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Background: |
Bahrain's small size and central location among The Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing
act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors.
Possessing minimal oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to
petroleum processing and refining, and has transformed
itself into an international banking center. The new amir is pushing economic and political reforms, and has
worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In
2001, the International Court of Justice awarded the
Hawar Islands, long disputed with Qatar, to Bahrain.
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Location: |
Middle East, archipelago in the Gulf, east of
Saudi Arabia |
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Geographic coordinates: |
26
00 N, 50 33 E |
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Area - comparative: |
3.5
times the size of Washington, DC |
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Climate: |
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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Terrain: |
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central
escarpment |
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Natural resources: |
oil,
associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
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Population: |
645,361
note:
includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2001 est.)
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Population growth rate: |
1.73% (2001 est.)
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Nationality: |
noun:
Bahraini(s)
adjective:
Bahraini |
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Ethnic groups: |
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
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Religions: |
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
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Languages: |
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
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Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
85.2%
male:
89.1%
female:
79.4% (1995 est.) |
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Country name: |
conventional long form:
State of Bahrain
conventional short
form: Bahrain
local long form:
Dawlat al Bahrayn
local short form:
Al Bahrayn
former:
Dilmun |
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Government type: |
constitutional monarchy
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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
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Independence: |
15
August 1971 (from UK) |
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Constitution: |
adopted late December 2000 (new constitution calls for a
partially elected legislature, a constitutional
monarchy, and an independent judiciary)
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Legal system: |
based on Islamic law and English common law
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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 21 October 1969)
head of government:
Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA
1971)
cabinet:
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections:
none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister
appointed by the monarch |
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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;
the National Action Charter created a bicameral
legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum
of 14 February 2001 |
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Judicial branch: |
High
Civil Appeals Court |
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Political parties and leaders: |
political parties prohibited
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Political pressure groups and leaders: |
Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically 1994-97,
demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and
an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine
leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
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International organization participation: |
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent),
ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
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Flag description: |
red
with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the
hoist side |
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Economy - overview: |
In
Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for
about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government
revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed
communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home
to numerous multinational firms with business in the
Gulf. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil
revenue granted as aid. 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.
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GDP: |
purchasing power parity - $10.1 billion (2000 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector: |
agriculture:
1%
industry:
46%
services:
53% (1996 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation: |
industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%,
agriculture 1% (1997 est.) |
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Budget: |
revenues:
$1.8 billion
expenditures:
$2.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(2001 est.) |
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Industries: |
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting,
offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
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Industrial production growth rate: |
2%
(2000 est.) |
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Electricity - production: |
230
Volts, single-phase AC and 400 volts, three-phase AC;
6.185 billion kWh (1999) |
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Electricity - production by source: |
fossil fuel:
100%
hydro:
0%
nuclear:
0%
other:
0% (1999) |
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Currency: |
Bahraini dinar (BHD)
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Exchange rates: |
Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.3760 (fixed rate
pegged to the US dollar) |
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Fiscal year: |
calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use: |
152,000 (1997)
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Telephones - mobile cellular: |
58,543 (1997)
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Telephone system: |
general assessment:
modern system
domestic:
modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
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
(1997) |
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Radio broadcast stations: |
AM
2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations: |
4
(1997) |
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Televisions: |
275,000 (1997)
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Internet country code: |
.bh
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Internet Service Providers (ISPs): |
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Highways: |
total:
3,164 km
paved:
2,433 km
unpaved:
731 km
note:
there is a paved causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi
Arabia (1997) |
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Pipelines: |
crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas
32 km |
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Ports and harbors: |
Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
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Merchant marine: |
total:
7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 175,609 GRT/207,652
DWT
ships by type:
bulk 2, cargo 3, container 2 (2000 est.)
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Airports - with paved runways: |
total:
2
over 3,047 m:
2 (2000 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways: |
total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.) |
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Military branches: |
Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Police Force
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Military manpower - military age: |
15
years of age |
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Military manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
222,141 (2001 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
121,833 (2001 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
5,926 (2001 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure: |
$318
million (FY99) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP: |
5.2%
(FY99) |
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