Bahrain

Broadcast media

state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations; satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts; 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2007)

Internet country code

.bh

Internet users

total: 1.3 million | percent of population: 96.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 116

Radio broadcast stations

AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

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; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth station - 1 (2007)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 280,000 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 118

Telephones - mobile cellular

total: 2.3 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 177 (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 148

Television broadcast stations

4 (1997)

Agriculture - products

fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish

Budget

revenues: $8.217 billion | expenditures: $9.427 billion (2014 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-3.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 141

Commercial bank prime lending rate

5.88% (31 December 2014 est.) | 5.93% (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 137

Current account balance

$1.123 billion (2014 est.) | $2.56 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 47

Debt - external

$18.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $17.66 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 87

Economy - overview

Bahrain has made great efforts to diversify its economy; its highly developed communication and transport facilities make Bahrain home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. As part of its diversification plans, Bahrain implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in August 2006, the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Bahrain's economy, however, continues to depend heavily on oil. In 2013, petroleum production and refining accounted for 73% of Bahrain's export receipts, 88% of government revenues, and 21% of GDP. Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil - finance, and construction. Bahrain continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. In 2011 Bahrain experienced economic setbacks as a result of domestic unrest, however, the economy recovered in 2012-14, partly as a result of improved tourism. Lower oil prices in 2015 will likely exacerbate Bahrain's budget deficit.

Exchange rates

Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - | 0.376 (2014 est.) | 0.376 (2013 est.) | 0.376 (2012 est.) | 0.376 (2011 est.) | 0.376 (2010 est.)

Exports

$20.75 billion (2014 est.) | $20.93 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Exports - commodities

petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles

Exports - partners

Saudi Arabia 3.3%, US 2.4%, UAE 2.2% (2014)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$33.86 billion (2014 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$62.17 billion (2014 est.) | $59.49 billion (2013 est.) | $56.47 billion (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 99

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 41% | government consumption: 15.7% | investment in fixed capital: 15.3% | investment in inventories: 1% | exports of goods and services: 71.2% | imports of goods and services: -44.1% | (2014 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 0.3% | industry: 47.1% | services: 52.6% (2014 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$49,000 (2014 est.) | $46,900 (2013 est.) | $44,500 (2012 est.) | note: data are in 2014 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 22

GDP - real growth rate

4.5% (2014 est.) | 5.3% (2013 est.) | 3.6% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Gross national saving

19.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | 24.7% of GDP (2013 est.) | 27.3% of GDP (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% | highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$13.32 billion (2014 est.) | $13.66 billion (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90

Imports - commodities

crude oil, machinery, chemicals

Imports - partners

Saudi Arabia 24%, Algeria 11.9%, China 8.2%, US 7%, Japan 5.7%, Australia 4.4% (2014)

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 67

Industries

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.7% (2014 est.) | 3.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120

Labor force

738,000 | note: excludes unemployed; 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 151

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 1% | industry: 32% | services: 67% (2004 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$22.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $18.57 billion (31 December 2013) | $15.65 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 64

Population below poverty line

NA%

Public debt

42.1% of GDP (2014 est.) | 41.3% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$5.051 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $6.049 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 93

Stock of broad money

$25.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $24.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 80

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$10.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $10.75 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$18.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $17.82 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Stock of domestic credit

$25.44 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | $25.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 79

Stock of narrow money

$7.996 billion (30 September 2014 est.) | $7.416 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Taxes and other revenues

24.3% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 128

Unemployment rate

4.1% (2014 est.) | 4.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 39

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

32.2 million Mt (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 74

Crude oil - exports

152,600 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 33

Crude oil - imports

243,300 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 29

Crude oil - production

49,500 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 57

Crude oil - proved reserves

124.6 million bbl (1 January 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 70

Electricity - consumption

11.69 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 86

Electricity - exports

190 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 76

Electricity - from fossil fuels

99.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 117

Electricity - imports

35 million kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106

Electricity - installed generating capacity

3.94 million kW (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 84

Electricity - production

13.26 billion kWh (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89

Natural gas - consumption

15.7 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 43

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 58

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 158

Natural gas - production

15.7 billion cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 36

Natural gas - proved reserves

92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55

Refined petroleum products - consumption

50,000 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99

Refined petroleum products - exports

242,900 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 28

Refined petroleum products - imports

2,357 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 179

Refined petroleum products - production

278,500 bbl/day (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 46

Area

total: 760 sq km | land: 760 sq km | water: 0 sq km | country comparison to the world: 188

Area - comparative

3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

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

Coastline

161 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m | highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 0.36 cu km/yr (50%/6%/45%) | per capita: 386 cu m/yr (2003)

Geographic coordinates

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Geography - 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

Irrigated land

40.15 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 11.3% | arable land 2.1%; permanent crops 3.9%; permanent pasture 5.3% | forest: 0.7% | other: 88% (2011 est.)

Location

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

Natural hazards

periodic droughts; dust storms

Natural resources

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

Terrain

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Total renewable water resources

0.12 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern) | note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

Capital

name: Manama | geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E | time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Bahrain | dual citizenship recognized: no | residency requirement for naturalization: 25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals

Constitution

adopted 14 February 2002; amended 2012 (2015)

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, State of Bahrain | etymology: the name means "the two seas" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador William V. ROEBUCK (since 12 December 2014) | embassy: Building | mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama | telephone: [973] 1724-2700 | FAX: [973] 1727-0547

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador ABDALLAH bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al Khalifa (since 3 December 2013) | chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 | FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 | consulate(s) general: New York

Executive branch

chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) | head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH (since 11 December 2006), KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa (since November 2010), MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa (since September 2005) | cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

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 | note: until 2002 the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag

Government type

constitutional monarchy

Independence

15 August 1971 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal | note: the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts | judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointment and tenure NA | subordinate courts: Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court

Legal system

mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law

Legislative branch

description: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Consultative Council or Majlis al Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king) and the Council of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms) | elections: Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 29 November 2014 (next in November 2018) | election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Al-Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 2, Islamic Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 1, independent 36, other 1; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties

National anthem

name: "Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain) | lyrics/music: unknown | note: adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom

National holiday

National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection

National symbol(s)

a red field surmounted by a white serrated band with five white points; national colors: red, white

Political parties and leaders

note: political parties are prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law | Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society or Al-Wefeq [Ali SALMAN] | Arab Islamic Center Society [Abdulrahman AL-BAKER] | Constitutional Gathering Society [Abdulrahman AL-BAKER] | Islamic Asalah [Abd al-Halim MURAD] | Islamic Saff Society [Abdullah Khalil BU GHAMAR] | Islamic Shura Society | Movement of National Justice Society [Muhi al-Din KHAN] | National Action Charter Society [Muhammad AL-BUAYNAYN] | National Democratic Action Society [Radhi AL-MOUSAWI] | National Democratic Assembly [Hasan AL-ALI] | National Dialogue Society | National Fraternity Society [Musa AL-ANSARI] | National Islamic Minbar [Ali AHMAD] | National Progressive Tribune [Abd al-Nabi SALMAN] | National Unity Gathering [Abdullatif AL-MAHMOOD] | Unitary National Democratic Assemblage [Fadhil ABBAS]

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

Suffrage

20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years

Background

In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. 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. The steady decline in oil production and reserves since 1970 prompted Bahrain to take steps to diversify its economy, in the process developing successful petroleum processing and refining, aluminum production, and hospitality and retail sectors, and also to become a leading regional banking center, especially with respect to Islamic finance. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. | The Sunni-led government has long struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar pro-democracy and reform protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Political talks throughout 2014 between the government and opposition and loyalist political groups failed to reach an agreement, prompting opposition political societies to boycott parliamentary and municipal council elections in late 2014. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo continues to factor into sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 508,863 | females age 16-49: 290,801 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 423,757 | females age 16-49: 245,302 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 8,988 | female: 8,117 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (RBA), Royal Bahraini Navy (RBN), Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF), Royal Bahraini Air Defense Force (RBADF) (2013)

Military expenditures

4.2% of GDP (2014) | 4.1% of GDP (2013) | 3.9% of GDP (2010) | country comparison to the world: 19

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 19.48% (male 133,201/female 129,140) | 15-24 years: 15.84% (male 120,073/female 93,182) | 25-54 years: 56.13% (male 494,405/female 261,399) | 55-64 years: 5.79% (male 50,466/female 27,501) | 65 years and over: 2.77% (male 18,092/female 19,154) (2015 est.)

Birth rate

13.66 births/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 144

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 5,530 | percentage: 5% (2000 est.)

Death rate

2.69 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 222

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 31.4% | youth dependency ratio: 28.2% | elderly dependency ratio: 3.2% | potential support ratio: 31.6% (2015 est.)

Drinking water source

urban: 100% of population | rural: 100% of population | total: 100% of population | urban: 0% of population | rural: 0% of population | total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

2.7% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 153

Ethnic groups

Bahraini 46%, Asian 45.5%, other Arabs 4.7%, African 1.6%, European 1%, other 1.2% (includes Gulf Co-operative country nationals, North and South Americans, and Oceanians) (2010 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

4.9% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 165

Hospital bed density

2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)

Infant mortality rate

total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 8.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 142

Languages

Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 78.73 years | male: 76.53 years | female: 80.98 years (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 51

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 95.7% | male: 96.9% | female: 93.5% (2015 est.)

Major urban areas - population

MANAMA (capital) 411,000 (2015)

Maternal mortality rate

15 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138

Median age

total: 31.8 years | male: 33.3 years | female: 29.1 years (2015 est.)

Nationality

noun: Bahraini(s) | adjective: Bahraini

Net migration rate

13.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 6

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

34.1% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 20

Physicians density

0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2012)

Population

1,346,613 | note: immigrants make up almost 55% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Population growth rate

2.41% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 31

Religions

Muslim 70.3%, Christian 14.5%, Hindu 9.8%, Buddhist 2.5%, Jewish 0.6%, folk religion <.1, unaffiliated 1.9%, other 0.2% (2010 est.)

Sanitation facility access

urban: 99.2% of population | rural: 99.2% of population | total: 99.2% of population | urban: 0.8% of population | rural: 0.8% of population | total 0.8% of population (2015 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 1.29 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 1.89 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 1.84 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female | total population: 1.54 male(s)/female (2015 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.78 children born/woman (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 5.3% | male: 2.6% | female: 12.2% (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 127

Urbanization

urban population: 88.8% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 1.71% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

4 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 184

Airports - with paved runways

total: 4 | over 3,047 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)

Heliports

1 (2013)

Merchant marine

total: 8 | by type: bulk carrier 2, container 4, petroleum tanker 2 | foreign-owned: 5 (Kuwait 5) | registered in other countries: 5 (Honduras 5) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 119

Pipelines

gas 20 km; oil 54 km (2013)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Roadways

total: 4,122 km | paved: 3,392 km | unpaved: 730 km (2010) | country comparison to the world: 157