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Bahrain travel guide

Bahrain - General Country Information

Introduction
Geography
People
Government
Economy
Communications
Transportation
Military
Transnational Issues

Introduction

General Information: Bahrain

The capital of Bahrain is Manama.

Major cities of Bahrain are:
Bahrain.

Geography

Location:	Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Coordinates:	26 00 N, 50 33 E
Area:	total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area Comparative:	3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land Boundaries:	0 km
Coastline:	161 km
Maritime Claims:	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Climate:	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:	mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation Extremes:	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural Resources:	oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land Use:	arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2001)
Irrigated Land:	50 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural Hazards:	periodic droughts; dust storms
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 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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

People

Population:	677,886 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)
Age Structure:	total: 29 years male: 31.9 years female: 25.3 years (2004 est.)
Population Growth Rate:	1.56% (2004 est.)
Birth Rate:	18.54 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Death Rate:	4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Migration Rate:	1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Sex Ratio:	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Infant Mortality Rate:	total: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Expectancy Birth:	total population: 73.98 years male: 71.52 years female: 76.51 years (2004 est.)
Fertility Rate:	2.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)
HIV Adult Prevalence Rate:	0.3% (2001 est.)
People Living HIV:	less than 600 (2003 est.)
HIV Deaths:	less than 200 (2003 est.)
Nationality:	noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic Groups:	Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Religions:	Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
Languages:	Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.)

Gouvernment

Country Name:	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun
Government Type:	constitutional hereditary monarchy
Capital:	Manama
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
Independence:	15 August 1971 (from UK)
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
Constitution:	adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary)
Legal System:	based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage:	18 years of age; universal
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) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative Branch:	bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held NA 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002
Judicial Branch:	High Civil Appeals Court
Political Parties Leaders:	political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed
Political Pressure Groups Leaders:	Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
International Organization Participation:	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), 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
Diplomatic in US:	chief of mission: Ambassador KHALIFA bin ALI bin Rashid Al Khalifa chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic from US:	chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1725-6242 (consular)
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

Economy

Economy Overview:	In well-to-do Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of 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. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil granted as aid. A large share of exports consist 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.
GDP:	purchasing power parity - $11.29 billion (2003 est.)
GDP Growth Rate:	4.9% (2003 est.)
GDP Capital:	purchasing power parity - $16,900 (2003 est.)
GDP Composition:	agriculture: 0.7% industry: 42.1% services: 57.2% (2003 est.)
Investment:	11.9% of GDP (2003)
Household Income:	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Inflation Rate:	-0.2% (2003 est.)
Labor Force:	350,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003 est.)
Labor Force Occupation:	agriculture 1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997 est.)
Unemployment Rate:	15% (1998 est.)
Budget:	revenues: $2.981 billion expenditures: $3.019 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (2003 est.)
Public Debt:	57.5% of GDP (2003)
Agriculture Products:	fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Industries:	petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism
Industry Production Growth Rate:	2% (2000 est.)
Electricity Production:	6.257 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity Consumption:	5.819 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity Exports:	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity Imports:	0 kWh (2001)
Oil Production:	43,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Consumption:	31,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil Exports:	NA (2001)
Oil Imports:	NA (2001)
Oil Proved Reserves:	125 million bbl (1 January 2003)
Natural Gas Production:	8.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Consumption:	8.9 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Exports:	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Imports:	0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural Gas Proved Reserves:	46 billion cu m (1 January 2003)
Current Account Balance:	$53 million (2003)
Exports:	$6.492 billion (2003 est.)
Exports Commodities:	petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports Partners:	US 3.5%, India 3.3%, South Korea 2.2% (2003)
Imports:	$5.126 billion (2003 est.)
Imports Commodities:	crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports Partners:	Saudi Arabia 30.7%, US 11.4%, Japan 7.8%, UK 5.7%, Germany 5.4% (2003)
Reserves:	$1.785 billion (2003)
Debt External:	$4.682 billion (2003)
Currency:	Bahraini dinar (BHD)
Currency Code:	BHD
Exchange Rates:	Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000), 0.376 (1999)
Fiscal Year:	calendar year

Communications

Telephones Lines Use:	185,800 (2003)
Mobile Cellular:	443,100 (2003)
Telephone System:	general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 973; 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 (1997)
Radio Stations:	AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Television Stations:	4 (1997)
Internet Code:	.bh
Internet Hosts:	1,334 (2003)
Internet Users:	195,700 (2003)

Transportation

Highways:	total: 3,261 km paved: 2,531 km unpaved: 730 km (2000)
Waterways:	general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 973; 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 (1997)
Pipelines:	gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)
Ports Harbors:	Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Merchant Marine:	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT by type: bulk 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 1 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)
Airports:	4 (2003 est.)
Airports Paved Runways:	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports Unpaved Runways:	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Heliports:	1 (2003 est.)

Military

Military Branches:	Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard
Military Age Obligation:	18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)
Military Availability:	males age 15-49: 221,661 (2004 est.)
Fit Military Service:	males age 15-49: 121,484 (2004 est.)
Reaching Military Age Annually:	males: 6,396 (2004 est.)
Military Expenditures Dollar Figure:	$618.1 million (2003)
Military Expenditures Percent GDP:	7.5% (2003)