Qatar, aka Dawlat Qatar Trivia Quiz

Answer: Persian Gulf

The Qatar Peninsula projects into the Persian Gulf from the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The oval peninsula is approximately 160 km (100 mi) in length, with a width that varies from 55 to 90 km (34-56 mi). Qatar has land borders with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Answer: loading terminal for oil from the offshore fields

Halul Island is a small (1.5 square km, or half a square mile) hilly island located northeast of Doha, the capital of Qatar. Since the 1960s, it has become increasingly important as a storage facility for the oil produced in the Persian Gulf, and the loading port used by ships for export.

In earlier times, it was used as a refuge from storms by fishermen, as well as a stopping off point for sailors on long voyages.

Answer: Bahrain

Despite being only 1.4 km (0.8 mi) off the shore of Qatar at the closest point, the Hawar islands belong to Bahrain. In a 2001 decision by the International Court of Justice, Bahrain was given control over the Hawar Islands and Qit'at Jaradah, but Qatar got full ownership of Janan Island and the previously-disputed ruined and deserted town of Zubarah on the Qatar mainland. Qatar also retained significant maritime resources in the settlement.

Answer: desalination of sea water

Rainfall is negligible in Qatar, averaging 100 mm (3.9 in) a year. Most underground water has a very high mineral content, making it unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. The combination of these two facts restricted both the population that could be supported and the extent of agricultural and industrial development in Qatar before the desalination plants were established. (There are no glaciers in Qatar!)

Answer: sandstorms

Summertime in Qatar is hot and dry. As most of the country consists of sand deserts, dust storms and sandstorms are a common occurrence. In the winter, occasional flash flooding of wadis can occur after rainstorms. Volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes are not common problems in this area.

Answer: oil deposits

The Dukhan Field is Qatar's largest on-shore petroleum-producing field. The first well was drilled in 1939/1940, and the production early in the 21st century is up to 335,000 barrels of crude oil a day. The field includes 4 reservoirs, from which the stabilized crude oil is transported by pipeline to the port of Mesaieed.

The highest point in Qatar is Qurayn Abu Bawl, located in the Dukhan anticline. Its height is 103 m (338 ft) - Qatar is a very flat country, mostly covered with barren sand plains.

Answer: the Inland Sea

Khawr al Udayd is an inlet of the Persian Gulf in the southeast corner of Qatar. In this region, there is an ongoing uncertainty about borders. If the United Arab Emirates extends this far west, then there is a border of about 19 km (12 mi) between Qatar and the UAE. The massive sand dunes around the Inland Sea are a popular tourist destination.

Answer: pearl diving

The Persian Gulf, along with other parts of the Indian Ocean, has long been a valued source of pearls. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the pearl industry thrived, but World War I had a severe impact, which was exacerbated by the economic depression of the late 20s and early 30s. The invention of the cultured pearl virtually destroyed the industry, which pretty much disappeared after World War II.

The technique of diving for pearls hardly changed at all over thousands of years. "Naked divers, diving into fifteen to forty feet of water, use few aids. They grease their bodies, put greased cotton in the ears and a forked stick, or tortoise-shell clip, upon the nostrils to compress them, hang a wide-mouthed wicker basket or net at the waist, and they are ready."
[source: Catelle, W. R., "The Pearl: Its Story, Its Charm, and Its Value", Philadelphia & London: J. B. Lippincott Company (1457), p.171 ]

Answer: sailing vessel

A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more lateen sails. A lateen (or latin-rig) sail is a triangular sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast, running fore-and-aft in the vessel. Dhows are still in use to carry goods along the coasts from India across to East Africa, including the Persian Gulf.

The dhow is also seen in the coat of arms of Kuwait, and was formerly used by the United Arab Emirates.

Answer: whether the red or the white is on the hoist end

Both flags have a white field at the hoist end, separated from the red field by a serrated boundary. The Qatari flag has 9 points in the serration while Bahrain has 5. The Qatari flag is unique among current flags in having a height to length ratio of 11:28; Bahrain has a more standard ratio of 3:5.

While both flags are red, Bahrain's is a bright red, while Qatar's is a shade of maroon that is sometimes called 'Qatar red'.