25 Quirky Facts About Qatar
Looking to boost your knowledge of this hot, sandy country? Take a look at these 25 facts about Qatar!
Geographical stats…
- Qatar is a small country in the Middle East.
- It shares only one border with Saudi Arabia to the south. It also has a coastline along the Persian Gulf along to the west, north and east.
- If you’re looking to head to this unique country by boat or air, you’ll need to remember the coordinates 25.3000° N, 51.5167° E.
- The terrain here is mostly flat and barren desert, contrasted by the beautiful man-made island of Pearl-Qatar.
- The total land area of Qatar is 4,448 square miles (11,521 square kilometres)…
- …that’s roughly the same size as Yorkshire.
- Qatar’s population was 2,194,817 in 2015…
- …that’s less than half the population of Yorkshire!
- Residents here are known as Qataris.
- Doha is the capital city; it covers an area of 51 square miles (132 square kilometres) and had a population of 718,000 in 2015.
- Qataris enjoy an arid climate with mild, pleasant winters and very hot and humid summers.
Social intricacies
- The official languages of Qatar are Arabic and English.
- If you fancy purchasing a few souvenirs from the vibrant souks, you’ll need to exchange your GBP for Qatari Riyal, the official currency here.
- The average life span of a Qatari is 79 years.
- History enthusiasts will be interested to know that there is evidence of human habitation in Qatar from as early as the 4th century BC!
- In Qatar it is deemed appropriate and respectful to ensure both men and women’s clothes do not end above the knee and that women’s arms are covered.
- In 2022, Qatar will become the smallest country (by area) ever to host a FIFA World Cup!
- Petrol is around 15p per litre in Qatar… if only it was that cheap in the UK!
- Not only is petrol very cheap here, Qatar also has the highest GDP per capita at more than 3 times that of the UK!
- Looking forward to the weekend? Well, in Qatar it actually falls on Friday and Saturday, with Sunday the start of each working week!
- After being ruled by both the Ottoman Empire and the British, Qatar finally gained independence in 1971.
Industry insights…
- Qatar grows fruits and vegetables; they also rear poultry and cattle, catch fish and produce dairy products.
- Its industry consists of crude oil production and refining, petrochemicals, fertilisers, cement and steel reinforcing bars.
- The main exports consist of petroleum products, steel and fertilisers.
Bonus Fact!
- Do you know someone lucky enough to live in Qatar? You can make cheap calls to Qatar with Cherry Call – don’t forget, you’ll also need to use the international dialling code of 00974.
To keep up-to-date with what’s going on in Qatar, head over to the Gulf Times website.