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Doha Corniche One of the fine Arts |
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Location
The State of Qatar is situated half-way along the west coast of the Arabian Gulf, east of the Arabian peninsula. It is itself a peninsula that extends northward covering an area of 11,437 sq km.
Its territory includes a number of islands in the waters around it. The most well-known of these are the Hawar Islands, Halul which is the export terminal for the offshore oil fields and others
Oil and natural gas
The utilisation of oil and natural gas along with a group of affiliated and complementary industries constitutes the backbone of the Qatari economy.
The government has pursued a policy of full control, ownership and wise utilisation of the country's hydrocarbon resources in the service of national aspirations. In attempting to realise the policy, the government has sponsored development plans and studies relating to the best use of oil revenues. The establishment of economically viable projects and a solid oil-related industrial base has been the aim.
Qatar General Petroleum Corporation (QGPC)
The Qatar General Petroleum Corporation undertakes exploration and production activities through two divisions:
· Onshore -- This division is responsible for production in a single large oil-field, consisting of four major hydrocarbon reservoirs -- three oil bearing and one containing non-associated gas.
· Offshore -- This division is in charge of oil production in offshore oil fields located within the country's territorial waters.
There is also an oil-field, Bunduq, which straddles the marine boundary between Qatar and the UAE and which is owned by both countries in equal shares.
QGPC supervises a number of local industries based on the utilisation of gas an oil as well as a number of investments abroad.RasGas is also one of the companies owned by QGPC and is located in the Northern side of Qatar
The North Gas Field Discovered in 1971 in water from 15 to 17 meters deep located north east of the Qatar peninsula, it covers a surface area of about 6000 square kilometres. Its reserves are estimated at about 500 trillion cubic feet and in considered the largest single concentration of natural gas on earth. This discovery propelled Qatar into the top five countries in terms of biggest gas reserves in the world.
The capital of the country, Doha is situated half-way down the east coast of the peninsula. It is an important cultural and commercial center and enjoys excellent communications with the outside world through its modern seaport, airport and telephone links.
Among the attractions in the city are the Qatar National Museum, the Handicrafts Centre and the traditional souks and bazaars. The Qatar National Library is a well-equipped institution housing a rich collection of books, rare volumes and manuscripts. The city is also well-known for its fine mosques.
The principal suburb of Doha is Al-Rayan, about 7km from
the center of the capital. It is an elegant area with palaces, fine buildings
and a horse racing course.
Another suburb is Khalifa Town, which is about 6km from
the city center.
Taxi
As there is neither a bus nor a train system in
Qatar, the only option for visitors is to rent a car or hire a taxi. There are plenty of taxis available in Doha and it is easy
to find one. Rates are normally quite cheap but they do increase at night.
Topography
Qatar generally consists of flat rocky surfaces. It does,
however, include some hills and sand dunes which reach an altitude of 40m above
sea level in the western and northern parts of the country. We can see very less
greenery here
Climate
The State of Qatar has a desert climate with a hot summer
and a relatively mild winter.In the summer the temperature ranges between 25°C and 45°C
with high humidity. There is some( one or two) rainfall in the winter
Peoples
The people of Qatar are primarily of Arab descent.Most of
the present inhabitants of Qatar live in the capital, Doha, but there are a fair
number living in the towns and villages of Wakrah, Dukhan, Umm Said, Al-Khor and
Madinat Shama.I heard that there are more numbers of expatriate (means
whoever has come here from outside countries for different projects) are more
than the Original local Qataris.
Population
Nearly 1,000,000
Area
11,437 sq km (4,260 sq mi)
Official language
Arabic
(English also widely speaking)
Major religion
Islam
Currency
Qatar riyal
1 Qatar riyal = 100 dirhams
$1 = 3.64 Qatar riyals
1 Qatar riyal = 12 Indian Rupees
Business hours
Offices and shops: 8.00am-noon; 4.00 or 5.00-7.00pm or
later
Shopping malls stay open until 9.00 or 10.00pm
Time zone
GMT + 3 hours
People
The people of Qatar are primarily of Arab descent, and are very extra decent in behavior. They got a very good culture of greeting each other and Guest treatment
Most of the present inhabitants of Qatar live in the
capital, Doha, but there are a fair number living in the towns and villages of
Wakrah, Dukhan, Umm Said and Al-Khor
About 57km north of Doha on the east coast, Al-Khor is famous for its harbour filled with small craft and fishing boats. It has excellent beaches,buildings and an historic tower In addition, there is a regional museum housing articles of historic interest from the Al-Khor area of Qatar
QatarGas and Ras Gas Residential Colonies are located here.