1996 Edition

Description

red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

Location

26 00 N, 50 33 E -- Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

land area

620 sq km

total area

620 sq km

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

international agreements

party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

natural hazards

periodic droughts; dust storms

Geographic coordinates

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Geographic note

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

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%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

6%

other

90%

permanent crops

2%

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

Terrain

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

highest point

Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 31% (male 92,455; female 89,554) 15-64 years: 67% (male 236,048; female 156,556) 65 years and over: 2% (male 7,956; female 7,473) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

23.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

3.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate

17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

female

76.83 years (1996 est.)

male

71.78 years

total population

74.27 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)

female

79.4%

male

89.1%

total population

85.2%

Nationality

adjective

Bahraini

noun

Bahraini(s)

Net migration rate

2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

590,042 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

2.27% (1996 est.)

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.33 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

3.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

12 municipalites (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

Capital

Manama

Constitution

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Data code

BA

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah

telephone

[1] (202) 342-0741, 342-0742

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet was appointed by the amir

chief of state

Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961) is a traditional Arab monarch; Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1949)

head of government

Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970) was appointed by the amir

FAX

[1] (202) 362-2192

[973] 272-594

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag

red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

Independence

15 August 1971 (from UK)

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, 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, WIPO, WMO, WTrO

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

Name of country

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 (1971)

Other political or pressure groups

several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active; following the arrest of a popular Shi'a cleric, Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically from late 1994 to September 1995, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment

Political parties and leaders

political parties prohibited

Suffrage

none

Type of government

traditional monarchy

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador David M. RANSOM

embassy

Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama

mailing address

FPO AE 09834-5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama (International Mail)

telephone

[973] 273-300

Agriculture

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

revenues

$1.38 billion

Currency

1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid

$NA

Economic overview

In Bahrain, 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. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.

Electricity

capacity

1,050,000 kW

consumption per capita

5,453 kWh (1993)

production

3.3 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)

Exports

$3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)

commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%

partners

India 20%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 7%, US 6%, UAE 5% (1994)

External debt

$2.6 billion (1993)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

NA%

industry

NA%

services

NA%

GDP per capita

$12,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-2% (1995 est.)

Imports

$3.29 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.)

commodities

nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%

partners

Saudi Arabia 37%, US 12%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Germany 4% (1994)

Industrial production growth rate

13% (1992)

Industries

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

3% (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

Unemployment rate

25% (1994 est.)

Branches

Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Coast Guard, Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $247 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

213,792

males fit for military service

118,702 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

320,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone system

modern system; good domestic services and excellent international connections

domestic

NA

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

Telephones

73,552 (1987 est.)

Television broadcast stations

2 (1988 est.)

Televisions

270,000 (1993 est.) Defense

Airports

total

3

with paved runways over 3 047 m

2

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

1 (1995 est.)

Heliports

1 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

2,011 km

total

2,671 km

unpaved

660 km (1991 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 1, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 1 (1995 est.)

total

6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 117,060 GRT/194,061 DWT

Pipelines

crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km

Ports

Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Railways

0 km