World Facts

conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
Capital: Manama
Type of Government: constitutional hereditary monarchy-
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
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 27.8% (male 96,807/female 94,863)
Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Airports: 4 (2004 est.)
With Paved Runways: total: 3-
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: total: 665 sq km. 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. The amir, installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.
Birth rate: 18.1 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.662 billion
Coastline: 161 km-
Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Communications:
Constitution: new constitution 14 February 2002
Currency: Bahraini dinar (BHD)
Current account balance: $1.569 billion (2005 est.)
Death rate: 4.08 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $6.831 billion (2005 est.)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir al-BALUSHI
Disputes - international: none-
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor:
Economic aid - recipient: $150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)
Economy - overview: Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. 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 refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In September 2004 Bahrain signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United States - the first such agreement undertaken by a Gulf state. Both countries must ratify the FTA before it is enforced.
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: 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; lack of freshwater resources, groundwater and seawater 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
Ethnic groups: Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.38 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
Exports: $11.17 billion (2005 est.)
Exports - partners: Saudi Arabia 3%, US 2.9%, UAE 2.2% (2004)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Flag description: red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
GDP (official exchange rate): $11.58 billion (2005 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity): $14.08 billion (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 0.6%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $20,500 (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.9% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E
Geography - note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean-
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 600 (2003 est.)
Heliports: 1 (2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $7.83 billion (2005 est.)
Imports - partners: Saudi Arabia 32.4%, Japan 7.3%, Germany 6.1%, US 5.6%, UK 5.4%, France 4.8% (2004)
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (2000 est.)
Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
Infant mortality rate: total: 17.27 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Internet country code: .bh
Internet hosts: 1,334 (2003)
Internet users: 195,700 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed): 14.7% of GDP (2005 est.)
Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
Labor force: 380,000
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: 0 km
Land use: arable land: 2.82%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.23 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia-
Major infectious diseases: -
Manpower available for military service: -
Manpower fit for military service: -
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
Map references: Middle East
Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm
Median age: total: 29.19 years
Merchant marine: total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT-
Military - note:
Military branches: Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $628.9 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 6.3% (2004)
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
National holiday: National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection
Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production:
Natural gas - proved reserves: 46 billion cu m (2005)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Net migration rate: 1.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 26,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 188,300 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - proved reserves: 124 million bbl (2005 est.)-
People - note: -
Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed
Political pressure groups and leaders: Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in peaceful protests and marches, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
Population: 688,345
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 1.51% (2005 est.)
Ports and terminals: Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Public debt: 51.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $2.433 billion (2005 est.)
Roadways: total: 3,498 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system: general assessment: modern system
Telephones - main lines in use: 185,800 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 443,100 (2003)
Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997)
Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Total fertility rate: 2.63 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: 15% (1998 est.)-
Waterways: