Did you know that it is the richest and safest country in the world? You'll never believe these surprising facts about World Cup host Qatar...
Qatar in the Middle East is one of the richest states in the world and a major exporter of natural gas and oil.
It's political drive to become a tourist destination and the fact that it has the highest per capita income on the planet led it to host this year's World Cup, amidst much controversy.
However, within its history there are a number of little known curiosities that we have compiled in this gallery - read on to find out more...
Learn all about Qatar...
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Qatar in the Middle East is one of the richest states in the world and a major exporter of natural gas and oil. It's political drive to become a tourist destination and the fact that it has the highest per capita income on the planet led it to host this year's World Cup, amidst much controversy. However, within its history there are a number of little known curiosities that we have compiled in this gallery - read on to find out more...
The most urbanised population in the world
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One of the curiosities about Qatar is that it is estimated that 99.2 percent of its inhabitants live in a city. Being located in the middle of the desert makes life outside the cities very difficult, so almost all of Qatar's inhabitants are concentrated in the cities, especially Doha, its capital, where more than 80 per cent of the country's inhabitants live.
Qatar is among the top 10 richest countries in the world
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Qatar exports huge quantities of oil and natural gas, which account for 97 percent of its exports, worth a total of more than $58 billion. Qatar is considered to be the fourth wealthiest nation in the world.
Historical sites
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Qatar has a rich heritage, with sites such as the Barzan Towers and Al Zubarah Fort, which, along with the surrounding archaeological sites, have been classified by Unesco as World Heritage Sites.
A safe place to call home
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Citizens of more than 80 countries can enter Qatar without a visa, making it the most open country in the Middle East and the eighth in the world in terms of visa issuance. Ranked No. 1 in hospitality and it is the safest country in the world according to NUMBEO (lowest in crime rate). Ranked 31st out of 153 countries in the Global Peace Index. It is one of the safest countries in the world to live in.
Fly in style
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Hamad International Airport (HIA), home to Qatar Airways, has been described as the world's most important terminal complex, as well as the most luxurious. For the sixth consecutive year it has been declared the "Best Airport in the Middle East" at the 2020 SKYTRAX World Airport Awards. In collaboration with Qatar Museums, the airport has an extensive art gallery running throughout the terminal, with pieces such as Tom Claassen's "Oryx", Marc Quinn's "Arctic Nurseries of El Dorado" and Adel Abdessemed's "Mappemondes". The highlight is the "Lamp Bear", a piece by Urs Fischer designed to remind travellers of a happy childhood.
More men than women
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Qatar has the world's lowest female population as a percentage of the total population. Only 24.7 percent of its population is female, which means there are three men for every woman. But there is a simple explanation for this. The country's population is largely made up of immigrants who come to Qatar from poorer regions to find work and support their families. Most of them are men and they come alone, hence the big difference in the ratio.
There are very few Qataris
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One of Qatar's biggest curiosities is that non-Qataris make up more than 85 percent of the country's population. The largest ethnic groups among immigrants are Arabs (40 percent), Indians (18 percent), Pakistanis (18 percent) and Iranians (10 percent).
Petrol costs a pittance
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In Qatar it costs more to buy two frappés from a well-known coffee chain than to fill up a car. The price per litre of petrol in Qatar is 1QAR, or 0.23 euros.
Art and culture
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Qatar is home to a large number of museums, galleries and public artworks and has adopted many modern and contemporary works of art worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Unusual traditional sports
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Falconry is a traditional sport in Qatar and is part of the country's intangible heritage. You can buy a falcon at the falcon market, which also has a falcon hospital. The country also has a long history of camel racing, and now also of robot yokels, small human-shaped robots connected to their trainers by walkie-talkies and remote control. Equestrian sports are also an important part of Qatar's sporting scene, with the Al Shaqab Equestrian Center within Education City home to some of the best Arabian horses.
Originally published on celebretainment.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.
