The Gulf state of Qatar is a peninsula that is surrounded by the waters of the Arabian Gulf and anchored to the mainland at its border with Saudi Arabia. The country is about 11,437 square kilometers, running roughly 8skm wide and 180km long and located in the centre of the Gulf Cooperation Council (G.e.C). Mud flats make up a large portion of the shoreline which is dotted with inlets and coves. The interior terrain is mostly flat, varying from just 6m to 103m above sea level at Qurayn Abu ai-Bawl. Some rocky limestone outcrops are found in the most southern parts of the country.

The country also includes several islands such as Sheraouh, AI Aliyah, Al Bushayriyah, AI Safiliyah and, about 80 km northeast of the capital, is Halul. This island, operated by Qatar Petroleum, is of particular importance as it serves as the export terminal for marine crude oil produced from Qatar's offshore oilfields.

The majority of the population of Qatar resides in the capital city, Doha, however the other major towns include Mesaieed, Dukhan, Al Khor, Al Shamal and Al Wakrah.

Qatar's subtropical desert means it becomes very hot and humid from June to August when many residents make the summer exodus to their home country to escape the oppressive heat. During the Qatari winter months from November through February, however, the country's weather is extremely pleasant. Average rainfall is 81 mm per year with an average high temperature of 31 C and lows touching some 22 e. The country is quite dusty and the occasional sandstorms manage to bury grains of sand into the most difficult nooks and crannies around your home.

Qatar is also on the humid side with average humidity highs in the mid 70+% range, although there is a slight dip in the evening. With limited amounts of fresh water from ground wells, rain offers the only respite. But rainfall is very rare, though not as unheard of as some locals might suggest. Due to its extremely sporadic occurrence of rain there are no real gutters on the roads so they can get flooded with standing water when the skies do finally open. Rural wadis fill during the infrequent rainfall satisfying the scarce vegetation. The lack of rainfall means only about one percent of the country is arable, with permanent crops registering barely a blip in the yearly agricultural output.

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of human habitation in Qatar possibly dating back to the fourth and fifth millennia Be. In the fifth century BC the Greek historian Herodotus referred to the ancient Canaanites as the original inhabitants of Qatar, and the country features on old maps of the region suggesting that Qatar was known to seafarers and traders of the time. As Islam swept the region in the 7th century AD, the inhabitants of Qatar are said to have aided the formation of the first Islamic naval fleet. The country also became well known for the quality of its textile manufacturing (especially Qatari cloaks) and for the making of arrow heads.

Around the 13th and 14th centuries Qatar enjoyed a favourable relationship with the caliphates (successors of the Prophet Mohammed) in Baghdad and it became an important centre for pearl trading. Evidence from this Abbasid era (caliphate rule) can be seen in the architecture of Murwab Fort on Qatar's west coast. In the 16th and 17th centuries the Portuguese were a powerful force throughout the Gulf region, and to protect the country from occupation and aggression Qatar aligned with the Turks. This saw the start of over three centuries of rule by the Ottoman Empire, although throughout this period the real power in Qatar remained with local sheikhs.

The ancestors of today's ruling family, the AI Thanis, arrived in Qatar in the early 18th century. Originating from a branch of the Bani Tamin tribe from Najd in modern-day Saudi Arabia, they first settled in southern Qatar before moving to the north of the peninsula in the mid 1700S. Qatar, and especially the northern town of Zubara, continued to be a key centre for the pearl trade. The AI Khalifa family of Bahrain (now the ruling family) exercised a degree of control over the pearling industry and this caused serious tensions with the Al Thani family whose influence was growing in the country.

In the mid 19th century Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani established AI Bidda, the modern city of Doha, as the capital and seat of power and a treaty negotiated with the British in 1868 recognized him as the first official Emir of Qatar. This treaty signed with the British also recognized Qatar's independence, and Sheikh Mohammed exercised this independence when in 1871 he signed another treaty, this time with the Turks, accepting protection against external attack. A Turkish garrison was established in Doha, but the relationship was an uneasy one and the Ottomans were forced to abandon Doha in 1915. In 1916 Sheikh Abdullah al Thani signed a further treaty with the British promising not to enter into relations with any other power without prior consent. In return, Britain guaranteed the protection of Qatar 'from all aggression by sea.

A number of factors, including the worldwide economic depression and the introduction of cultured Japanese pearls, led to the almost complete collapse of the Gulf's pearling industry in the 1930s. Pearling had been the mainstay of Qatar's economy for generations, and while life for the country's inhabitants had never been easy, this sudden development dealt a desperate blow. The region was plunged into dire poverty, and disease was rife amongst the undernourished people. In the midst of despair there was hope though. Bahrain had become the first Gulf state to discover oil earlier in the decade and in 1935 Shaikh Abdullah signed the first Oil Concession Agreement with the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Drilling began and oil was discovered in Dukhan in 1939. The onset of World War Two halted production almost immediately however, and the first oil wasn't exported from Qatar until ten years later. This new found wealth transformed the lives of the small population almost beyond recognition, as the rulers set about modernising the country's infrastructure and creating health care and education facilities. The wealth generated from oil exports, and the discovery and exploitation of what is believed to be the world's largest single reservoir of natural gas, means that Qatar today enjoys one of the highest levels of income per capita anywhere in the world.

In 1968 Great Britain announced its intention to withdraw from the Gulf region. Qatar entered into talks with Bahrain and the Trucial States with the intention of forming a federation, but agreement could not be reached and after Bahrain withdrew from the discussions Qatar followed suit. When the British left on September 3rd 1971, Qatar became officially independent. The ruler at the time was Sheikh Ahmed bin Ali al Thani, but he was succeeded the following year by his cousin Khalifa bin Hamad al Thani, with the full support of the ruling family, the Qatari people and the armed forces. Sheikh Khalifa led Qatar into a period of continued prosperity, especially thanks to the huge rises in oil and gas prices during the 1970S. He also went some way to diversify Qatar's economy by establishing facilities for producing goods such as steel and fertilizers.

In June 1995, Sheikh Khalifa was succeeded as Emir by his son and heir, the Crown Prince and Minister of Defence, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani. On coming to power, Sheikh Hamad continued with the modernisation and liberalisation programmes he had started as Crown Prince. Press freedom was extended and in 1997 the state•funded satellite TV news channel Al Jazeera was launched, quickly gaining a reputation for its outspoken coverage of sensitive topics. 1999 saw the country's first steps towards democracy, when free elections for the Central Municipal Council were held. Women were allowed to stand for office as well as vote. Sheikh Hamad is seen as a progressive ruler and is widely respected by Qatar's citizens, who benefit from the country's wealth in the form of free or subsidised health care, education and housing.