This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
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@Bahrain
Introduction
Bahrain
Background:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
Geography
Bahrain
Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land use:
arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%) per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms
Environment - current issues:
desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
People
Bahrain
Population:
718,306 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 26.4% (male 95,709/female 93,747) 15–64 years: 69.8% (male 288,957/female 212,706) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 14,224/female 12,963) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.9 years male: 33 years female: 26.4 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.337% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.4 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female total population: 1.25 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 15.64 deaths/1,000 live births male: 18.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.92 years male: 72.41 years female: 77.5 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.53 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
Religions:
Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 86.5% male: 88.6% female: 83.6% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years male: 14 years female: 16 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
3.9% of GDP (1991)
Government
Bahrain
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun
Government type: