2000 Edition

Background

Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian 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.

Area

land

620 sq km

total

620 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Coastline

161 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

lowest point

Persian Gulf 0 m

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

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

10 sq km (1993 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

1%

forests and woodland

0%

other

92% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

1%

permanent pastures

6%

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 hazards

periodic droughts; dust storms

Natural resources

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

Terrain

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 96,240; female 93,846) 15-64 years: 67% (male 252,767; female 173,072) 65 years and over: 3% (male 9,270; female 8,942) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

20.61 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

3.89 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%

Infant mortality rate

20.48 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.45 years (2000 est.)

male

70.58 years

total population

72.98 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

79.4% (1995 est.)

male

89.1%

total population

85.2%

Nationality

adjective

Bahraini

noun

Bahraini(s)

Net migration rate

1.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

634,137

note

includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.78% (2000 est.)

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.46 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.04 male(s)/female

total population

1.3 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.82 children born/woman (2000 est.)

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

Capital

Manama

Constitution

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Country name

conventional long form

State of Bahrain

conventional short form

Bahrain

local long form

Dawlat al Bahrayn

local short form

Al Bahrayn

Data code

BA

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Johnny YOUNG

embassy

Building Number 979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 311, Zinj District, Manama

mailing address

American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100;

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Dr. Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR Abdallah

telephone

(202) 342-0741

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the monarch

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)

elections

none; the monarch is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

head of government

Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971)

FAX

(202) 362-2192

272-594

consulate(s) general

New York

Flag description

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

Government type

traditional monarchy

Independence

15 August 1971 (from UK)

International Mail

American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama

telephone

273-300

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, 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

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

National holiday

National Day, 16 December (1971)

Political parties and leaders

political parties prohibited

Political pressure groups and leaders

Shi'a activists have fomented unrest sporadically since late 1994, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active

Suffrage

none

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$1.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998)

revenues

$1.5 billion

Currency

1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Debt - external

$2 billion (1997)

Economic aid - recipient

$48.4 million (1995)

Economy - overview

In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 60% 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. 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.

Electricity - consumption

1.09 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

4.77 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

100%

hydro

0%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

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

Exports

$3.3 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products 61%, aluminum 7%

Exports - partners

India 18%, Japan 11%, Saudi Arabia 8%, South Korea 7%, UAE 5% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $8.6 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

1%

industry

46%

services

53% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $13,700 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports - commodities

nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 45%, US 10%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Germany 4% (1997)

Industrial production growth rate

3.4% (1995)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

0.5% (1998 est.)

Labor force

295,000 (1998 est.)

note

44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (July 1998 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

industry, commerce, and service 79%, government 20%, agriculture 1% (1997 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

15% (1998 est.)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

3 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

338,000 (1997)

Telephone system

modern system; good domestic services and excellent international connections

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

Telephones - main lines in use

141,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

130,000 (1999 est.)

Television broadcast stations

4 (1997)

Televisions

275,000 (1997)

Airports

3 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 over 3,047 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Heliports

1 (1999 est.)

Highways

note

there is a paved causeway connecting Bahrain to Saudi Arabia

paved

2,433 km

total

3,164 km

unpaved

731 km (1998 est.)

Merchant marine

ships by type

bulk 2, cargo 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 (1999 est.)

total

8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 228,273 GRT/304,654 DWT

Pipelines

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

Ports and harbors

Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Railways

0 km

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$318 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.2% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 221,109 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 121,442 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

15 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

5,699 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

the territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands and the maritime boundary dispute with Qatar are currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)

BAKER ISLAND