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Lying in the east of Arabia, the peninsula of Qatar
borders the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. As per the
geography of Qatar, the country is strategically located
near the prime petroleum deposits of the Middle Eastern
region.
Jutting about 160 kilometers into the Persian Gulf,
Qatar is spread over 11,437 square kilometers of area.
It has a land boundary of about 60 kilometers, and is
a mere 30 kms from Bahrain. Qatar has a coastline of
563 kms, and its highest point is Qurayn Abu al Bawl
(103 m).
The geographical features of Qatar are interestingly varied. The terrain here
is mainly flat and rocky. One can also find coastal
salt pans, huge sand dunes surrounding an inlet of the
Gulf, elevated limestone formations that are formed
above the Dukhan oil field, etc. There are a few tiny
islands sprinkled all around the peninsula - Halul and
Hawar being the most popular ones.
Doha, the national capital, lies on a sweeping harbor
along the central east coast of Qatar. Al Wakra and
Umm Said are two other very important ports here.
The weather of Qatar is quite predictable and unbearable
between June and September. Tourists coming from colder
regions like Europe and Americas usually have a tough
time battling extreme conditions prevalent here. During
summers, temperatures exceed 55ºC and the weather is
hot and dry.
Winters - November to May - are characterized by a
pleasurable climate, with temperatures averaging 20ºC.
Rainfall is almost negligible in Qatar, as the region
experiences an average of 100 millimeters per year of
rains. Occasionally, there are sudden dust storms that
disrupt normalcy and cause small damages.
The most-used natural resources in Qatar are petroleum,
natural gas and fishes. Due to lack of adequate natural
fresh water resources, the country is hugely dependent
on desalination facilities.
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