Qatar

About this destination

Qatar, pronounced in Dutch as kat-tar ([kɑ'tar]?, Sound clip pronunciation (info / explanation)), officially the State of Qatar, is an Arab emirate in the Middle East, on the Persian Gulf. It is a peninsula that borders Saudi Arabia and lies east of Bahrain. Qatar is an absolute monarchy. The head of state is Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. The country is a member of the Arab League. Qatar lies halfway along the west coast of the Persian Gulf between 24.27° and 26.10° N and 50.45° and 51.40° E. Off the coast lie a number of islands that belong to Qatar. The country covers around 11,600 km², which is a little more than a quarter of the Netherlands.