Bahrain

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

Highways

200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks

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

Pipelines

crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km

Ports

Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah

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

Affiliation

(territory of the US)

Branches

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force

Defense expenditures

exchange rate conversion - $245 million, 6% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability

males age 15-49 194,770; fit for military service 107,696; reach military age (15) annually 5,043 (1993 est.)

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

Budget

revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Currency

1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

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

Electricity

1,600,000 kW capacity; 4,700 million kWh produced, 8,500 kWh per capita (1992 est.)

Exchange rates

Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)

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%

External debt

$1.8 billion (1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Imports

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1991) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 14%, UK 7%, Japan 5%

Industrial production

growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP

Industries

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2% (1992 est.)

National product

GDP - exchange rate conversion - $4.3 billion (1992 est.)

National product per capita

$7,800 (1992 est.)

National product real growth rate

3% (1992 est.)

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.

Unemployment rate

8%-10% (1989)

Area

total area: 620 km2 land area: 620 km2 comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Coastline

161 km

Environment

subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification

International disputes

territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar

Irrigated land

10 km2 (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 2% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90%

Location

Middle East, in the central Persian Gulf, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar

Map references

Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World

Maritime claims

contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: not specified territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

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

Terrain

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

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

Capital

Manama

Constitution

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Digraph

BA

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission: Ambassador 'Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742 consulate general: New York

Elections

none

Executive branch

amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

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

Independence

15 August 1971 (from UK)

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)

Legal system

based on Islamic law and English common law

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

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

Names

conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn

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

Type

traditional monarchy

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

Birth rate

26.89 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate

3.87 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate

20.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 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

Languages

Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.12 years male: 70.72 years female: 75.63 years (1993 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1990) total population: 77% male: 82% female: 69%

Nationality

noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

Net migration rate

7.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)

Population

568,471 (July 1993 est.)

Population growth rate

3.01% (1993 est.)

Religions

Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Total fertility rate

3.99 children born/woman (1993 est.)