Background:
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| In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. 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. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence. |
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Location:
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| Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
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Geographic coordinates:
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26 00 N, 50 33 E
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Map references:
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Area:
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total: 741 sq km
country comparison to the world: 197
land:
741 sq km
water:
0 sq km
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Area - comparative:
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3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
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0 km
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Coastline:
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161 km
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
continental shelf:
extending to boundaries to be determined
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Climate:
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arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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Terrain:
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mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point:
Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
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Natural resources:
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oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops:
5.63%
other:
91.55% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
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0.1 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita:
411 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; dust storms
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Environment - current issues:
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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)
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
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Geography - note:
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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 |
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Population:
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| 727,785
country comparison to the world: 163
note:
includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 25.9% (male 95,224/female 93,241)
15-64 years:
70.2% (male 292,941/female 217,729)
65 years and over:
3.9% (male 15,106/female 13,544) (2009 est.)
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Median age:
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total: 30.1 years
male:
33.2 years
female:
26.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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1.285% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
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Birth rate:
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17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 122
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Death rate:
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4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 203
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Net migration rate:
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0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
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Urbanization:
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urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.34 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
1.12 male(s)/female
total population:
1.24 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
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total: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 125
male:
17.81 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
12.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 75.16 years
country comparison to the world: 83
male:
72.64 years
female:
77.76 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.2% (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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fewer than 600 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
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Nationality:
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noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective:
Bahraini
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Ethnic groups:
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Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
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Religions:
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Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
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Languages:
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Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
86.5%
male:
88.6%
female:
83.6% (2001 census)
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 15 years
male:
14 years
female:
16 years (2006)
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Education expenditures:
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3.9% of GDP (1991)
country comparison to the world: 107
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- The Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook -
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