Official Name

State of Qatar

Capital

Doha

Head of State

H.H. the Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani

Heir Apparent

H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani

Legislation

Advisory Council

Law

Based on Sharia Law with both Civil and Sharia Courts

Government

Traditional Emirate

People and Culture

Nationalities

Qatari

Ethnic Groups

Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10% and Other 14%

Population

817,052 (25% of the population is Qatari)

Language

Arabic (official), English

Religion

Islam is the national religion, while other religions are widely practised and accepted

Geography

Location

Surrounded by water on three sides, Qatar is a peninsula in the Gulf, bordering Saudi Arabia

Area

The entire county is approximately 160km from north to south, and less than 80km wide (11,437 square km)

Highest Point

Dukhan Heights (98m)

Lowest Point

Sea level

Main Cities

Doha, Umm Said, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Ruwais, Al-Wakrah, Al-Shamal, Ras Laffan

National Flag

The national flag is maroon, with a broad vertical white stripe at the pole. The two colours are separated by a nine-point serrated line.

Climate

Winter: 20-30°C; summer: 25-48°C

Tourist Information

Weekend

Fridays and Saturdays

Shopping

Malls stay open until 21.00 or 22.00 hours

Electrical Current

220-240V + 6% with frequency 50Hz

Tipping

A 10% tip is considered adequate in most places

Economy

Currency

The official currency is the Qatari Riyal (QR), which is divided into 100 Dirham. The exchange parity has been set at the fixed rate of one US$ = 3.65 QR.

Main Minerals

Crude oil, natural gas

Agriculture

Fruits, vegetables

Industry

Oil production and refining, fertilisers, petrochemicals, steel, cement

Main Exports

Petroleum products, steel, liquefied gas, fertilisers

Main Imports

Chemicals, machinery, industrial equipment, cars, clothes, beverages, livestock, vegetables