Qatar — Overview
Forget the 20th-century stereotype of a rich Arab Gulf state, of hastily thrown up tower blocks, chaotic streets and bafflingly tacky urban sculpture: Qatar - or at least the capital, Doha - has metamorphosed into a self-confident, elegant entrepôt that gives the UAE a run for its money.
Occupying a flat peninsula jutting into the oil-rich waters of The Gulf, Qatar is one of the richest per capita countries in the world - a wealth exhibited in high-profile projects, such as the new Museum of Islamic Art, built to house the largest such collection in the world.
With 50% of Qatar’s population living in the capital, the country is a virtual city state. But for those not content with jogging around Doha’s fine corniche, a string of beaches beckon for rest and recuperation, and the magnificent dunes of Khor al-Adaid help even up the odds between God and Mammon.
Geography
Qatar is an oil-rich peninsula jutting out into the Gulf between Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. There are low hills in the northwest, but the rest of the country consists of sand dunes and salt flats, with scattered vegetation towards the north. The country’s most distinctive geographical feature is Khor al-Adaid, the inland sea surrounded by dunes near the Saudi Arabian border.
