Travel the World - Week 9

This is the ninth week in my Travel the World personal challenge. Each week I am randomly choosing one country (there are 195 countries in the world) and doing a little research on that country. I then select one tidbit of information about the country as inspiration for the card I make.

This week's country is...

Qatar

Located in the Arabian Gulf, Qatar shares a land borders with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the south-west and is surrounded by the Arabian sea. The Global Peace Index ranks features Qatar as one of 30 most peaceful countries in the world.

The official language of Qatar is Arabic, but English is the second language and is very widely spoken.

Qatar has 350 miles of coastline.

It is one of the most urbanized places in the world, with 99 percent of residents counting themselves as town or city dwellers.

Doha is the capital city and most populous city of the State of Qatar. The city is located on the coast of the Persian Gulf in the east of the country. It is Qatar’s fastest growing city, with over 50% of the nation’s population living in Doha or its surrounding suburbs, and it is also the economic center of the country.

Qataris eat their main meal of the day at lunchtime. Karak tea is served after meals; the rich milky tea is laced with Cardamom. The Friday midday meal, after prayers, is usually a time for the whole family to get together.

The majority of Qataris do not use cutlery while eating. They use bread to scoop up their food which is served in a large dish.

The people of Qata enjoy sweet foods. In Qatar it is traditional to eat a large spoonful of honey at night and in the morning. 

Since Qatar is an Islamic country, the weekends fall on Fridays and Saturdays. Due to the Friday afternoon prayer, most stores are closed in the mornings. 

The Pearl Qatar, a luxury development, is built on a man-made island and it’s shaped as a string of pearls. It got its name due to being built on top of an old pearl diving site.

There are no hills in Qatar. In fact, the country’s average elevation is just 28 meters.

Qatar is one of only four countries in the world that has no forest at all. The other three are San Marino, Greenland, and Oman.

Hamad International Airport, which is the 9th largest airport in the world was opened in 2014 and has the ability to to handle around 50 million passengers per year. It also boasts having a giant teddy bear. Lamp Bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer sits inside the airport and is “a playful piece that humanizes the space around it and reminds travelers of childhood or precious objects from home,” apparently. It cost $6.8m.

Qatar is the richest country in the world. It has a per capita GDP of $127,600. 

There are two men for every woman in Qatar.

The “Thoub” is the traditional costume worn by Qatari men. The Thoub is a long white shirt that is worn over boxer style shorts or long white cotton trousers. As a matter of pride, all Thoubs must be immaculately laundered.

There are five different colors of Karwa taxis in Qatar. A typical pedestrian might see that they're all naturally turquoise green in color but if you take a closer look on their roofs, you'll realize that there's actually a maroon, blue, yellow, charcoal, and silver versions of the Karwas.

Camel racing is a popular attraction and sport. It's a rather costly activity that only a few can afford. Up until 2004, children wee used as jockeys, however, due to safety concerns, that practice was banned. Remote-controlled jockeys are now used to ride the camels during the races.

The Doha Marriott has a 100-meter buffet, offering everything from a full English to sushi and tacos.

Residents in Qatar can be fined if they have their lights on in their dwellings between  7:00 AM and 4:30 PM.

I decided to let this Qatar fact be the inspiration for this week's card... Camping is a popular activity in Qatar, whether it's on the beach or in the desert.

Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Stamp Sets: Dreamerland Crafts Campfire Comfort and Tiddly Inks Dog Days stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black Ink and colored with Copic Markers

Papers: Fun Stampers Journey Hazelnut Blend and Recollections Kraft and 110# White CS and Paper Studio White Linen and other DP from my scrap file

Embellishments: Eyelet Outlet Washi Tape, Paper Studio Mini Brads, and a Heart-Shaped Brad from an unknown vendor