Article Outline
From May to October the Qatari climate is extremely hot, commonly reaching as high as 50°C (120°F), with high humidity near the coastline. In the other months the weather is generally moderate and pleasant, with daily temperatures averaging 17°C (63°F). Rainfall, which occurs only in the winter, is very slight: Qatar’s average annual rainfall is less than 130 mm (5 in). Qatar experiences strong northerly winds, known locally as the shimal, in June and July, and southerly winds called the gaws in other months. These winds can create sandstorms and dangerous marine conditions.
The Qatari government is taking steps to protect endangered species of plants and animals and to set and enforce clean air and water standards. Qatar’s very limited underground water sources are becoming increasingly saline and are rapidly depleting. Oil spills during the 1991 Persian Gulf War damaged Qatar’s marine habitats.
In 2008 Qatar’s population was estimated at 928,640, giving a population density of 81 persons per sq km (210 persons per sq mi). About 92 percent (2003) of the population is urban. About half of the population lives in Doha, the capital and commercial center of the country, located on the eastern coast. The next largest cities are Ar Rayyān and Al Wakrah, both located close to Doha. Mesaieed, south of Doha, is the site of Qatar’s oil terminal and a major industrial center.
Qatar’s population has skyrocketed since the discovery of oil: The population is more than 50 times as large today as it was in 1949. This extraordinary growth is largely due to the immigration of great numbers of foreign workers needed in Qatar’s oil fields, factories, and infrastructural developments. The country’s massive and rapid economic development since the mid-20th century has been made possible only with the skills and labor brought in from abroad. These foreign workers and their dependents now greatly outnumber Qatari citizens, who account for only about 20 percent of the country’s population. Other Arab groups—mostly Palestinians, Lebanese, Omanis, Syrians, and Egyptians—account for another 20 percent, Pakistanis and Indians each represent 18 percent, Iranians 10 percent, and Europeans and others make up the balance. The country contains a small community of East Africans, who were brought to Qatar as slaves until slavery was abolished in Qatar in 1952. A small number of Bedouin nomads inhabit Qatar, typically making seasonal visits from across the Saudi Arabian border.
Arabic is the official language of Qatar. English, Urdu, and Farsi are also widely spoken. About 85 percent of the people are Muslims, the majority of the Sunni branch. The non-Muslim minority includes Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists. Qatar’s Sunni Muslims follow the same strict interpretation of Islam as do Sunnis in Saudi Arabia, but its application is somewhat less austere in Qatar. For example, in contrast to Saudi Arabia, women are permitted to drive and non-Muslims may be served alcohol. This strict form of Islam is known to Westerners as Wahhabism (see Wahhabis), but its adherents object to that term and refer to themselves as muwahhidun (unitarians, from al-muwahhid, Arabic for “those who proclaim the unity of God”).
In 1956, the year that a public education system was introduced in Qatar, there were only four schools for boys and one for girls. Now, virtually all primary school-age children and94 percent (2002–2003) of secondary school-age children are enrolled in schools. Education is free at all levels for Qatari citizens, and it is compulsory for nine years. A number of private schools serve the children of foreign residents. About 83 percent (2005) of the population age 15 years old and older is literate. This figure has increased dramatically in recent years as education became available to everyone. The University of Qatar (founded in 1977) provides higher education for thousands of people. Others pursue university studies abroad, mostly in other Arab countries, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
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