In 1783, the Sunni 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. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. 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. In addition, the Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. During the mid-to-late 1990s, Shia activists mounted a low-intensity uprising to demand that the Sunni-led government stop systemic economic, social, and political discrimination against Shia Bahrainis. King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa, after succeeding his late father in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms in part to improve relations with the Shia community. After boycotting the country's first round of democratic elections under the newly-promulgated constitution in 2002, Shia political societies participated in 2006 and 2010 in legislative and municipal elections and Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest bloc of seats in the elected lower-house of the legislature both times. In early 2011, Bahrain's fractious opposition sought to ride a rising tide of popular Arab protests to petition for the redress of popular grievances. In mid-March 2011, with the backing of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals, King HAMAD put an end to the mass public gatherings and increasingly disruptive civil disobedience by declaring a state of emergency. Manama also welcomed a contingent of mostly Saudi and Emirati forces as part of a GCC deployment intended to help Bahraini security forces maintain order. Since that time, intermittent efforts at political dialogue between the government and opposition have remained at a stalemate. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI), formed in June 2011 to investigate abuses during the unrest and state of emergency, released its final report in November 2011. The King fully endorsed the report, and since then Manama has begun to implement many of the BICI's recommendations, including improving policing procedures, reinstating fired workers, rebuilding some mosques, and establishing a compensation fund for those affected by the unrest and crackdown. Despite this progress, street protests have grown increasingly violent since the beginning of 2012.

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

periodic droughts; dust storms

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)

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

Bahraini 46%, non-Bahraini 54% (2010 census)

Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu

Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)

14.41 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

2.63 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

14.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.)

MANAMA (capital) 163,000 (2009)

20 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)

1.86 children born/woman (2012 est.)

1.442 physicians/1,000 population (2008)

1.9 beds/1,000 population (2008)

urban: 100% of population

rural: 100% of population

total: 100% of population

fewer than 600 (2007 est.)

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

constitutional monarchy

5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat

15 August 1971 (from the UK)

National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection

adopted 14 February 2002

mixed legal system of Islamic law and English common law

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years

bicameral National Assembly consists of the Shura Council or Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)

High Civil Appeals Court

none: note - political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law

Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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

Bahrain is one of the most diversified economies in the Persian Gulf. Highly developed communication and transport facilities make Bahrain home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. As part of its diversification plans, Bahrain implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in August 2006, the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Bahrain's economy, however, continues to depend heavily on oil. Petroleum production and refining account for more than 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries). Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil - finance, and construction. Bahrain competes with Malaysia as a worldwide center for Islamic banking and continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. In 2011 and continuing into 2012, Bahrain experienced economic setbacks as a result of domestic unrest. Bahrain's reputation as a financial hub of the Gulf has been damaged, and the country now risks losing financial institutions to other regional centers such as Dubai or Doha. Economic policies aimed at restoring confidence in Bahrain's economy, such as the suspension of an expatriate labor tax, will make Bahrain's foremost long-term economic challenges - youth unemployment and the growth of government debt - more difficult to address.

$32.44 billion (2012 est.)

$31.81 billion (2011 est.)

$31.16 billion (2010 est.)

$26.51 billion (2012 est.)

19.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

31.9% of GDP (2012 est.)

-1.7% of GDP (2012 est.)

56.2% of GDP (2012 est.)

54% of GDP (2011 est.)

6.3% (31 December 2012 est.)

6.83% (31 December 2011 est.)

$7.854 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$7.013 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$24.38 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$21.64 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$24.31 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$20.78 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$17.15 billion (31 December 2011)

$20.43 billion (31 December 2010)

$16.93 billion (31 December 2009)

fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

$2.846 billion (2012 est.)

$3.247 billion (2011 est.)

$20.95 billion (2012 est.)

$19.91 billion (2011 est.)

petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles

Saudi Arabia 3.3%, UAE 2.2%, Japan 2%, Qatar 1.9% (2011)

$14.95 billion (2012 est.)

$12.11 billion (2011 est.)

crude oil, machinery, chemicals

Saudi Arabia 28.2%, US 10.5%, China 7.6%, Brazil 6%, India 5.7%, Germany 4.8%, Japan 4.1% (2011)

$4.853 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$4.245 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$25.27 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$25.15 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$16.87 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$15.94 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

$10.02 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

$8.777 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar -

11.34 billion kWh (2009 est.)

11.06 billion kWh (2009 est.)

168 million kWh (2009 est.)

3.168 million kW (2009 est.)

100% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

45,000 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

225,100 bbl/day (2009 est.)

107.2 million bbl (1 January 2013 est.)

263,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

48,580 bbl/day (2011 est.)

212,900 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

12.25 billion cu m (2010 est.)

92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

30.69 million Mt (2010 est.)

1.694 million (2011)

state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations; satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts; 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2007)

gas 20 km; oil 29 km (2010)

Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (RBA), Royal Bahraini Navy (RBN), Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF), Royal Bahraini Air Defense Force (RBADF) (2012)

17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2010)