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Travel to Bahrain — Unbiased reviews and
great deals from TripAdvisorBahrain
| Kingdom of Bahrain National Name:
Mamlakat al Bahrayn King: Hamad
ibn Isa al-Khalifah (1999) Prime
Minister: Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah (1970)
Current government officials
Land area: 239 sq mi (619 sq km);
total area: 257 sq mi (665 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 718,306 (growth
rate: 1.3%); birth rate: 17.2/1000; infant mortality rate: 15.6/1000;
life expectancy: 74.9; density per sq km: 1,080
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Al-Manámah, 527,000 (metro area), 149,900
(city proper) Monetary unit: Bahrain
dinar
Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Ethnicity/race:
Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001)
Religion:
Islam (Shiite and Sunni) 81%, Christian 9%
National Holiday:
National Day, December 16 Literacy rate: 89% (2003 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est):
$14.11 billion; per capita $20,500. Real growth rate: 5.9%.
Inflation: 2.7%. Unemployment: 15%. Arable land:
2.82%. Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy
products; shrimp, fish. Labor force: 380,000; note: 44% of the
population in the 15–64 age group is non-national; agriculture
1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997
est.). Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum
smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship
repairing, tourism. Natural resources: oil, associated and
nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls. Exports: $11.17
billion (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum,
textiles. Imports: $7.83 billion (2005 est.): crude oil,
machinery, chemicals. Major trading partners: Saudi Arabia,
U.S., UAE, Japan, Germany, UK, France (2004). Communications: Telephones: main lines in
use: 191,600 (2004); mobile cellular: 649,800 (2004). Radio
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998). Television
broadcast stations: 4 (1997). Internet hosts: 1,952 (2005).
Internet users: 152,700 (2005). Transportation: Railways: 0 km.
Highways: total: 3,498 km; paved: 2,768 km; unpaved: 730 km
(2003). Ports and harbors: Mina' Salman, Sitrah.
Airports: 3 (2005). International
disputes: none.
Major sources and definitions
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Geography
Bahrain, which means “two seas,” is
an archipelago in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The
islands for the most part are level expanses of sand and rock. A causeway
connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
Government
Constitutional monarchy.
History
Known in ancient times as Dilmun, Bahrain was an
important center of trade by the 3rd millennium B.C. The islands were ruled by the Persians in the
4th century A.D., and then by Arabs until 1541,
when the Portuguese invaded them. Persia again claimed Bahrain in 1602. In
1783 Ahmad ibn al-Khalifah took over, and the al-Khalifahs remain the
ruling family today. Bahrain became a British protectorate in 1820. It did
not gain full independence until Aug. 14, 1971.
Although oil was discovered in Bahrain in the
1930s, it was relatively little compared to other Gulf states, and the
wells are expected to be the first in the region to dry up. Sheik Isa ibn
Sulman al-Khalifah, who became emir in 1961, was determined to diversify
his country's economy, and he set about establishing Bahrain as a major
financial center. The country provides its people with free medical care,
education, and old-age pensions.
Conflicts between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims
are a recurring problem in Bahrain. The Sunni minority, to which the
ruling al-Khalifah family belongs, controls nearly all the power and
wealth in the country. the Shiites continue to agitate for more
representation in government, and minor violent clashes have led to about
two dozen deaths since 1994.
Internal Reforms Increase Bahrain's Attractiveness as an Ally to the
West
Bahrain has been an important Western ally,
serving as a Western air base during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the
Iraq War in 2003. It continues to serve as the base of the United States'
Fifth Fleet, which patrols the Gulf.
The emir, Sheik Isa ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, died
in 1999 after four decades of rule. He was succeeded by his son, Sheik
Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, who gave himself the title of king but also
began a sweeping democratization of the country: censorship has been
relaxed and draconian laws repealed, exiles have been repatriated, and the
stateless Bidoons have been granted citizenship. In a Feb. 2001
referendum, which permitted women to vote for the first time, Bahrainis
overwhelmingly supported the transformation of the traditional monarchy
into a constitutional one. In Oct. 2002, Bahrain had its first
parliamentary election since 1973. In 2006, the U.S. and Bahrain signed a
free-trade agreement.
See also Encyclopedia: Bahrain.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes:
Bahrain
Information Please® Database, © 2008 Pearson
Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
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