1992 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1992 (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
Continental shelf
not specific
Disputes
territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar
Environment
subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
Land area
620 km2
Land boundaries
none
Land use
arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%
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
Territorial sea
3 nm
Total area
620 km2
People and Society
Birth rate
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Ethnic divisions
Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Infant mortality rate
21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Labor force
140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
Languages
Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
Life expectancy at birth
70 years male, 75 years female (1992)
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 (1992)
Organized labor
General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies
Population
551,513 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Religions
Muslim (Shi`a 70%, Sunni 30%)
Total fertility rate
4.0 children born/woman (1992)
Government
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
Capital
Manama
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)
Constitution
26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Diplomatic representation
Ambassador `Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA; 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 Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj; (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO AE 09834-6210); telephone [973] 273-300; FAX (973) 272-594
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
Head of Government
Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
Independence
15 August 1971 (from UK)
Judicial branch
High Civil Appeals Court
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
Independence Day, 16 December
Political parties and leaders
political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic 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 (1970-89), $45 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion
Electricity
3,600,000 kW capacity; 10,500 million kWh produced, 21,000 kWh per capita (1991)
Exchange rates
Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Exports
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13% partners: UAE 18%, Japan 12%, India 11%, US 6%
External debt
$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, per capita $7,500 (1990); real growth rate 6.7% (1988)
Imports
$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 23%, Japan 8%, UK 8%
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 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 31% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, 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. A large share of exports is petroleum products made from imported crude.
Unemployment rate
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
27 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
9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,367 GRT/249,441 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk
Pipelines
crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports
Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah
Telecommunications
excellent international telecommunications; good domestic services; 98,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE, and microwave to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990)
Manpower availability
males 15-49, 190,937; 105,857 fit for military service