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Guide
Introduction
| |
| 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 Johnny YOUNG
embassy: #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.) |
| Military
branches: |
Ground Force, Navy, Air
Force, Coast Guard, Police Force |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
15 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
222,141 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
121,833 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 5,926
(2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$318 million (FY99) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.2% (FY99) |
| 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 |
|
