The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Bahrain

From: The CIA'sTHE WORLD FACTBOOK 1996

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Bahrain

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Map

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

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Flag

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

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Geography

Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references: Middle East
Area:
total area: 620 sq km
land area: 620 sq km
comparative area: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 161 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
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
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
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 sq km (1989 est.)
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
natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity
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

People

Population: 590,042 (July 1996 est.)
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.)
Population growth rate: 2.27% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 23.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 3.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
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
all ages: 1.33 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.27 years
male: 71.78 years
female: 76.83 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 85.2%
male: 89.1%
female: 79.4%

Government

Name of country:
conventional long form: State of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
Data code: BA
Type of government: traditional monarchy
Capital: Manama
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
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1971)
Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
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
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the amir
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
Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited
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
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
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 342-0741, 342-0742
FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192
consulate(s) general: New York
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
FAX: [973] 272-594
Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

Economy

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.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: -2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $12,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
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.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.38 billion
expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing
Industrial production growth rate: 13% (1992)
Electricity:
capacity: 1,050,000 kW
production: 3.3 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 5,453 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
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)
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)
External debt: $2.6 billion (1993)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year

Transportation

Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 2,671 km
paved: 2,011 km
unpaved: 660 km (1991 est.)
Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km
Ports: Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah
Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 117,060 GRT/194,061 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, oil tanker 1 (1995 est.)
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.)

Communications

Telephones: 73,552 (1987 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
Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios: 320,000 (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2 (1988 est.)
Televisions: 270,000 (1993 est.)

Defense

Branches: Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Coast Guard, Police Force
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49: 213,792
males fit for military service: 118,702 (1996 est.)
Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $247 million, 5.5% of GDP (1994)

Bahrain

Original publicaton at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/nsolo/wfb-all.htm (June 17, 1997).