Statistical information Bahrain 1999Bahrain

Map of Bahrain | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year:  | More stats

Bahrain in the World
Bahrain in the World

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Bahrain - Introduction 1999
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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.


Bahrain - Geography 1999
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Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map referenceMiddle East

Area
Total: 620 km²
Land: 620 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

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
Extremes highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use

Land use
Arable land: 1%
Permanent crops: 1%
Permanent pastures: 6%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 92% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 km² (1993 est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms

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


Bahrain - People 1999
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Population: 629,090 (July 1999 est.)
Note: includes 227,801 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Bahraini(s)
Adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

Demographic profile
Age structure

Age structure
0-14 years: 31% (male 97,316; female 94,708)
15-64 years: 67% (male 249,594; female 169,337)
65 years and over: 2% (male 9,241; female 8,894) (1999 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 21.86 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 3.24 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.47 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.3 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14.81 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.32 years
Male: 72.75 years
Female: 77.96 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.97 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 85.2%
Male: 89.1%
Female: 79.4% (1995 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


Bahrain - Government 1999
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Country name
Conventional long form: State of Bahrain
Conventional short form: Bahrain
Local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn
Local short form: Al Bahrayn

Government type: traditional monarchy

Capital: Manama

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

Dependent areas

Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971)

Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: none

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 NA 1969)
Head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
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

Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR Abdallah
In the us chancery: 3,502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 362-2,192
In the us consulates general: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Johnny YOUNG
From the us embassy: Building No. 979, Road 3,119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 3,119, Zinj District, Manama
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 9,834-5,100; International Mail:American Embassy, Box 26,431, Manama
From the us telephone: [973] 273-300
From the us FAX: [973] 272-594

Flag descriptionflag of Bahrain: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


Bahrain - Economy 1999
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Economy overview: In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. 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 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -2% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $13,100 (1998 est.)

Gross national saving
Gdp composition by sector of origin

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1%
Industry: 46%
Services: 53% (1996 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 3.4% (1995)

Labor force: 150,000 (1997 est.)
Note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)
By occupation industry commerce andservice: 79%
By occupation government: 20%
By occupation agriculture: 1% (1997est.)
Labor force

Unemployment rate: 15% (1996 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.5 billion
Expenditures: $1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1999 budget)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7%
Partners: India 18%, Japan 11%, Saudi Arabia 8%, South Korea 7%, UAE 5% (1997)

Imports: $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)
Commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
Partners: Saudi Arabia 45%, US 10%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Germany 4% (1997)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $2 billion (1997)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1_0.3760 (fixed rate)


Bahrain - Energy 1999
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Electricity
Production: 4.7 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 100%
Production by source hydro: 0%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 4.7 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Imports: 0 kWh (1996)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


Bahrain - Communication 1999
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Telephones: 73,552 (1987 est.)

Telephone system: modern system; good domestic services and excellent international connections
Domestic: NA
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

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


Bahrain - Military 1999
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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $276.9 million (1994)
Percent of gdp: 4.5% (1998)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


Bahrain - Transportation 1999
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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (1998 est.)
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways over 3047 m: 2 (1998 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 1
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1998 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 228,273 GRT/304,654 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 2, cargo 3, container 2, oil tanker 1 (1998 est.)

Ports and terminals


Bahrain - Transnational issues 1999
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Disputes international: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands and maritime boundary dispute with Qatar currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs


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