General information about Qatar
The official name is the State of Qatar (Daulyat Qatar, State of Qatar). It is located in Southwest Asia, in the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula, extended far into the Persian Gulf. The territory of the country includes the Qatar Peninsula and a number of small adjacent islands with a total area of 11,437 thousand km2. The population of St. 800 thousand people (2003 estimate). The official language is Arabic. The capital is Doha (313 thousand people, 1998). Public holiday – Independence Day September 3 (since 1971). The monetary unit is the Qatari rial (contains 100 dirhams).
Member of the UN (since 1971), Arab League (since 1971), IMF, IBRD, OPEC, OIC, OAPEC, GCC (since 1981), etc.
Geography of Qatar
Located between 50°45′ and 51°35′ East longitude and 24°45′ and 26°10′ North latitude. From the north, west and east it is washed by the waters of the Persian Gulf. The coast is a rugged coastline with a length of 563 km. A large number of coral reefs (sometimes up to 4 km wide) makes it difficult to access. Qatar borders on the south with Saudi Arabia, on the sea – with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (Emirate of Abu Dhabi). The relief of the territory is simple and is located on the low desert plateau of the Arabian Peninsula descending to the sea. Deposits of minerals – oil and natural gas – are of world importance. Soils are mostly sandy and limestone. Nature is distinguished by a hot and arid climate, the absence of constantly flowing rivers and natural reservoirs. According to Bridgat, during the rainy season (December – January), water accumulates in dry channels (wadis), the largest of which Mashrib passes near the capital. In summer (May-October), the temperature at noon rises to 45 ° C with an air humidity of 85-90%. At this time, sandstorms are frequent. Winter (December-March) is moderately warm, +15–25°С during the day, up to +10°С at night. Due to the difficult climatic conditions, the flora and fauna of Qatar is extremely scarce. Locust distribution centers are located in this area. More than 70 species of commercial fish are found in the waters of Qatar: tuna, horse mackerel, mackerel, sardine. Pearls have been mined in the area of coral reefs for a long time. Due to the difficult climatic conditions, the flora and fauna of Qatar is extremely scarce. Locust distribution centers are located in this area. More than 70 species of commercial fish are found in the waters of Qatar: tuna, horse mackerel, mackerel, sardine. Pearls have been mined in the area of coral reefs for a long time. Due to the difficult climatic conditions, the flora and fauna of Qatar is extremely scarce. Locust distribution centers are located in this area. More than 70 species of commercial fish are found in the waters of Qatar: tuna, horse mackerel, mackerel, sardine. Pearls have been mined in the area of coral reefs for a long time.
Population of Qatar
Before the discovery of oil fields, the number of inhabitants did not exceed 20 thousand people. Birth rate 15.6%, mortality 4.43%, infant mortality 20 people. per 1000 newborns, life expectancy 73.14 years (women 75.76, men 70.65 years) (2003). Age structure of the population: 0-14 years old – 24.7% of all residents of the country, 15-64 years old – 72.4%, 65 years and older – 2.9%. The bulk of the population (more than 90%) is concentrated in the capital and other large cities.
The demographic situation of Qatar is characterized by a small proportion of the indigenous population (1/6) in the total mass of people who arrived from other countries as hired labor and service personnel. This gives rise to many problems related to ensuring national security and preserving the Qatari identity. The ethnic composition of the country is very heterogeneous: Arabs 40%, Pakistanis 18%, Indians 18%, Iranians 10%, others – 14%. Languages: Arabic, English as a second language.
The state religion of China is Islam, which was adopted in 628. Its canons permeate the entire life of the local population. The indigenous inhabitants of Kazakhstan profess the Sunnism of the Hanbali “madhhab” – a religious and legal school, which is considered the most rigid. Some of them are followers of the teachings of Sheikh Ibn Al-Wahhab (Hanbalism in its extreme form). A small part of the population are Shiites. Currently, due to the influx of foreign workers, about half of the country’s population adheres to Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity.
