Bahrain

State of BahrainDawlat al Bahrayn

traditional monarchyIndependence 15 August 1971 (from UK)

Bahrain as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 76 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

LocationMiddle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Populationas each edition published it

568,471 people July 1993 est. · 520,186 in 1990

Population growth% a year

3.01% 1993 est. · 0.79% in 2025

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 28.7 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.12 years 1993 est. · 80.4 yrs in 2025

Fertility ratechildren per woman

3.99 children per woman 1993 est. · 4.1 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

20.1 deaths per 1,000 live births 1993 est. · 19 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$7,800 1992 est. · $59,100 in 2025

GDP real growth% a year

3% 1992 est. · 3% in 2025

Geography

Middle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar

14 fields

Land useshare of 620 km2

permanent crops 2%meadows and pastures 6%forest and woodland 0%other 90%arable land 2% in all · irrigated 10 km2 (1989 est.)

Area

620km2

land area: 620 km2comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Coastline

161km

land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: not specifiedterritorial sea: 12 nm

Location

Middle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

International 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

Environment

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

Note

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

People

14 fields

Population

568,471

(July 1993 est.)growth rate: 3.01% (1993 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1993 est.)

Birth

26.89Death

3.87Net migration

7.04

Male · female(1993 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years73.12

70.72 · 75.63

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy77%

82% · 69%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1990)

Ethnic divisions

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

Labor force

140,000

by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)note: 42% of labor force is Bahraini

Infant mortality rate

20.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)

Nationality

noun:: Bahraini(s)
adjective:: Bahraini

Government

Traditional monarchy

20 fields

Names

conventional long form:: State of Bahrain
conventional short form:: Bahrain
local long form:: Dawlat al Bahrayn
local short form:: Al Bahrayn

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

Political parties and leaders

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

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;
appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992

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)

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 in US

chief of mission:: Ambassador 'Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA
chancery:: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:: (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742
consulate general:: New York

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:: Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER
embassy:: Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama
mailing address:: 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

18 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$7,800

(1992 est.)

Real growth rate

(1992 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP

Inflation, consumer prices

(1992 est.)

Unemployment rate

-10% (1989)

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, during the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. 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 consists of petroleum products made from imported crude.

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $4.3 billion (1992 est.)

Exports

$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%
partners:: Japan 13%, UAE 12%, India 10%, Pakistan 8%

Imports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)

commodities:: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
partners:: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 14%, UK 7%, Japan 5%

External debt

$1.8 billion (1991 est.)

Electricity

1,600,000 kW capacity; 4,700 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita (1992 est.)

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, 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

1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Exchange rates

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

6 fields

Merchant marine, 9 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 5container 2liquefied gas 1bulk 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,331 GRT/249,490 DWT

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

Ports

Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah

Airports

total:: 3
usable:: 3
with permanent-surface runways:: 2
with runways over 3,659 m:: 2
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:: 0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:: 1

Telecommunications

modern system;
good domestic services;
98,000 telephones (1 for every 6 persons);
excellent international connections;
tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE;
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia;
satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT;
broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV