A peninsula of some 5,000 square miles,situated halfway along the West Coast of the Arabian Gulf. Its topography consists of a rocky flat surface with some limestone outcrops in Dukhan area in the west and Fuwairit area in the north.
The surface is full with characteristic depressions called Rawdat, particularly in the north and central plants .Qatar has a landscape of sand dunes in the south  and  has a number of islands, the most important of which are Halool, Shira'aw, Al-Ashat  among others.
Qatar has a pleasant climate nine months of the year with hot summers and relatively warm winters. Winter is dry and resembles early fall in North America. Temperatures range from 50-75 degrees Fahrenheit, with the cooler temperatures prevailing in the evenings.
A member of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council, Qatar has hosted meetings of the World Trade Organization and the Organization of the Islamic Conference at its capital city Doha. It is the home of Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel and of the Qatar Foundation's Education City, one of the most ambitious and far-reaching centers for education and research in the Middle East.
Life in Qatar has always been associated with the sea and the desert. Both were the source of livelihood for Qataris since ancient times when life was all hardship. Today the desert and the sea still remain the source of livelihood, but also of pleasure and entertainment. 
The  sea and the desert are the backbone of tourism in Qatar. The sea with its warm waters and cozy beaches and the desert with its mystique and natural and man-made grandeur.
Qatar time is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and 7/8 hours ahead of New York EST/DST.