Qatar - Useful information for your trip
Qatar is a country in the Middle East with Doha as a capital city. It's situated in Asia.
The State of Qatar is an emirate situated in the Middle East, Asia, on the Arabian peninsula and sorrounded by the Persian Gulf. Its capital city is Doha, its religion is Islam and the ufficial language is Arabic, even if English is common due to the colonial past.
Qatar is morphologically barren and rocky, scattered with rich oilfields and natural gas reserves. Water is extremely scarce and farming almost impossible and the country must rely on import for the most part. The climate is desertic, with hot sultry rainless summers, from May to October, and slightly cooler winters, from November to April, with some brief rainfalls. Shamal, a strong wind, often causes sand storms.
Qatar signed Rio Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 and then produced a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to preserve its environment, which is home to 142 recorded fungal species.
The main economic resource is petroleum, on which all the country's wealth is based. Farming is relevant only at a local level and employs only 3% of the labour force. Projects to increase food self-sufficiency are being studied. Sheep-farming is still widespread, generally based on goats, sheep, cattle and dromedaries. Fishing is also important and covers all domestic needs.
Indutries are mainly devoted to petroleum refining, or cement, fertlizers and steel production.
During a holiday in Qatar, you shouldn't miss the cultural beauties of the capital Doha, with the Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif and Doha Corniche, as well as a safari desert.
