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 Bahrain| Facts & Figures |
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| King: Hamad
ibn Isa al-Khalifah (1999) Prime
Minister: Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah (1970)
Land area: 239 sq mi (619 sq km);
total area: 257 sq mi (665 sq km) Population (2009 est.): 727,785 (growth
rate: 1.2%); birth rate: 17.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 15.2/1000;
life expectancy: 75.1; density per sq km: 1,080
Capital and largest city (2003 est.):
Al-Manámah, 527,000 (metro area), 149,900
(city proper) Monetary unit: Bahrain
dinar More Facts & Figures |
GeographyBahrain, which means “two seas,” is
an archipelago in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The
islands for the most part are level expanses of sand and rock. A causeway
connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
GovernmentConstitutional monarchy.
HistoryKnown in ancient times as Dilmun, Bahrain was an
important center of trade by the 3rd millennium
B.C.
The islands were ruled by the Persians in the
4th century
A.D.
, and then by Arabs until 1541,
when the Portuguese invaded them. Persia again claimed Bahrain in 1602. In
1783 Ahmad ibn al-Khalifah took over, and the al-Khalifahs remain the
ruling family today. Bahrain became a British protectorate in 1820. It did
not gain full independence until Aug. 14, 1971.
Although oil was discovered in Bahrain in the
1930s, it was relatively little compared to other Gulf states, and the
wells are expected to be the first in the region to dry up. Sheik Isa ibn
Sulman al-Khalifah, who became emir in 1961, was determined to diversify
his country's economy, and he set about establishing Bahrain as a major
financial center. The country provides its people with free medical care,
education, and old-age pensions.
Conflicts between the Shiite and Sunni Muslims
are a recurring problem in Bahrain. The Sunni minority, to which the
ruling al-Khalifah family belongs, controls nearly all the power and
wealth in the country. the Shiites continue to agitate for more
representation in government, and minor violent clashes have led to about
two dozen deaths since 1994.
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