Vegetation is limited to small patches of scrub.
The climate is typical of a desert region. Summer temperatures are hot and winters are warm. He is an absolute monarch and appoints a council of ministers, one of whom is the Crown Prince. The ministers are advised by a 30-member advisory council, but there is no parliament nor any political parties. The Qatar government is outward looking and in recent years has sought to establish relationships which are not always to the liking of its Gulf neighbours.