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Dig into a selection of pictures from Qatar, this extremely rich peninsular country in the Gulf. There are a couple of galleries to browse, stemming from two visits to Qatar.
The first visit was a shear disaster due to a late incoming aircraft. I only managed to get an overnight stay and had to skip my day-time plans. The second visit made up for the loss, more or less. Consult the map page for details and check out Qatar entries. You will find this picture gallery page, and in time a regular travelogue. I have been slow in describing my latest visit in 2018.
Click on the galleries to reveal all pictures from Qatar.
A handful of images from Qatar, the small country on a peninsula in the Gulf. A planned layover was shortened due a late incoming flight, much to my disappointment.
5 Photos
View all photo galleries on Sandalsand.
Fast facts about Qatar
Learn about the country on Wikipedia. Here is an introduction based on it.
Orientation
Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and shares its sole land border with neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council monarchy Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its territory surrounded by the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, separates Qatar from nearby Bahrain. The capital is Doha, home to over 80% of the nation’s population.
In early 2017, Qatar’s total population was 2.6 million: 313,000 Qatari citizens and 2.3 million expatriates. Its official religion is Islam. In terms of income, the country has the fourth-highest GDP (PPP) per capita in the world, and the sixth-highest GNI per capita (Atlas method). Qatar is classified by the United Nations as a country of very high human development, having the third-highest HDI in the Arab world. It is a high-income economy, backed by the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves and oil reserves. Qatar is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, and the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide per capita.
A bit more
Qatar has been ruled by the House of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed a treaty with the British in 1868 that recognised its separate status. Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in the early 20th century until gaining independence in 1971. The hereditary emir of Qatar rules as an autocrat (currently, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani) and holds all executive and legislative authority, as well as controlling the judiciary. He appoints the prime minister and cabinet.
In the 21st century, Qatar emerged as a significant power in the Arab world through its resource-wealth, as well as its globally expanding media group, Al Jazeera Media Network, and reportedly supporting several rebel groups financially during the Arab Spring.
