|
| Background: |
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.
Possessing minimal oil reserves, Bahrain
has turned to petroleum processing and
refining, and has transformed itself into
an international banking center. The new
amir is pushing economic and political
reforms, and has worked to improve
relations with the Shi'a community. In
2001, the International Court of Justice
awarded the Hawar Islands, long disputed
with Qatar, to 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:
620 sq km
land: 620 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
3.5
times the size of Washington, DC |
| Maritime
claims: |
contiguous
zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: extending
to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 NM |
| 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: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
10
sq km (1993 est.) |
| 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; no
natural fresh water resources so that
groundwater and sea water are the only
sources for all water needs |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
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: |
close
to primary Middle Eastern petroleum
sources; strategic location in Persian
Gulf which much of Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean |
| Population: |
645,361
note: includes 228,424
non-nationals (July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14
years: 29.6% (male 96,697;
female 94,330)
15-64 years: 67.43% (male
257,360; female 177,839)
65 years and over: 2.97%
(male 9,721; female 9,414) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
1.73%
(2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
20.07
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
3.92
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
1.1
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at
birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.45 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03
male(s)/female
total population: 1.29 male(s)/female
(2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
19.77
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 73.2 years
male: 70.81 years
female: 75.67 years (2001
est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
2.79
children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.15%
(1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
NA |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Bahraini
63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8% |
| Religions: |
Shi'a
Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30% |
| Languages: |
Arabic,
English, Farsi, Urdu |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.2%
male: 89.1%
female: 79.4% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: State of Bahrain
conventional short form:
Bahrain
local long form: Dawlat al
Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun |
| Government
type: |
constitutional
monarchy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
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: |
15
August 1971 (from UK) |
| National
holiday: |
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: |
adopted
late December 2000 (new constitution calls
for a partially elected legislature, a
constitutional monarchy, and an
independent judiciary) |
| Legal
system: |
based
on Islamic law and English common law |
| Executive
branch: |
chief
of state: Amir 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 monarch
is hereditary; prime minister appointed by
the monarch |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly was dissolved 26 August
1975 and legislative powers were assumed
by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council
established 16 December 1992; the National
Action Charter created a bicameral
legislature on 23 December 2000; approved
by referendum of 14 February 2001 |
| Judicial
branch: |
High
Civil Appeals Court |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
political
parties prohibited |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Shi'a
activists fomented unrest sporadically
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: |
ABEDA,
AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU,
NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador (vacant)
chancery: 3502 International
Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief
of mission: Ambassador Ronald E.
NEUMANN
embassy: Building #979, Road
3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block
321, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address: American
Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE
09834-5100; international mail: American
Embassy, Box 26431, Manama
telephone: [973] 273-300
FAX: [973] 272-594 |
| Flag
description: |
red
with a white serrated band (eight white
points) on the hoist side |
| Economy
- overview: |
In
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. Bahrain
is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil
revenue granted as aid. A large share of
exports consists of petroleum products
made from imported crude. Construction
proceeds on several major industrial
projects. Unemployment, especially among
the young, and the depletion of both oil
and underground water resources are major
long-term economic problems. |
| GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $10.1 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5%
(2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $15,900 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
1%
industry: 46%
services: 53% (1996 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
2%
(2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
295,000
(1998 est.)
note: 44% of the population
in the 15-64 age group is non-national
(July 1998 est.) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
industry,
commerce, and service 79%, government 20%,
agriculture 1% (1997 est.) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
15%
(1998 est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$1.8 billion
expenditures: $2.2 billion,
including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.) |
| Industries: |
petroleum
processing and refining, aluminum
smelting, offshore banking, ship
repairing; tourism |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
2%
(2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
6.185
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil
fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
5.752
billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
0
kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
fruit,
vegetables; poultry, dairy products;
shrimp, fish |
| Exports: |
$5.8
billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
petroleum
and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7% |
| Exports
- partners: |
India
14%, Saudi Arabia 5%, US 5%, UAE 5%, Japan
4%, South Korea 4% (1999) |
| Imports: |
$4.2
billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
nonoil
59%, crude oil 41% |
| Imports
- partners: |
France
20%, US 14%, UK 8%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Japan
5% (1999) |
| Debt
- external: |
$2.7
billion (2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$48.4
million (1995) |
| Currency: |
Bahraini
dinar (BHD) |
| Exchange
rates: |
Bahraini
dinars per US dollar - 0.3760 (fixed rate
pegged to the US dollar) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar
year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
152,000
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
58,543
(1997) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic
integrated services; digital network with
rapidly growing use of mobile cellular
telephones
international: 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: |
AM
2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
4
(1997) |
| Televisions: |
275,000
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bh |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
1
(2000) |
| Internet
users: |
37,500
(2000) |
| Highways: |
total:
3,164 km
paved: 2,433 km
unpaved: 731 km
note: there is a paved
causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi
Arabia (1997) |
| Pipelines: |
crude
oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km;
natural gas 32 km |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Manama,
Mina' Salman, Sitrah |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling
175,609 GRT/207,652 DWT
ships by type: bulk 2, cargo
3, container 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
2
over 3,047 m: 2 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000
est.) |
| Disputes
- international: |
in
March of 2001, the International Court of
Justice (ICJ) awarded the Hawar Islands to
Bahrain and also adjusted Bahrain's
maritime boundary with Qatar |
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