Background: In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. A steady decline in oil production and reserves since 1970 prompted Bahrain to take steps to diversify its economy, in the process developing petroleum processing and refining, aluminum production, and hospitality and retail sectors. It has also endeavored to become a leading regional banking center, especially with respect to Islamic finance. Bahrain's small size, central location among Gulf countries, economic dependence on Saudi Arabia, and proximity to Iran require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Its foreign policy activities usually fall in line with Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map reference: Middle East

Area
Total: 760 km²
Land: 760 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 187
Comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm

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

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

Elevation
Lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
Highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 135 m

Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Land use
Agricultural land: 11.3% (2016 est.)
Forest: 0.7% (2016 est.)
Other: 88% (2016 est.)

Irrigated land: 40 km² (2012)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms

Geography
Note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

Population
Distribution: smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%; largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq: 1,505,003 (July 2020 est.)
Note: immigrants make up approximately 48% of the total population, according to UN data (2017)
Rank: 154
Growth rate: 2.08% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 42
Below poverty line note: NA

Nationality
Noun: Bahraini(s)
Adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups: Bahraini 46%, Asian 45.5%, other Arab 4.7%, African 1.6%, European 1%, other 1.2% (includes Gulf Co-operative country nationals, North and South Americans, and Oceanians) (2010 est.)

Languages: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu

Religions: Muslim 73.7%, Christian 9.3%, Jewish 0.1%, other 16.9% (2017 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 18.45% (male 141,039/female 136,687)
15-24 years: 15.16% (male 129,310/female 98,817)
25-54 years: 56.14% (male 550,135/female 294,778)
55-64 years: 6.89% (male 64,761/female 38,870)
65 years and over: 3.36% (male 25,799/female 24,807) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 26.5
Youth dependency ratio: 23.1
Elderly dependency ratio: 3.4
Potential support ratio: 29.8 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 32.9 years
Male: 34.4 years
Female: 30.3 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 102

Population growth rate: 2.08% (2020 est.)
Rank: 42

Birth rate: 12.7 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 148

Death rate: 2.8 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 225

Net migration rate: 10.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 7

Population distribution: smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%; largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq

Urbanization
Urban population: 89.5% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 4.38% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 635,000 MANAMA (capital) (2020)

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; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs); lowered water table leaves aquifers vulnerable to saline contamination; desalinization provides some 90% of the country's freshwater
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.31 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.87 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.67 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.53 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 8.3 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 9.2 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 7.4 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 146

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 79.4 years
Male: 77.1 years
Female: 81.8 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 52

Total fertility rate: 1.69 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 175

Current health expenditure: 4.7% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.93 physicians/1000 population (2015)

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2017)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate note: <.1% (2017 est.)
People living with hivaids note: <500 (2017 est.)
Deaths note: <100 (2017 est.)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 29.8% (2016)
Rank: 25

Education expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2017)
Rank: 156

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.5%
Male: 99.9%
Female: 94.9% (2018)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 16 years
Female: 17 years (2019)

Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
Conventional short form: Bahrain
Local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
Local short form: Al Bahrayn
Former: Dilmun, Tylos, Awal, Mishmahig, Bahrayn, State of Bahrain
Etymology: the name means the two seas in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Manama
Geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
Time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time): etymology: name derives from the Arabic 'al-manama' meaning 'place of rest' or 'place of dreams'

Administrative divisions: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern)
Note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

Independence: 15 August 1971 (from the UK)

National holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection

Constitution
History: adopted 14 February 2002
Amendments: proposed by the king or by at least 15 members of either chamber of the National Assembly followed by submission to an Assembly committee for review and, if approved, submitted to the government for restatement as drafts; passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both chambers and validation by the king; constitutional articles on the state religion (Islam), state language (Arabic), and the monarchy and inherited rule cannot be amended; amended 2012, 2017

Legal system: mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Bahrain
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals

Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999)
Head of government: Prime minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020); first deputy prime minister (vacant); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa (since September 2005), Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 11 December 2006), KHALID bin Abdallah Al-Khalifa (since November 2010); note - KHALIFA ibn Salman Al Khalifa, who served as prime minister since Bahrains independence in 1971, died on 11 November 2020
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Cassation (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal (court sittings include the president and at least one judge)
Judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointments by royal decree for a specified tenure
Subordinate courts: Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court; Administrative Courts of Appeal; military courts
Note: the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts; sharia courts (involving personal status and family law) are further divided into Sunni Muslim and Shia Muslim; the Courts are supervised by the Supreme Judicial Council.

Political parties and leaders
Note: political parties are prohibited, but political societies were legalized under a July 2005 law

International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Abdulla bin Rashid AL KHALIFA (since 21 July 2017)
In the us chancery: 3,502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 362-2,192
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Justin H. SIBERELL (since November 2017)
From the us telephone: [973] 1724-2,700
From the us embassy: Building #979, Road 3,119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
From the us mailing address:
From the us FAX: [973] 1727-2,594

Flag description: red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
Note: until 2002, the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag

National symbols: a red field surmounted by a white serrated band with five white points; national colors: red, white

National anthem
Name: Bahrainona (Our Bahrain)
Lyricsmusic: unknown
Note: adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2010 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 116

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2010 dollars
Rank: 67

Gross national saving:
Rank: 99

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 45.8% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 15.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 26.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 80.2% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -67.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 0.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 39.3% (2017 est.)
Services: 60.4% (2017 est.)

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

Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 0.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 165

Labor force: 831,600 (2017 est.)
Note: excludes unemployed; 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national
Rank: 144
By occupation agriculture: 1%
By occupation industry: 32%
By occupation services: 67% (2004 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Note: official estimate; actual rate is higher
Rank: 50

Population below poverty line
Note: NA

Budget
Revenues: 5.854 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 9.407 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -10.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 211

Taxes and other revenues: 16.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 176

Public debt:
Rank: 26

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 83

Current account balance:
Rank: 162

Exports:
Rank: 71
Partners: UAE 19.6%, Saudi Arabia 11.7%, US 10.8%, Oman 8.1%, China 6.5%, Qatar 5.7%, Japan 4.2% (2017)
Commodities: petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles

Imports:
Rank: 76
Commodities: crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Partners: China 8.8%, UAE 7.2%, US 7.1%, Australia 5.3%, Japan 4.8% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 118

Debt external:
Rank: 63

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2020)
Production: 26.81 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 70
Consumption: 26.11 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 67
Exports: 213 million kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 74
Imports: 276 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 89
Installed generating capacity: 3.928 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 90
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 2
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 44
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 156
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 175

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 40,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 58
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 90
Crude oil imports: 226,200 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 29
Crude oil proven reserves: 124.6 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 67

Refined petroleum
Products production: 274,500 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 45
Products consumption: 61,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 94
Products exports: 245,300 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 30
Products imports: 14,530 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 136

Natural gas
Production: 15.89 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 36
Consumption: 15.89 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 42
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 64
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 88
Proven reserves: 92.03 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 53

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 37.98 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 67

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 246,603
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16.73 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 118
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,706,763
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 115.79 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 156

Broadcast media: state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations; satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts; 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2019)

Internet
Country code: .bh
Users total: 1,423,039
Users percent of population: 98.64% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 132

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 184,603
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13 (2018 est.)
Rank: 111

Military expenditures:
Rank: 17

Military and security forces:

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2019)

Terrorist groups: al-Ashtar Brigades; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force (2020)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in a title='Appendix-T' href='../appendix/appendix-t.html'>Appendix-T/a>

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 6 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 42
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,877,003 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 420.98 million
Note: mt-km (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A9C (2016)

Airports: 4 (2013)
Rank: 183
With paved runways total: 4 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 20 km gas, 54 km oil (2013)

Roadways
Total: 4,122 km (2010)
Paved: 3,392 km (2010)
Unpaved: 730 km (2010)
Rank: 153

Merchant marine
Total: 261
By type: bulk carrier 1, container ship 1, general cargo 11, oil tanker 4, other 244 (2019)
Rank: 59

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Mina Salman, Sitrah

Disputes international: none