• Bangladesh!

    Bangladesh: Traditional houses. Go Now!

    Bangladesh
    This low-lying country has historic ties to India and Pakistan, but today maintains a wholly unique culture. Explore Bangladesh!

  • Indonesia!

    Indonesia: Lombok. Go Now!

    Indonesia
    This archipelago nation is culturally diverse from big cities to isolated islands. Begin Your Journey!

  • Jordan!

    Jordan: Petra. Go Now!

    Jordan
    Tucked away in this Middle Eastern country, the famed city of Petra (pictured) links the past to the present culture. Explore Jordan!

  • Mongolia!

    Mongolia: Desert. Go Now!

    Mongolia
    This vast country has a culture that spans past and present... a nomadic life shifting to a modern & sedentary society. Begin Your Journey!

  • Kyrgyzstan!

    Kyrgyzstan: Tian Shan Mountains. Go Now!

    Kyrgyzstan
    The mountains, including the Tian Shan Mountains (pictured), give Kyrgyzstan a unique culture, partially formed from this isolation from the mountains. Go Now!

Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Qatar

Geography

Qatari Geography - Northern coast
Northern coast

Qatar is a small Middle Eastern country that juts into the Persian Gulf as a peninsula. Qatar's only land border is with Saudi Arabia to its south. On all other sides, the country is surrounded by the Persian Gulf or its inlets. Bahrain is closely situated to Qatar's west and the United Arab Emirates is just off its southeast coast.

Most of Qatar is monotonous desert flatlands, although there are a few hills in the west. The country also has no rivers.

Weather

Qatar has brutally hot and dry summers (May to September) as the peninsula is desert. During these months daily temperatures can reach 120° F (50° C) and sand storms can make visibility nearly impossible. Winters cool significantly with daily highs of about 80° F (27° C) and evenings can fall to 40° F (5° C) on occasion. If any rain does fall in this desert country, it generally falls in the winter along the eastern coast.

Wildlife

Qatari Geography - Camels in the desert
Camels in the desert

Wildlife in Qatar is severely limited due to the country's desert and weather patterns. There are few mammals in the country and those that do exist include the oryx, hedgehog, hare, bat, and fox. The sea life is more varied in the nearby Persian Gulf, although there are no inland lakes or rivers. In the gulf there are thousands of animals, including shrimp, oysters, mackerel, grouper, and swordfish and dozens of mollusks.

There are also a large number of birds that pass through Qatar, but most only pass through on a migratory route north-south. Among these include flamingoes, small ostriches, the bee-eater, egret, cormorants, gulls, terns, and more. There are not many amphibians in Qatar, but a number of reptiles can live in the deserts here as there are lizards, geckos, and sea turtles. Among the other animals on the peninsula are insects, spiders, and scorpions.

This page was last updated: November, 2013