Geography of Qatar



Qatar is a peninsula in the east of Arabia, bordering the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia, in a strategic location near major petroleum and natural gas deposits. The State of Qatar occupies 11,571 km2 on a peninsula that extends approximately to 160 km north into the Persian Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula.

Varying in width between 55 and 90 km, the land is mainly flat (the highest point is 103 m) and rocky. Notable features include coastal salt pans, elevated limestone formations (the Dukhan anticline) along the west coast under which lies the Dukhan oil field, and massive sand dunes surrounding Khor Al Adaid, an inlet of the Persian Gulf in the southeast known to local English speakers as the Inland Sea.

General topography
The peninsula of Qatar is low-lying. Its shape is the surface expression of the anticlinal Qatar Arch, formed during the Precambrian Amar Collision about. It is enveloped by loose sand and pebbles broken off the outcropping limestone. Smooth plains are found in the east, where the surface is covered by fine-grained dust. The south and south-west portion of the peninsula mainly comprises sand dunes and salt flats. Hill ranges (called 'jebels') can be found in western Qatar near the Dukhan area and at Jebel Fuwayrit on the northeast coast. Jebel Nakhsh is a notable mountain ridge south of Dukhan and contains substantial deposits of gypsum.

The coastline, which is roughly 700km², is emergent and gently slopes toward the sea. Many flat, low-lying offshore islands are located near the coast and are accompanied by coral reefs. As a result of salt water coming into contact with the low-lying land, many salt flats (known locally as sabkhas) have formed near the coast. The coastline from Mesaieed to Khor Al Adaid is particularly rich in sabkhas. Inland sabkhas can be found in western in Qatar near Dukhan and Sawda Natheel.

A sabkha (salt-flat) ecosystem known as the Dukhan Sabkha is found in the northern section of the Dukhan region in western Qatar. This sabkha, considered the largest inland sabkha in the Persian Gulf, runs for approximately 20 km, occupies an area of 73 km2, has a width of 2 to 4 km and a depth of between 6 and 7 meters. It also accommodates the lowest point of Qatar, at six meters below sea level. Studies suggest that the sabkha is fed by seawater from the Bay of Zekreet, north by approximately 3 km.

Climate
The long summer (June through September) is characterized by intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity, with temperatures exceeding 40 °C. Temperatures are moderate from November to March, ranging from as high as 39 °C in April to as low as 7 °C in January. Rainfall averages 100 mm per year, confined to the winter months, and falling in brief storms which are occasionally heavy enough to flood the small ravines and the usually dry wadis.

Sudden, violent dust storms occasionally descend on the peninsula, blotting out the sun, causing wind damage, and temporarily disrupting transport and other services.

The scarcity of rainfall and the limited underground water, most of which has such a high mineral content that it is unsuitable for drinking or irrigation, severely restricted the population and the extent of agricultural and industrial development the country could support until desalination projects began. Although water continues to be provided from underground sources, most is obtained by desalination of seawater.

Flora


Although most of the country consists of sand deserts, a small part of the country houses different vegetation zones, where trees, reeds and shrubs like tamarind, phragmites, and mace can grow. These regions are mostly to the east, near the coast. The inherent limiting factor for vegetation growth is water availability. Certain geographical features partially alleviate this water scarcity, such as rawdas, which are large depressions found on the soil surface and which help recharge the aquifers. As these sites constitute the most easily obtainable sources of shallow groundwater, they are also among the areas most abundant in wild vegetation.

In the south, where groundwater is exceedingly scarce, vegetation can found growing in wadis (dry river valleys) fed by run-off from nearby hills and in rawdas.

Fauna


There are 21 species of mammals that have been recorded in Qatar. Larger terrestrial mammals such as the Arabian oryx and Arabian gazelle are protected animals and are held in nature reserves. The Arabian gazelle is the only native gazelle species to Qatar and is locally referred to as 'rheem'.

Qatar's territorial waters in the Persian Gulf are rich in marine life. Sea turtles nest en masse on the coastline from Fuwayrit to Ras Laffan. The Ministry of Environment (MME) carries out routine patrols of nesting areas to ensure their conservation. Dugongs are known to congregate off the country's coasts. In the course of a study being carried out in 1986 and 1999 on the Persian Gulf, the largest-ever group sightings were made of more than 600 individuals to the west of Qatar.

Area and land boundaries
Qatar has one land border. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the south. The boundary with Saudi Arabia was settled in 1965 but never demarcated. This terrestrial sector extends from the head of the Gulf of Salwah at Abu Samra to Khor Al Adaid, spanning a linear distance of approximately 87 km.

Qatar presents as a peninsula encompassed by the tepid waters of the Persian Gulf on its eastern and northern flanks. The western margin is delineated by the Gulf of Salwah, a concave formation which effectively severs Qatar's terrestrial connection with the Al-Ahsa coast and Bahrain.

Qatar's northwest coast is fewer than 30 km from the main islands of Bahrain, while the small Hawar Islands of Bahrain are only 1.9 km off the coast. The largest islet of the Hawar Islands is located 5 km off Qatari mainland. The peninsula's northernmost point is Ras Rakan.

Maritime claims
Qatar's maritime boundaries include a contiguous zone of 24 nmi, an exclusive economic zone of 31,590 km2 as determined by bilateral agreements, and 12 nmi of territorial sea. Maritime boundaries were ratified in April 1992 with Decree No. 40. The exclusive economic zone was declared in 1974.

Situated on the western shore of the Persian Gulf, the Qatari promontory extends longitudinally into the waters, affording it a strategic position for the interception of rain-bearing winds and the regulation of maritime currents in the south-western basin of the Persian Gulf.

The extended coastline facilitates the exploitation of pearl banks and piscatorial resources, while also providing access to subaqueous petroleum deposits. Moreover, the littoral serves as a natural harbour and transit point for numerous vessels plying the waters of the Persian Gulf.

The Qatari coast is further distinguished by its manifold indentations, comprising both convex protrusions of land into the sea, such as Ras Laffan, and concave incursions of water into the terrestrial mass.

Islands
Of the islands belonging to Qatar, Halul is the most important. Lying about 90 km east of Doha, it serves as a storage area and loading terminal for oil from the surrounding offshore fields. Hawar and the adjacent islands immediately off the west coast are the subject of a territorial dispute between Qatar and Bahrain.

Resources and land use
Based on estimates in 2011 estimates, 5.6% of the land is agricultural. Arable land comprises 1.1%, permanent crops 0.2% and permanent pasture 4.6%. 94.4% of the land was used for other uses. In 2003, 129.4 km2 of land was irrigated.

Geology and mineral deposits


Most of Qatar's surface lies on Cenozoic strata. These strata have an abundance of mineral resources, most of which have not yet been exploited, such as limestone and clay. The Upper Dammam Formation in the Middle Eocene period is the most predominant surface layer. It is constituted by limestone and Dolomite. The northern zone of Qatar, which comprises the most significant source of fresh groundwater in the peninsula, primarily draws its water from the Umm Err Radhuma Formation and Rus Formation dating to the Paleocene and Lower Eocene periods, respectively. The Mesozoic strata are the most important layers as they contain petroleum. The first substantial deposit of crude oil was discovered in 1940 in the Jurassic period Arab Formation.

Political and human geography
The capital, Doha, is located on the central east coast on a sweeping (if shallow) harbor. Other ports include Umm Said, Al Khawr, and Al Wakrah. Only Doha and Umm Said are capable of handling commercial shipping, although a large port and a terminal for loading natural gas are planned at Ras Laffan Industrial City, north of Al Khawr. Coral reefs and shallow coastal waters make navigation difficult in areas where channels have not been dredged.

Doha is the capital of the country and the major administrative, commercial, and population center. In 1993 it was linked to other towns and development sites by a system of about 1,000 km of paved roads. Doha's international airport has an approximately 4,500 m main runway, capable of receiving all kinds of aircraft.

Historically, settlement distribution in Qatar has mainly been dictated by the presence of obtainable fresh groundwater. Rawdas, which are depressions with shallow groundwater, have typically been the most popular sites of settlement throughout the peninsula. In Qatar's south, where groundwater is exceedingly difficult to obtain, settlement formation was mostly limited to wadis (dry river valleys) fed by run-off from nearby hills and rawdas.

Environmental agreements
Qatar is currently party to the following international environmental agreements:
 * Biodiversity
 * Climate Change
 * Desertification
 * Hazardous Wastes
 * Law of the Sea
 * Ozone Layer Protection