Bahrain

State of BahrainDawlat al Bahrayn

traditional monarchyIndependence 15 August 1971 (from UK)

Bahrain as the 1999 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 106 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
Position26 00 N, 50 33 E
Area620 sq km
LocationMiddle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of
1999

Every edition of Bahrain

Populationas each edition published it
629,090 people July 1999 est. · 520,186 in 1990
Population growth% a year
2% 1999 est. · 3.01% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 28.7 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
75.32 years 1999 est. · 73.12 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.97 children per woman 1999 est. · 4.1 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
14.81 deaths per 1,000 live births 1999 est. · 19 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$13,100 1998 est. · $7,800 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
-2% 1998 est. · 3% in 1993

Geography

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of | Saudi Arabia

18 fields

Land useshare of 620 sq km

permanent crops 1%permanent pastures 6%forests and woodland 0%other 92% (1993 est.)arable land 1% in all · irrigated 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Area
620sq km
land: 620 sq kmwater: 0 sq km3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Coastline
161km
land boundaries: 0 kmcontiguous zone: 24 nmcontinental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determinedterritorial sea: 12 nm
Highest point
122m
Jabal ad Dukhanlowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m

Location

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references

Middle East

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

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; dust storms

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;
  • no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs

Environment--international agreements

party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements

Geography--note

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

People

15 fields
Population
629,090
(July 1999 est.)note: includes 227,801 non-nationals (July 1999 est.)growth rate: 2% (1999 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1999 est.)

Birth
21.86Death
3.24Net migration
1.42

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (1999 est.)75.32
72.75 · 77.96
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1995 est.)85.2%
89.1% · 79.4%
MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

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

Age structure

0-14 years:
31% (male 97,316; female 94,708)
15-64 years:
67% (male 249,594; female 169,337)
65 years and over:
2% (male 9,241; female 8,894) (1999 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.47 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.04 male(s)/female
total population:
1.3 male(s)/female (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate

14.81 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.97 children born/woman (1999 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Bahraini(s)
adjective:
Bahraini

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

Languages

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Government

Traditional monarchy; Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)

19 fields

Country name

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

Government type

traditional monarchy

Capital

Manama

Administrative divisions

  • 12 municipalities (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, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah

note: all municipalities administered from Manama

Independence

15 August 1971 (from UK)

National holiday

National Day, 16 December (1971)

Constitution

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Executive branch

chief of state:
Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born NA 1969)
head of government:
Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections:
  • none;
  • the monarch is hereditary;
  • prime minister appointed by the monarch

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

Political pressure groups and leaders

  • several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active;
  • following the arrest of a popular Shi'a cleric, Shi'a activists have fomented unrest sporadically since late 1994, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Dr. Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR Abdallah
chancery:
3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general:
New York

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Johnny YOUNG
embassy:
Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 3119, Zinj District, Manama
mailing address:
American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; International Mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama

Flag description

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

Economy

31 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$13,100
purchasing power parity? · (1998 est.)
Real growth rate
-2%
(1998 est.)industrial production growth: 3.4% (1995)
Unemployment rate
15%
(1996 est.)

GDP--composition by sector(1996 est.)

agriculture 1%industry 46%services 53% (1996 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

8%
Saudi Arabia
45%
18%
India
11%
Japan
5%
US
10%
7%
South Korea
UK
6%
5%
UAE
Germany
4%
Exports $4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)Imports $4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)(1997)

Budget

Revenues
$1.5 billionExpenditures
$1.9 billion
expenditures including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 budget)

Electricity

fossil fuel 100%hydro 0% · nuclear 0% · other 0%
Electricity production
4.7 billion (1996)Electricity consumption
4.7 billion (1996)

Economy--overview

In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 60% 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. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.

A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.

GDP

purchasing power parity--$8.2 billion (1998 est.)

Labor force

150,000 (1997 est.) note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force--by occupation

industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%, agriculture 1% (1997 est.)

Industries

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

Agriculture--products

  • fruit, vegetables;
  • poultry, dairy products;
  • shrimp, fish

Exports

$4.7 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Exports--commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7%

Imports

$4.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997)

Imports--commodities

nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%

Debt--external

$2 billion (1997)

Economic aid--recipient

$48.4 million (1995)

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
Fixed lines
73,552
(1987 est.)

Telephone system

modern system; good domestic services and excellent international connections

domestic:
NA
international:
  • tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE;
  • microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia;
  • submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia;
  • satellite earth stations--2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

320,000 (1993 est.)

Televisions

270,000 (1993 est.)

Transportation

9 fields

Merchant marine, 8 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1998 est.)

bulk 2cargo 3container 2oil tanker 1

Airports by runway lengthpaved only

over 3,047 m
2

Networkskm

Highways
3,103Railways
0
Highways: paved: 2,374 km · unpaved: 729 km (1997 est.)

Highways

total:
3,103 km
paved:
2,374 km
unpaved:
729 km (1997 est.)

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Airports

3 (1998 est.)

Airports--with unpaved runways

total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)

Heliports

1 (1998 est.)

Military

Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, | Police Force

7 fields

Military branches

Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police Force

Military manpower--availability

males age 15-49: 220,670 (1999 est.)

Military manpower--fit for military service

males age 15-49: 121,451 (1999 est.)

Transnational Issues

1 field

Disputes--international

territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands and maritime boundary dispute with Qatar currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Bahrain.” The World Factbook 1999. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/bahrain/1999.

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