Bahrain

traditional monarchyIndependence 15 August 1971 (from UK)

Bahrain as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 118 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

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CapitalManama
LocationMiddle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and
1994

Every edition of Bahrain

Populationas each edition published it
585,683 people July 1994 est. · 520,186 in 1990
Population growth% a year
2.96% 1994 est. · 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
3.96 children per woman 1994 est. · 4.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 19 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$12,000 1993 est. · $7,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
4% 1993 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

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

24 fields
Coastline
161km
land boundaries: 0 km
Irrigated land
10sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

620 sq km

land area

620 sq km

comparative area

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

not specified

territorial sea

12 nm

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

arable land

2%

permanent crops

2%

meadows and pastures

6%

forest and woodland

0%

other

90%

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 surface water resources;
  • groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs

natural hazards

periods of drought, dust storms

international agreements

party to - Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

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

22 fields
Population
585,683
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 2.96% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
26.59Death
3.83Net migration
6.83

Ethnic divisions

Bahraini 63%Asian 13%other Arab 10%Iranian 8%other 6%
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1990 est.)

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

73.51 years

male

71.1 years

female

76.05 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.96 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Bahraini(s)

adjective

Bahraini

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Languages

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

total population

77%

male

82%

female

69%

by occupation

industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)

note

42% of labor force is Bahraini

Government

Traditional monarchy

30 fields

conventional long form

State of Bahrain

conventional short form

Bahrain

local long form

Dawlat al Bahrayn

local short form

Al Bahrayn

Type

traditional monarchy

Capital

Manama

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

Independence

15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 December (1961)

Constitution

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

chief of state

Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1950)

head of government

Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)

cabinet

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

Judicial branch

High Civil Appeals Court

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, GATT, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

chief of mission

Ambassador Mohammad ABD al-GHAFFAR

chancery

3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 342-0741 or 342-0742

consulate(s) general

New York

chief of mission

(vacant); Charge d'Affaires David S. ROBINS

embassy

Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama

mailing address

FPO AE 09834-5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama

telephone

[973] 273-300

FAX

(973) 272-594

Flag

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

Economy

25 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$12,000
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
4%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP
Unemployment rate
8%
-10% (1989)

Overview

Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% 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. 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. Prospects for 1994 are good, with private enterprise the main driving force, e.g., in banking and construction.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $6.8 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$1.2 billion

expenditures

$1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)

Exports

$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%

partners

Japan 13%, UAE 12%, India 10%, Pakistan 8%, Singapore 6% (1991)

Imports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.)

commodities

nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%

partners

Saudi Arabia 42%, US 14%, UK 7%, Japan 5%, Germany 4% (1991)

External debt

$2.6 billion (1993)

capacity

1,600,000 kW

production

4.7 billion kWh

consumption per capita

8,500 kWh (1992)

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

recipient

  • 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

13 fields

total

NA

paved

bituminous 200 km

unpaved

NA

Pipelines

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

Ports

Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah

Merchant marine

6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 101,844 GRT/143,997 DWT, bulk 1, cargo 4, container 1

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

Defense Forces

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

4 fields

Branches

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

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 198,414;
  • fit for military service 109,431;
  • reach military age (15) annually 5,093 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $245 million, 6% of GDP (1993)

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Bahrain.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bahrain/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →