Map of Bahrain | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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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.


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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 reference: Middle East

Area
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims

Climate: arid; mild pleasant winters; very hot humid summers

Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation

Natural resources: oil associated and nonassociated natural gas fish

Land use

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


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Population: 634,137
Growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality

Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63% Asian 19% other Arab 10% Iranian 8%

Languages: Arabic English Farsi Urdu

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

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.78% (2000 est.)

Birth rate: 20.61 births/1000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 3.89 deaths/1000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 1.12 migrant(s)/1000 population (2000 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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 20.48 deaths/1000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

Total fertility rate: 2.82 children born/woman (2000 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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name

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

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

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: political parties prohibited

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 UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UPU WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTrO

Diplomatic representation

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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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: 4% (1999 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $13,700 (1999 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

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: 295,000 (1998 est.)
By occupation: industry commerce and service 79% government 20% agriculture 1% (1997 est.)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1998 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.5% (1998 est.)

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: $3.3 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 61% aluminum 7%
Partners: India 18% Japan 11% Saudi Arabia 8% South Korea 7% UAE 5% (1997)

Imports: $3.5 billion (f.o.b. 1998)
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)


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Electricity
Production: 4.77 billion kWh (1998)
Consumption: 1.09 billion kWh (1999)
Exports: 0 kWh (1998)
Imports: 0 kWh (1998)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 141,000 (1995)
Mobile cellular: 130,000 (1999 est.)

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

Broadcast media

Internet
Service providers isps: 3 (1999)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $318 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 5.2% (FY99)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 3 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)

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

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: the territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands and the maritime boundary dispute with Qatar are currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs