Bahrain

traditional monarchyIndependence 15 August 1971 (from UK)

Bahrain as the 1991 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalManama

Area620 km2

Populationas each edition published it

536,974 people July 1991 · 520,186 in 1990

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 3.01% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 28.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 73.12 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

4 children per woman 1991 · 4.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

17 deaths per 1,000 live births 1991 · 19 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $7,800 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 3% in 1993

Geography

11 fields

Total area

620km2

land area: 620 km2Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

161 km Continental shelf: not specific; Territorial sea: 3 nm

Disputes

territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands

Climate

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

Terrain

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Natural resources

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

Land use

arable land 2%;
permanent crops 2%;
meadows and pastures 6%;
forest and woodland 0%;
other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Environment

subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities);
dust storms;
desertification

Note

close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources;
strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to reach open ocean

People

14 fields

Population

536,974

(July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Per 1,000 population(1991)

Birth

27Death

3Net migration

Ethnic divisions

Bahraini 63%Asian 13%other Arab 10%Iranian 8%other 6%

Literacy

77%

(male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Language

Arabic (official);
English also widely spoken;
Farsi, Urdu

Labor force

140,000;
42% of labor force is Bahraini;
industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)

Organized labor

General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies

Government

Traditional monarchy

18 fields

Administrative divisions

12 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah);
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, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah

Legal system

based on Islamic law and English common law

Executive branch

amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet

Judicial branch

High Civil Appeals Court Chief of State--Amir Isa bin Salman Al KHALIFA (since 2 November 1961);
Heir Apparent Hamad bin Isa Al KHALIFA (son of Amir; born 28 January 1950);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since 19 January 1970)

Political parties and pressure groups

political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active

Member of

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI;
Chancery at 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742;
there is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York;
US--Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER;
Embassy at Building No. 979, Road No. 3119, Block/Area 331, Manama ZINJ (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO New York 09526-6210);
telephone [973] 273-300 or 275-126

Flag

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

Economy

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$3.9billion

per capita $7,500; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1989)

External debt

$1.1billion

(December 1989 est.)

Exports $2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.)commodities, where a share is given

petroleum

80%aluminum

7%other

13%

; partners--UAE, Japan, US, India

Imports $3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

nonoil

59%crude oil

41%

; partners--Saudi Arabia, Japan, US, UK

Budget

Revenues

$1.2 billionExpenditures

$1.32 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Petroleum production and processing account for about 85% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors' confidence.

Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.

Unemployment

8-10% (1989)

Industrial production

growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP

Electricity

1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

Agriculture

including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP;
not self-sufficient in food production;
heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish;
fish catch 9,000 metric tons in 1987

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million;
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35 million;
OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion

Currency

Bahraini dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1--0.3760 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

7 fields

Airports, 3 total, 3 usable

permanent-surface runways

2runways over 3,659 m

2runways 1,220-2,439 m

crude oil, 56 km;
refined products, 16 km;
natural gas, 32 km

Civil air

24 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

excellent international telecommunications;
adequate domestic services;
98,000 telephones;
stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV;
satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT;
tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia;
submarine cable to Qatar and UAE