Qatar: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Qatar is a small country in Western Asia that sits on a peninsula sticking out from the Arabian Peninsula into the Persian Gulf. Its only land border is with Saudi Arabia, and the rest is surrounded by sea. The capital, Doha, holds most of the country's people and is known for its striking modern skyline.

Qatar is known for its desert landscapes, its huge reserves of natural gas, and for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first held in the Arab world. On the globe you can find the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, a geometric stone building on its own island beside the sea.

Geography and nature

Qatar is very flat and dry. Its highest point is only about 103 metres above sea level. Much of the land is stony desert, with sand dunes in the south around Khor Al Adaid, the 'Inland Sea', where the desert meets a tidal bay. Summers are extremely hot, and rain is rare. Mangroves grow along parts of the coast, and the warm, shallow seas are home to dugongs, sea turtles and coral. The Arabian oryx, the national animal, is protected in reserves.

People, languages and culture

Arabic is the official language, and English is widely spoken. Qatari citizens are a minority of the people living in the country; most residents come from other countries to work. Islam is the official religion. Traditional Qatari men wear a white thobe and a headscarf called a ghutra. Falconry is a treasured tradition, and camel racing is popular, with robot jockeys now riding the camels. Families gather in the old market, Souq Waqif, to shop for spices, perfumes and falcons.

History in a nutshell

For centuries people on the Qatar peninsula lived by fishing, trading and diving for pearls in the Gulf. The Al Thani family has led Qatar since the 1800s. Britain was in charge of Qatar's foreign affairs from 1916 until 1971, when Qatar became fully independent. Oil was found in the 1940s, and later the discovery of a giant offshore gas field made Qatar one of the richest countries in the world per person. It has since built museums, universities and sports stadiums.