Bahrain

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

• smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%;
• largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq

• 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;
• lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs);
• lowered water table leaves aquifers vulnerable to saline contamination;
• desalinization provides some 90% of the country's freshwater

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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

noun:

Bahraini(s)

adjective:

Bahraini

• smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%;
• largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.31 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.87 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.67 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.04 male(s)/female

total population:

1.53 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

improved:

total: 100% of population

unimproved:

total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Bahrain

conventional short form:

Bahrain

local long form:

Mamlakat al Bahrayn

local short form:

Al Bahrayn

former:

Dilmun, Tylos, Awal, Mishmahig, Bahrayn, State of Bahrain

etymology:

the name means "the two seas" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago

name:

Manama

geographic coordinates:

26 14 N, 50 34 E

time difference:

UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology:

name derives from the Arabic "al-manama" meaning "place of rest" or "place of dreams"

history:

adopted 14 February 2002

amendments:

• proposed by the king or by at least 15 members of either chamber of the National Assembly followed by submission to an Assembly committee for review and, if approved, submitted to the government for restatement as drafts;
• passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both chambers and validation by the king;
• constitutional articles on the state religion (Islam), state language (Arabic), and the monarchy and "inherited rule" cannot be amended;
• amended 2012, 2017

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Bahrain

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals

chief of state:

King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999)

head of government:

• Prime minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020);
• first deputy prime minister (vacant);
• Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa (since September 2005), Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 11 December 2006), KHALID bin Abdallah Al-Khalifa (since November 2010);
• note - KHALIFA ibn Salman Al Khalifa, who served as prime minister since Bahrain's independence in 1971, died on 11 November 2020

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments:

the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

highest courts:

• Court of Cassation (consists of the chairman and 3 judges);
• Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges);
• Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members);
• High Sharia Court of Appeal (court sittings include the president and at least one judge)

judge selection and term of office:

• Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure;
• Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal;
• members serve 9-year terms;
• High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointments by royal decree for a specified tenure

subordinate courts:

• Civil High Courts of Appeal;
• middle and lower civil courts;
• High Sharia Court of Appeal;
• Senior Sharia Court;
• Administrative Courts of Appeal;
• military courts

note: the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts; sharia courts (involving personal status and family law) are further divided into Sunni Muslim and Shia Muslim; the Courts are supervised by the Supreme Judicial Council.

chief of mission:

Ambassador Abdulla bin Rashid AL KHALIFA (since 21 July 2017)

chancery:

3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 342-1111

FAX:

[1] (202) 362-2192

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Justin H. SIBERELL (since November 2017)

telephone:

[973] 1724-2700

embassy:

Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama

mailing address:

PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100

international mail:

American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama

FAX:

[973] 1727-2594

• red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side;
• the five points represent the five pillars of Islam

note: until 2002, the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag

name:

"Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain)

lyrics/music:

unknown

note: adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom

Fitch rating:

B+ (2020)

Moody's rating:

B2 (2018)

Standard & Poors rating: B+ (2017)

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

agriculture:

1%

industry:

32%

services:

67% (2004 est.)

lowest 10%:

NA

highest 10%:

NA

• state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations;
• satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts;
• 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners;
• radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2019)

number of registered air carriers:

6 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 42

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

5,877,003 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

420.98 million mt-km (2018)

total:

4,122 km (2010)

paved:

3,392 km (2010)

unpaved:

730 km (2010)

Bahrain Defense Force (BDF):

• Royal Bahraini Army (includes the Royal Guard), Royal Bahraini Navy, Royal Bahraini Air Force, Royal Bahraini Air Defense Force;
• Ministry of Interior security forces:
  • National Guard,
  • Special Security Forces Command (SSFC),
  • Coast Guard

(2019)

note: the Royal Guard is officially under the command of the Army, but exercises considerable autonomy

• the inventory of the Bahrain Defense force is comprised mostly of equipment acquired from the US along with a smaller quantity of material from European suppliers;
• since 2010, Turkey and the US are the leading suppliers of arms to Bahrain (2019 est.)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets;
• no conscription (2019)