How many of these facts did you know about Qatar?

Qatar is a land filled with a lot of expatriates. Over the last few decades, millions of people have called the country home and built a life for themselves here.

Qatar, though small, is a nation steeped in history and proud of its heritage. Here are some facts about this beautiful nation, some of which even you, who’ve been here for several years, may not know about.

1. People from at least 87 different nationalities live in Qatar.

Qatar is a multicultural place. Over the years, there has been an increase in the number of nationalities of people living in the country. According to latest statistics, people from at least 87 countries live in Qatar. Isn’t that amazing?

2. Qatar has a young population

According to the CIA World Fact Book, the most number of people in Qatar are aged between 25 and 54 — 70.45% (1,321,973 men and 269,072 women). Only 0.94% of people are aged 65 and over.

3. Qatar’s flag was originally a mix of purple and red

According to Wikipedia, Qatar’s original flag used to be white and a mixture of purple and red. Due to the country's subtropical desert climate, the flags’ colors were prone to being tinted darker by the sun, which resulted in the eventual adoption of a maroon coloring in 1949.

4. The different coloured Qatari Ghutras have a meaning of their own

According to Qatar Living User mohdnoor, each coloured Ghutra — the scarves Qatari men wear on their heads — has a specific meaning. He lists it out as thus: A white ghutra indicates purity, a red and white ghutra indicates patriotism, and a black and white ghutra denotes freedom. There are other colours, but they don’t necessarily have a meaning.

5. Qatar used to once be known as Catara

Catara was the most ancient name by which the country was known. According to the official website of the Katara Cultural Village, Catara was the first and most ancient name designated for Qatar Peninsula in geographic and historical maps since the year 150 AD.

On the map drawn by the geographer Claudius Ptolemaeus in 150 AD, the geographical location of Qatar Peninsula under the name of Catara, North West of Gerra or near it, and to the west of the town of Cadara.

‘Katara’ first appeared in the geographical and historical maps in early 18th AD.

6. Al Dafna is an area that was massively reclaimed from the sea

Today, you may identify Al Dafna as one of the busiest regions in the country. But did you know that the seaside district in Doha was literally created in the mid-1980s following a massive land reclamation project along Doha’s coastline? The district is named Al Dafna because in Arabic, it means buried.

7. Aspire Dome is the biggest such facility in the world

According to the official website, Aspire Dome is credited as the world’s largest indoor multi-purpose dome, with a total seating capacity of 15,500, across 13 separate multi-sport halls.

It also houses the Aspire Academy.

It stands at a staggering 290,000sqm. Facilities within the dome include a full-sized football field and a five-a-side pitch, a 200M athletics track, an Olympic-size swimming pool and diving pool, a gymnastics hall, a sports games hall, 13 table-tennis courts, three contact sports mats, eight fencing strips and two squash courts.

8. The Torch-Doha Hotel is the highest tower in Qatar

You may have seen the Doha Torch Hotel from most parts of the city. Often, it is considered as an identification mark for travellers who are lost in the city. You can see it from anywhere because quite simply, it is the tallest man-made structure in the country. At 300M, it is currently the tallest hotel in Qatar.