Travel Information >> Qatar
>> Qatar:overview
>> People in Qatar
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People in Qatar
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Ethnic groups
Qatar was originally settled by nomads from the central part of the Arabian Peninsula. Immigrant workers, however, now form the majority of the Qatari population, and most of the population is urban. The ethnic divisions include: 20 percent native Qatari, 25 percent other Arab, 34 percent South Asian, 16 percent Iranian, and 5 percent other.
Languages
Arabic is spoken by the majority of the population, while English is commonly used as a second language.
Religions
Though most Qataris, indigenous and migrant alike, follow the dictates of the Wahhabi interpretation of Sunnite Islam, Qatar is not as strict as neighbouring Saudi Arabia. Economic necessity and the relatively small number of native Qatari workers has resulted in relative freedom for women.
Demographics
The capital, Doha, having grown from a fishing village to a busy urban centre, holds about three-fifths of the country's population. The discovery of petroleum in Qatar in 1939 spurred the development of two other cities, the ports of Zikrit near Dukhan on the western coast and Musay'id (Umm Sa'id) on the eastern coast. The ratio of men to women stands at approximately 2 to 1.
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