I am the State of Qatar. Many of you in Japan may know me because of a soccor game at Doha that took place in 1993. Doha is my capital city, and about half of the population live around there.
I am almost in an island. The water is of the Persian Gulf are all around me except in the south. Saudi Arabia is my neighbor there. I’m about the size of Akita Prefecture, but much, much hotter.
My population is about 2.6 million, and most people are Muslims. So I hope you will respect their religion and rules when you visit me. For example, you should try not to take pictures of people, especially women. And it's hot in my country, but you shouldn’t show much of your skin.
Since the 2006 Asian Games at Doha, many buildings have been built. Also, my country is getting ready to host the 2022 World Cup soccer matches, and I will be the first country to do so in the Arab world. We are building many interesting looking stadiums now.
I’m also famous for the many different shapes of my skyscrapers. When you see them, you might think they will fall down. But I don't have many earthquakes like your country. So we are able to make buildings with unique designs.
The new Doha buildings are wonderful, but feel if you want to see a more traditional side of me, you can visit a market called Souq Waqif. Oh, and you have to see my man-made island called Pearl-Qatar. It is about four square kilometers. You will find a five-star hotel, shopping malls, schools, and several marinas that can holds many boats.
My people used to look for pearls in the Pearl-Qatar area. That is why it has that name. The pearl industry was very important in my country for a long time. It started about five thousand years ago. But in the early twentieth century, the Japanese succeeded in farming pearls, and the price of pearls dropped. So many fishermen stopped looking for pearls. I understand. Sometimes you could only find a few good pearls in ten thousand oysters you opened. It was a difficult job. Then, my people found oil and natural gas. Now they are the most important products in my country.
When you come to Doha, you will see a very modern city. But outside the center, time passes quietly and peacefully in the desert. But sometimes there is some excitement in the desert. People have enjoyed camel races here for a long time. These days, robots ride the camels as jockeys. You have to come and see for yourself. I will be waiting for you.