*Bahrain, Geography

Location:   Middle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Map references:
  Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
 total area:
  620 km2
 land area:
  620 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  161 km
Maritime claims:
 contiguous zone:
  24 nm
 continental shelf:
  not specified
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary
  with Qatar
Climate:
  arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
  mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Natural resources:
  oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish
Land use:
 arable land:
  2%
 permanent crops:
  2%
 meadows and pastures:
  6%
 forest and woodland:
  0%
 other:
  90%
Irrigated land:
  10 km2 (1989 est.)
Environment:
  subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of
  desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
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

*Bahrain, People

Population:   568,471 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  3.01% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  26.89 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  3.87 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  7.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  20.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  73.12 years
 male:
  70.72 years
 female:
  75.63 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.99 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Bahraini(s)
 adjective:
  Bahraini
Ethnic divisions:
  Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions:
  Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
Languages:
  Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1990)
 total population:
  77%
 male:
  82%
 female:
  69%
Labor force:
  140,000
 by occupation:
  industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)
 note:
  42% of labor force is Bahraini

*Bahrain, Government

Names:
 conventional long form:
  State of Bahrain
 conventional short form:
  Bahrain
 local long form:   Dawlat al Bahrayn
 local short form:
  Al Bahrayn
Digraph:
  BA
Type:
  traditional monarchy
Capital:
  Manama
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
Independence:
  15 August 1971 (from UK)
Constitution:
  26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system:
  based on Islamic law and English common law
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
Elections:
  none
Executive branch:
  amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet
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
Judicial branch:
  High Civil Appeals Court
Leaders:
 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)
 Head of Government:
  Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970)
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador 'Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA
 chancery:
  3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

*Bahrain, Government

 telephone:
  (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742
 consulate general:
  New York
US diplomatic representation:
 chief of mission:
  Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER
 embassy:
  Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama
 mailing address:
  P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO AE 09834-6210
 telephone:
  [973] 273-300
 FAX:
  (973) 272-594
Flag:
  red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

*Bahrain, Economy

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,
  during the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. 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 consists of
  petroleum products made from imported crude.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $4.3 billion (1992 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  3% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
  $7,800 (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  2% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
  8%-10% (1989)
Budget:
  revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1989)
Exports:
  $3.5 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%
 partners:
  Japan 13%, UAE 12%, India 10%, Pakistan 8%
Imports:
  $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991)
 commodities:
  nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%
 partners:
  Saudi Arabia 41%, US 14%, UK 7%, Japan 5%
External debt:
  $1.8 billion (1991 est.)
Industrial production:
  growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP
Electricity:
  1,600,000 kW capacity; 4,700 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita
  (1992 est.)
Industries:
  petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship
  repairing
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; fish catch 9,000 metric tons in 1987
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
Currency:
  1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates:
  Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year:
  calendar year

*Bahrain, Communications

Highways:
  200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia
  opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks
Pipelines:
  crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports:
  Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
  9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,331 GRT/249,490 DWT; includes 5
  cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk
Airports:
 total:
  3
 usable:
  3
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  2
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  1
Telecommunications:
  modern system; good domestic services; 98,000 telephones (1 for every 6
  persons); excellent international connections; tropospheric scatter to
  Qatar, UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar,
  UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT,
  1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV

*Bahrain, Defense Forces

Branches:
  Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force
Manpower availability:
  males age 15-49 194,770; fit for military service 107,696; reach military
  age (15) annually 5,043 (1993 est.)
Defense expenditures:
  exchange rate conversion - $245 million, 6% of GDP (1990)