1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 620 sq km land area: 620 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline
161 km
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 natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
International disputes
territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar
Irrigated land
10 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90%
Location
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Map references
Middle East
Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Note
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
Terrain
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 31% (female 87,398; male 89,976) 15-64 years: 67% (female 152,363; male 231,586) 65 years and over: 2% (female 7,051; male 7,551) (July 1995 est.)
Birth rate
24.12 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
3.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Infant mortality rate
18 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
140,000 by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982) note: 42% of labor force is Bahraini
Languages
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.94 years male: 71.46 years female: 76.49 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1991) total population: 84% male: 89% female: 77%
Nationality
noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini
Net migration rate
4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
575,925 (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate
2.58% (1995 est.)
Religions
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
Total fertility rate
3.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)
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
Constitution
26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Digraph
BA
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741, 342-0742 consulate(s) general: New York
Executive branch
chief of state: Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1950) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970) cabinet: Cabinet
FAX
[973] 272594
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
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; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992
Member of
ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GATT, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO
Names
conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn
National holiday
Independence Day, 16 December (1961)
Political parties and leaders
political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
Suffrage
none
Type
traditional monarchy
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador David M. RANSOM embassy: Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Ahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama mailing address: FPO AE 09834-5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama (International Mail) telephone: [973] 273300; afterhours [973] 275-126
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, fish
Budget
revenues: $1.2 billion (1989) expenditures: $1.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1992)
Currency
1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Economic aid
recipient: 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
capacity: 1,050,000 kW production: 3.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,453 kWh (1993)
Exchange rates
Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Exports
$3.69 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7% partners: Japan 11%, UAE 5%, South Korea 4%, India 4%, Saudi Arabia 3% (1992)
External debt
$2.6 billion (1993)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Imports
$3.83 billion (f.o.b., 1993 est.) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 47%, UK 7%, Japan 7%, US 6%, Germany 5% (1992)
Industrial production
growth rate 13% (1992); accounts for 38% of GDP, including petroleum
Industries
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% (1994 est.)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $7.1 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$12,100 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
2.2% (1994 est.)
Overview
Tiny in area, Bahrain is well-to-do in economic resources and per capita income. Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% 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. Prospects for 1995 are good, with private enterprise the main driving force, e.g., in banking and construction. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.
Unemployment rate
15% (1991 est.)
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 radios: 60 million
Telephone system
98,000 telephones; 170 telephones/1,000 persons; modern system; good domestic services; excellent international connections local: NA intercity: NA international: 2 INTELSAT (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 ARABSAT earth station; tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia
Television
broadcast stations: 2 televisions: 21 million
Transportation
Airports
total: 4 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 1 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
Highways
total: 2,670 km paved: 2,010 km unpaved: 660 km (1991 est.)
Merchant marine
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 79,949 GRT/120,900 DWT ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 4, chemical tanker 1
Pipelines
crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports
Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Coast Guard, Police Force
Defense expenditures
exchange rate conversion - $247 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994) ________________________________________________________________________ BAKER ISLAND (territory of the US)
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 210,725; males fit for military service 117,414; males reach military age (15) annually 4,346 (1995 est.)