1991 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1991 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Climate
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline
161 km
Comparative area
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Disputes
territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands
Environment
subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Maritime claims
Continental shelf: not specific; Territorial sea: 3 nm
Natural resources
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Note
close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to reach open ocean
Terrain
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Total area
620 km2; land area: 620 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate
3 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Ethnic divisions
Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Infant mortality rate
17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Labor force
140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
Language
Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
Life expectancy at birth
71 years male, 76 years female (1991)
Literacy
77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Nationality
noun--Bahraini(s); adjective--Bahraini
Net migration rate
7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Organized labor
General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies
Population
536,974 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)
Religion
Muslim (Shia 70%, Sunni 30%)
Total fertility rate
4.0 children born/woman (1991)
Government
Administrative divisions
12 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah); 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
Capital
Manama
Communists
negligible
Constitution
26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI; Chancery at 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742; there is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER; Embassy at Building No. 979, Road No. 3119, Block/Area 331, Manama ZINJ (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO New York 09526-6210); telephone [973] 273-300 or 275-126
Elections
none
Executive branch
amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
Flag
red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side
Independence
15 August 1971 (from UK)
Judicial branch
High Civil Appeals Court
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)
Legal system
based on Islamic law and English common law
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet
Long-form name
State of Bahrain
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
National holiday
National Day, 16 December
Political parties and pressure groups
political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active
Suffrage
none
Type
traditional monarchy
Economy
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, and fish; fish catch 9,000 metric tons in 1987
Budget
revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)
Currency
Bahraini dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Economic aid
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
Electricity
1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1989)
Exchange rates
Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1--0.3760 (fixed rate)
Exports
$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%; partners--UAE, Japan, US, India
External debt
$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
$3.9 billion, per capita $7,500; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)
Imports
$3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%; partners--Saudi Arabia, Japan, US, UK
Industrial production
growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP
Industries
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.5% (1989)
Overview
Petroleum production and processing account for about 85% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors' confidence. Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.
Unemployment
8-10% (1989)
Communications
Airports
3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
24 major transport aircraft
Highways
200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks
Merchant marine
4 cargo and 2 container (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 114,733 GRT/155,065 DWT
Pipelines
crude oil, 56 km; refined products, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km
Ports
Mina Salman, Manama, Sitrah
Telecommunications
excellent international telecommunications; adequate domestic services; 98,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar and UAE
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
Defense expenditures
$194 million, 6% of GDP (1990) _%_
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 187,606; 104,285 fit for military service