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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
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  Military
  Transnational Issues

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


Map of Bahrain



Legend: DefinitionDefinition Field ListingField Listing Rank OrderRank Order
   Introduction    Bahrain
Background:
Definition Field Listing
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. The new amir, installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.
   Geography    Bahrain
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Middle East
Area:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 665 sq km
land: 665 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
0 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
161 km
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2001)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
50 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
periodic droughts; dust storms
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
688,345
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 27.8% (male 96,807/female 94,863)
15-64 years: 68.7% (male 275,792/female 197,424)
65 years and over: 3.4% (male 12,078/female 11,381) (2005 est.)
Median age:
Definition Field Listing
total: 29.19 years
male: 32.16 years
female: 25.54 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.51% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
18.1 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
4.08 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.4 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 17.27 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.17 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total population: 74.23 years
male: 71.76 years
female: 76.78 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.63 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
less than 600 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.1%
male: 91.9%
female: 85% (2003 est.)
   Government    Bahrain
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
constitutional hereditary monarchy
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Manama
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
note: all municipalities administered from Manama
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary)
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held NA 2006)
election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10
note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador KHALIFA bin ALI bin Rashid Al Khalifa
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE
embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: [973] 1724-2700
FAX: [973] 1725-6242 (consular)
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
   Economy    Bahrain
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
In well-to-do Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consist of petroleum products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In September 2004 Bahrain signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States - the first such agreement undertaken by a Gulf state. Both countries must ratify the FTA before it is enforced.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $13.01 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
5.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
purchasing power parity - $19,200 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 0.7%
industry: 41%
services: 58.4% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
12.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2.1% (2004 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
370,000
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
15% (1998 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $3.825 billion
expenditures: $3.262 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (2004 est.)
Public debt:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
2% (2000 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.86 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.379 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
0 kWh (2002)
Oil - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
44,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
40,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
NA
Oil - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
126 million bbl (2004 est.)
Natural gas - production:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
32.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
32.7 billion cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
0 cu m (2002 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
46 billion cu m (2004)
Current account balance:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$586.1 million (2004 est.)
Exports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$8.205 billion (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
US 3.6%, South Korea 2.2%, Saudi Arabia 1.9% (2003)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$5.87 billion (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Saudi Arabia 30.6%, US 11.4%, Japan 7.8%, UK 5.7%, Germany 5.4% (2003)
Reserves of foreign exchange & gold:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$2.141 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$6.215 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Bahraini dinar (BHD)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
BHD
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000)
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Bahrain
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
185,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
443,100 (2003)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
4 (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.bh
Internet hosts:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
1,334 (2003)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
195,700 (2003)
   Transportation    Bahrain
Highways:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
total: 3,459 km
paved: 2,653 km
unpaved: 806 km (2002)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
Definition Field Listing
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Kuwait 2) (2005)
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
4 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Heliports:
Definition Field Listing
1 (2004 est.)
   Military    Bahrain
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard
Military manpower - military age:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 202,126 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 18-49: 161,372 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males: 6,013 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
$628.9 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing Rank Order
6.3% (2004)
   Transnational Issues    Bahrain
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
none

This page was last updated on 17 May, 2005


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