Qatar, a small country in the Arabian Peninsula, boasts an amazing wildlife and important stop on the migrating route of several bird species. With its overall flat rocky surface, rising to 103 meters, about 60% of the land surface area falls under 10 meters above sea level.

Qatar’s climate is characterized by a hot and humid summer and semidry short winter, with scanty rainfalls, mainly in the northern areas. The highest temperatures are recorded between June and August, and the lowest between December and January. 

There are no forests in Qatar and vegetation coverage is scarce with some Acacia trees (Acacia tortillis), bushes and grasses, many being ephemeral sporadic species that appears after the rain. “Rodah” (colluvium depression) harbor denser vegetation, and tree and shrubs are mainly concentrated in these areas. Other notable features of vegetation in Qatar are the mangroves, found in the costal areas of Ras Laffan, Al Khor and Al Wakra, consisting of a unique species, the Grey or White mangrove - Avicennia marina.

There are eleven protected areas which occupy a total surface of 2743 km2 (24%), a percentage higher than most countries of the world.