Bahrain

traditional monarchyIndependence 15 August 1971 (from UK)

Bahrain as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 71 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

551,513 people July 1992 · 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 1992 · 4.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

21 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 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

13 fields

Total area

620km2

Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

161km

land boundaries: noneContinental shelf: not specificTerritorial sea: 3 nm

Disputes

territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar

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

551,513

(July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

27Death

4Net 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.)

Nationality

noun - Bahraini(s); adjective - Bahraini

Languages

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 districts (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, 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

Leaders

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 leaders

political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic 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 `Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA;
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 Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj;
(mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO AE 09834-6210);
telephone [973] 273-300;
FAX (973) 272-594

Flag

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

Economy

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

1.5%

(1989)

External debt

$1.1billion

(December 1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$1.2 billionExpenditures

$1.32 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 31% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, 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. A large share of exports is petroleum products made from imported crude.

GDP

exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, per capita $7,500 (1990); real growth rate 6.7% (1988)

Unemployment rate

8-10% (1989)

Exports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.)

commodities:: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%
partners:: UAE 18%, Japan 12%, India 11%, US 6%

Imports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989)

commodities:: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
partners:: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 23%, Japan 8%, UK 8%

Industrial production

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

Electricity

3,600,000 kW capacity; 10,500 million kWh produced, 21,000 kWh per capita (1991)

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 (1970-89), $45 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

Merchant marine, 9 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 5container 2liquefied gas 1bulk 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,367 GRT/249,441 DWT

Airports, 3 total, 3 usable

permanent-surface runways

2runways over | 3,659 m

2runways 1,220-2,439 m

Highways

200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks

Pipelines

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

excellent international telecommunications;
good domestic services;
98,000 telephones;
broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT;
tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE, and microwave to Saudi Arabia;
submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force

3 fields

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