football World Cup.
- CapitalDohaAlmost the entire population lives here
- PopulationAbout 3 millionAround 88 per cent are foreign nationals
- Area11,586 km2A peninsula into the Persian Gulf
- GasThird largest reservesA leading LNG exporter
Qatar is a flat, sandy peninsula sticking north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula. It is small and almost entirely desert, with the great majority of its people living in and around Doha.
Beneath the sea off its coast lies part of the largest natural gas field in the world, shared with Iran. Exporting that gas as LNG made Qatar one of the wealthiest countries per person anywhere.
National symbols
- National animal Arabian oryx
- National bird Falcon
- National anthem As Salam al Amiri (Translation: Peace to the Emir)
- National day National Day, 18 December
Map of Qatar
Geography
Qatar covers 11,586 km2 and shares one land border, with Saudi Arabia. The Persian Gulf surrounds the rest of the peninsula.
The land is flat, low desert of sand and gravel, with the highest point only around 103 m. In the south-east, at Khor Al Adaid, the sea reaches inland to meet the dunes, an unusual formation known as the inland sea.
Climate
Qatar has a hot desert climate with extremely hot, humid summers where temperatures pass 45C and the coastal humidity makes it feel worse.
Winters are mild and pleasant, around 17C to 25C, which is why the World Cup was moved to November and December. Rainfall is very low, under 80 mm a year, and Qatar relies almost entirely on desalinated water.
Culture
Arabic is the official language and English is widely used. Around 88 per cent of residents are foreign nationals, mostly from South Asia.
Nearly all Qatari citizens are Muslim. Falconry and camel racing are traditional pastimes. Doha has invested heavily in culture, and the Museum of Islamic Art holds one of the world's finest collections of Islamic artefacts.
Economy
Natural gas dominates. Qatar shares the North Field with Iran, the largest natural gas field in the world, and is among the top exporters of liquefied natural gas.
The government has invested oil and gas income worldwide through its sovereign wealth fund, and has developed aviation, with Qatar Airways, along with finance, education and sport.
The flag
A white vertical band along the flagpole edge and a large maroon field, separated by a serrated line with nine points.
The nine points mark Qatar as the ninth member of the reconciled emirates of the Gulf after a treaty in 1916. The maroon colour developed from red dye that turned darker in the intense Qatari sun. White stands for peace.