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OFFICIAL NAME: |
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Kingdom of Bahrain
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GEOGRAPHY: |
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Area: 727 sq. km. (274 sq. mi.);
approximately four times the
size of Washington, DC. Bahrain
is an archipelago of 36 islands
located off the eastern coast of
Saudi Arabia. The four main
islands are joined by causeways,
and make up about 95% of the
total land area.
Cities: Capital--Manama,
pop. (2002 est.) 148,000.
Other cities--Al Muharraq.
Terrain: Low desert plain
(highest elevation point--122
m).
Climate: Hot and humid from
May-September, with average
highs ranging from 30o-40o
C (86o-104o
F). Maximum temperatures average
20o-30o C
(68o-86o
F) the remainder of the year. |
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PEOPLE: |
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Nationality: Noun and
adjective--Bahraini(s).
Population (July 2005 est.):
688,345, including about 235,108
non-nationals.
Annual growth rate (2005 est.):
1.51%.
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%,
Asian 19%, other Arab 10%,
Iranian 8%.
Religions: 98% Muslim (Shi’a
70%, Sunni 30%), with small
Christian, Jewish and Hindu
communities.
Languages: Arabic (official),
English, Farsi, and Urdu are
also widely spoken.
Education: Education is not
compulsory, but is provided free
to Bahrainis and non-nationals
at all levels, including higher
education. Estimated net
primary school attendance
(1991-2001)--84%. Adult
literacy, age 15 and over
(2003 est.)--89.1% for the
overall population (male 91.9%,
female 85%).
Health: Infant mortality
rate (2005 est.)--17.27
deaths/1,000 live births.
Life expectancy--72 yrs.
males, 77 yrs. females.
Work force (2005 est.): 380,000
of which 59% are foreigners and
20.8% female. |
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Bahrain is one
of the most
densely
populated
countries in the
Middle East;
about 89% of the
population lives
in the two
principal cities
of Manama and Al
Muharraq.
Approximately
66% of the
indigenous
population is
originally from
the Arabian
Peninsula and
Iran. Bahrain
currently has a
sizeable foreign
labor force
(about 34% of
the total
population). The
government’s
policies on
naturalization
remain
controversial.
In June 2002,
the King issued
a decree
allowing
citizens of the
Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) to
take up dual
Bahraini
nationality.
Opposition
political groups
charge that the
government is
granting
citizenship to
foreign
nationals who
have served in
the Bahraini
armed forces and
security
services to
alter the
demographic
balance of the
country, which
is primarily
Shi’a. According
to passport
officials, about
40,000
individuals have
been naturalized
over the past 50
years (about 10%
of the total
population).
The
indigenous
population is
98% Muslim.
Although more
than two-thirds
of the
indigenous
population is
Shi’a Muslim,
the ruling
family and the
majority of
government,
military, and
corporate
leaders are
Sunni Muslims.
The small
indigenous
Christian and
Jewish
communities make
up the remaining
2% of the
population.
Roughly half of
foreign resident
community are
non-Muslim, and
include
Christians,
Hindus, Baha’is,
Buddhists and
Sikhs.
Bahrain has
invested its oil
revenues in
developing an
advanced
educational
system. The
first public
schools for
girls and boys
were opened in
the 1920s. The
government
continues to pay
for all
schooling costs.
Although school
attendance is
not compulsory,
primary and
secondary
attendance rates
are high, and
literacy rates
are currently
among the
highest in the
region. Higher
education is
available for
secondary school
graduates at the
Bahrain
University,
Arabian Gulf
University and
specialized
institutes
including the
College of
Health
Sciences--operating
under the
direction of the
Ministry of
Health--which
trains
physicians,
nurses,
pharmacists, and
paramedics. The
government has
identified
providing
educational
services to the
Gulf Cooperation
Council as a
potential
economic growth
area, and is
actively working
to establish
Bahrain as a
regional center
for higher
education. |
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GOVERNMENT: |
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Type: Constitutional hereditary
monarchy.
Independence: August 15, 1971
(from the United Kingdom).
Constitution: Approved and
promulgated May 26, 1973;
suspended on August 26, 1975;
the National Action Charter was
approved by a national popular
referendum on February 14-15,
2001, and a new constitution was
issued on February 14, 2002.
Branches: Executive--King
(chief of state); Prime Minister
(head of government); Council of
Ministers (cabinet) is appointed
by the King and headed by the
Prime Minister.
Legislative--The
bicameral parliament (al-Majlis
al-Watani) consists of a
40-member elected House of
Deputies and a 40-member Shura
Council appointed by the King.
Members of both chambers serve
four-year terms. Judicial--High
Civil Appeals Court. The
judiciary is independent with
right of judicial review.
Administrative subdivisions: 12
municipalities (manatiq): Al
Hidd, 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.
Political parties: None. Formal
parties are banned, but
political societies have been
sanctioned since 2001 and were
formally allowed to register per
a July 2005 law.
Suffrage: Universal at age 18. |
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ECONOMY: |
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GDP
(2005 est.): $11.58 billion.
Real GDP growth rate (2005
est.): 5.9%.
Per capita GDP (2005 est.):
$20,500.
Natural resources: Oil, natural
gas, fish, pearls.
Agriculture (less than 1% of
GDP): Products--fruit,
vegetables, poultry, dairy
products, shrimp, fish.
Industry: Types--oil and
gas (13.1% of GDP),
manufacturing (12.4% of GDP),
aluminum.
Services: Finance (24.2% of
GDP), transport and
communications (8.9% of GDP),
real estate (9.2% of GDP);
government services (14.8% of
GDP).
Trade (2004--12.4% of GDP):
Exports--$8.14 billion: oil
and other mineral products, base
metals, textiles. Major
markets--India (4.3%), U.S.
(2.9%), Saudi Arabia (3.0%),
Japan (1.7%), South Korea
(1.4%). Imports--$7.83
billion: crude oil, machinery
and appliances, transport
equipment, foodstuffs. Major
suppliers--Saudi Arabia
(32.4%), U.S. (5.6%), France
(4.8%), U.K. (6.1%), Germany
(6.1%), Japan (7.3%). |
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HISTORY: |
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The site of the
ancient Bronze
Age civilization
of Dilmun,
Bahrain was an
important center
linking trade
routes between
Mesopotamia and
the Indus Valley
as early as
5,000 years ago.
The Dilmun
civilization
began to decline
about 2,000 B.C.
as trade from
India was cut
off. From 750
B.C. on,
Assyrian kings
repeatedly
claimed
sovereignty over
the islands.
Shortly after
600 B.C., Dilmun
was formally
incorporated
into the new
Babylonian
empire. There
are no
historical
references to
Bahrain until
Alexander the
Great’s arrival
in the Gulf in
the 4th century
B.C. Although
Bahrain was
ruled variously
by the Arab
tribes of Bani
Wa’el and
Persian
governors,
Bahrain
continued to be
known by its
Greek name Tylos
until the 7th
century, when
many of its
inhabitants
converted to
Islam. A
regional
pearling and
trade center,
Bahrain came
under the
control of the
Ummayad Caliphs
of Syria, the
Abbasid Caliphs
of Baghdad,
Persian, Omani
and Portuguese
forces at
various times
from the 7th
century until
the Al Khalifa
family, a branch
of the Bani
Utbah tribe that
have ruled
Bahrain since
the 18th
century,
succeeded in
capturing
Bahrain from a
Persian garrison
controlling the
islands in 1783.
In the 1830s
the Al Khalifa
signed the first
of many treaties
establishing
Bahrain as a
British
Protectorate.
Similar to the
binding treaties
of protection
entered into by
other Persian
Gulf
principalities,
the agreements
entered into by
the Al Khalifa
prohibited them
from disposing
of territory and
entering into
relationships
with any foreign
government
without British
consent in
exchange for
British
protection
against the
threat of
military attack
from Ottoman
Turkey. The main
British naval
base in the
region was moved
to Bahrain in
1935 shortly
after the start
of large-scale
oil production.
In 1968, when
the British
Government
announced its
decision
(reaffirmed in
March 1971) to
end the treaty
relationships
with the Persian
Gulf sheikdoms,
Bahrain
initially joined
the other eight
states (Qatar
and the seven
Trucial
Sheikhdoms now
the United Arab
Emirates) under
British
protection in an
effort to form a
union of Arab
emirates. The
nine sheikhdoms
still had not
agreed on terms
of union by
1971, however,
prompting
Bahrain to
declare itself
fully
independent on
August 15, 1971.
Bahrain
promulgated a
constitution and
elected its
first parliament
in 1973, but
just two years
later, in August
1975, the Amir
disbanded the
National
Assembly after
it attempted to
legislate the
end of
Al-Khalifa rule
and the
expulsion of the
U.S. Navy from
Bahrain. In the
1990s, Bahrain
suffered from
repeated
incidents of
political
violence
stemming from
the disaffection
of the Shi’a
majority. In
response, the
Amir instituted
the first
Bahraini cabinet
change in 20
years in 1995
and also and
increased the
membership of
the Consultative
Council, which
he had created
in 1993 to
provide advice
and opinion on
legislation
proposed by the
cabinet and, in
certain cases,
suggest new laws
on its own, from
30 to 40 the
following year.
These steps led
to an initial
decline in
violent
incidents, but
in early 1996 a
number of hotels
and restaurants
were bombed,
resulting in
several
fatalities. Over
1,000 people
were arrested
and held in
detention
without trial in
connection with
these
disturbances.
The government
has since
released these
individuals (see
Government and
Political
Conditions
Section below
for details).
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PRINCIPAL
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: |
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King--Shaikh
Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa
Crown Prince and
Commander in
Chief of the
Bahrain Defense
Force--Shaikh
Salman bin Hamad
Al Khalifa
Prime
Minister--Shaikh
Khalifa bin
Salman Al
Khalifa
Deputy Prime
Minister and
Islamic Affairs
Minister--Shaikh
Abdullah bin
Khaled Al
Khalifa
Deputy Prime
Minister for
Ministerial
Committees--Shaikh
Mohammad bin
Mubarak Al
Khalifa
Deputy Prime
Minister and
Transport and
Communications
Minister--Shaikh
Ali bin Khalifa
Al Khalifa
Foreign
Minister--Shaikh
Khalid bin Ahmed
Al Khalifa
Ambassador to
the United
States--Dr.
Naser M.Y. Al
Belooshi
Ambassador to
the United
Nations--Tawfeeq
Al-Ahmed
Al-Mansoor
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TRAVEL &
BUSINESS INFORMATION: |
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Following are are
the top 10 tips you need to make
your trip easier:
1. Make sure you have a signed,
valid passport and visas, if
required. Also, before you go,
fill in the emergency
information page of your
passport!
2. Read the Consular Information
Sheets (and Public Announcements
or Travel Warnings, if
applicable) for the countries
you plan to visit.
3. Familiarize yourself with
local laws and customs of the
countries to which you are
travelling. While in a foreign country,
you are subject to its laws.
4. Make 2 copies of your
passport identification page.
This will facilitate replacement
if your passport is lost or
stolen. Leave one copy at home
with friends or relatives. Carry
the other with you in a separate
place from your passport.
5. Leave a copy of your
itinerary with family or friends
at home so that you can be
contacted in case of an
emergency.
6. Do not leave your luggage
unattended in public areas. Do
not accept packages from
strangers.
7. You should register with the
nearest embassy or consulate of
your country. Registration will
make your presence and
whereabouts known in case it is
necessary to contact you in an
emergency.
Remember to leave a detailed
itinerary and the numbers or
copies of your passport or other
citizenship documents with a
friend or relative in your own
country.
8. To avoid being a target of
crime, try not to wear
conspicuous clothing and
expensive jewelry and do not
carry excessive amounts of money
or unnecessary credit cards.
9. In order to avoid violating
local laws, deal only with
authorized agents when you
exchange money or purchase art
or antiques.
10. If you get into trouble,
contact the nearest embassy of
your country. |
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USEFUL
LINKS: |
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