Small in size (one third of the size of Belgium), Qatar is enormous in value. It has achieved within decades what other countries take centuries to accomplish. Its citizens embrace the future with unswerving optimism and enviable potential. Hospitable, generous and kind, Qatari's make visitors to their country feel very welcome. Qatar is an ideal family location and a very safe place to visit, live and work. Standards of living are high as the infrastructure continues to develop rapidly. Now more than ever, Qatar is ripe for discovery by tourists from all over the world.

Qatar is located halfway up the western shore of the Arabian Gulf and is almost completely surrounded by sea. It borders Saudi Arabia in the south and is separated by the sea from the United Arab Emirates in the south and Bahrain in the northwest. Well-preserved natural and historical sites, coupled with top-calibre business, sports, dining, shopping and accommodation facilities, render Qatar the perfect gateway to the Arabian Gulf.

The commercial and administrative centre, Doha, hosts the international airport, seaport, hotels, and sports facilities. Doha is built around a beautiful bay, along which there is a 7 km long corniche lined with lush gardens. Palm Tree Island beckons from the centre of the bay. Today, Doha's cosmopolitan spirit strikes a perfect balance with its rich cultural and religious heritage.

Qatar's economy is very strong, due to its abundance of oil and natural gas reserves. This means that there is significant ongoing investment being made into the local infrastructure to support high standards of living and the successful development of tourism.

The terrain is generally flat. However, there are some hills and sand dunes, which reach an altitude of 40 meters above sea level in the areas of Dukhan and Jebel Fuwairit in the western and northern parts of the country and Khor Al-Udeid in the south.

The surface of Qatar is characterized by a number of geographical features, which are peculiar to the west coast of the Arabian Gulf.

Qatar has a desert climate of hot summers and relatively warm winters. In the summer, the temperature ranges between 25 and 46 degrees centigrade. Rainfall in the winter is minimal and on average does not exceed 75.2mm. per year.

The Qataris are descended through ancient Arabian lines of kinship. This is due to the country's geographical location and proximity to the Arabian Peninsula, on one hand, and to the close historical heritage, which the State shares with the rest of the States of the Arabian peninsula, on the other. The present population is estimated at 600,000 inhabitants most of whom reside in Doha, the capital city.

The rest of the population is scattered among a number of towns and villages including Dukhan, Mesaieed, Al-Wakrah, Al-Khor, Madinat Al-Shamal and other modern residential centres. Islam is the official religion of the State of Qatar and Shari'a (Islamic Law) is the principal source of legislation in the country, while Arabic is the official language.