Kingdom of Bahrain

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

BAHRAIN CAPITAL CITY:

Manama is the capital city of Bahrain.

BAHRAIN CURRENCY:

The Bahraini Dinar is the official currency of Bahrain.

BAHRAIN HISTORY:

Bahrain was known as Dilmun in the past.
It was an important trade center in the 3rd century BC.
The Bahrain islands came under the Persian rule until the 4th century AD.
The Arabs ruled the region till the Portuguese invasion in 1541.
The Persians once again took over Bahrain in 1602.
Ahmad ibn al-Khalifah became the ruler in 1783 and his descendants enjoy royal status even today.
Bahrain became a British protectorate in 1820.
It became a completely independent nation only on Aug. 14, 1971.
Oil was discovered in Bahrain in the 1930s.
Sheik Isa ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, who became emir in 1961, worked towards establishing Bahrain as a major financial center.
Conflicts and riots between the Shia and Sunni Muslim communities are common.
Bahrain served as a Western air base during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq war in 2003.
It continues to serve as the base of the United States' Fifth Fleet.
Sheik Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah, the present emir, is working towards democratization of the country.
Bahrain had its first parliamentary election in Oct. 2002.
The U.S. and Bahrain signed a free-trade agreement in 2006.

BAHRAIN DEMOGRAPHICS:

Majority of the population in Bahrain is Islamic.
Shias and Sunnis exist in almost equal proportions.
Bahrain is also home to a large number of migrants form India, Sri Lanka and Phillipines.
The society is mostly cosmopolitan with a blend of diverse cultures.
2/3 of Bahrain's population consists of Arabs.
The native communities include the Sunni Arab bedouin tribes, Baharna , Howala, Ajam , Najdis , Banyan , Afro-Arabs and Bahraini Jews .

BAHRAIN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS:

Bahrain is run by a constitutional monarchy.
Administrative divisions consist of 5 governorates namely: Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah and Wasat.
Each governorate is administered by an appointed governor.
National Day is observed as a national holiday on 16 December (1971).
The Constitution formally adopted on 14 February 2002.
The legal system is based on Islamic law and English common law.
Bahrain has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa is the chief of state since 6 March 1999.
The Prime Minister is the head of government.
The Prime Minister and the cabinet ministers are appointed by the monarch.
The legislative branch is represented by a bicameral legislature consisting of the Consultative Council and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies.
The Consultative Council comprises of 40 seats and members are appointed by the king.
The Council of Representatives comprises of 40 seats and members are directly elected to serve four year terms.
The judicial branch is represented by the High Civil Appeals Court.

BAHRAIN CULTURE:

Bahrain is often referred to as the "Middle East lite"
Bahrain has succeeded in maintaining its Gulf heritage alongside modern development.
The society is extremely liberal and tolerant to all religions.
Social taboos are now being addressed and openly discussed to raise awareness among the people.
Bahrain is also one of the most prolific book publishers in the world.
Arabic is the official language of Bahrain but English is also widely spoken.
Other languages in use are Persian, Hindi, Bengali , Urdu and Tagalog .

BAHRAIN ECONOMY:

Bahrain owes its strong economy to the modernized infrastructure and multi-national firms.
Oil and aluminum exports also contribute largely to the economical development.
Bahrain is also making progress in the international banking and privatization sector.
Unemployment and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term economic problems.
The GDP (purchasing power parity) as calculated in 2007 is $24.5 billion.
15% of the population is unemployed.
Agricultural products include fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp and fish.
The main industries are petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pellets, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing and tourism.
Export commodities include petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum and textiles.
Import commodities include crude oil, machinery and chemicals.

BAHRAIN INFRASTRUCTURE:

The telecommunication system in Bahrain is highly modernized and well established.
Mobile cellular services are rapidly growing in popularity.
Bahrain has five radio broadcast stations and four television broadcast stations.
Internet facilities are widespread and readily available.
Bahrain has airports – all with paved runways.
Roadways span over a distance of 3,498 km.
The merchant marines are equipped with 7 ships.
Major ports and terminals are located at Mina' Salman and Sitrah.

BAHRAIN EDUCATION:

In the past, Quranic schools were the only form of education in the country.
A modern system of education was introduced only after World War I.
Al-Hidaya Al-Khalifia School for boys was the first modern public school in Bahrain which opened in 1919.
The first public school for girls was opened in 1928.
In 2004, information communication technology (ICT) was introduced to support K–12 education in Bahrain.
This project is named “King Hamad Schools of Future” and aims to connect and link all schools within the kingdom with the internet.
The Bahrain School (BS) is a United States Department of Defense school that provides a K-12 curriculum.
St Christopher's School Bahrain became the first school in Bahrain to offer a choice of IB or A-Levels for students.
DePaul University, Bentley College, and NYIT are amongst the best internationally known institutions.
School education is funded by the government but is not compulsory.
The quality of higher education in Bahrain is at par with international standards.

BAHRAIN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES:

Bahrain is connected by:

Saudi Arabia (west)
Qatar (south)

BAHRAIN GEOGRAPHICAL SETTINGS:

Bahrain is located in the Middle East and is part of an archipelago in the Persian Gulf.
Its geographical co-ordinates are 26 00 N, 50 33 E.
The country covers a total area of 665 sq km.
The coastline is 161 km long.
The climate is mostly arid with mild, pleasant winters and hot, humid summers.
The terrain comprises of a low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment.
The highest point is Jabal ad Dukhan standing at 122 m.
Natural resources include oil, associated and non associated natural gas, fish and pearls.
2.82% of the land is arable.
Periodic droughts and dust storms are common natural hazards.
Soil and coastal degradation are the main environmental concerns.

BAHRAIN FREEDOM:

Bahrain gained full independence from the British on Aug. 14, 1971.

BAHRAIN NOTABLE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY:

King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa — King of Bahrain
Hassan Al-Arrayed -Founder of Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital
Atma Jashanmal — Founder, The Jashanmal Group
Hussain Al Najadi — Founder and Chairman, Arab Malaysian Bank
Ebrahim Eshaq- Business Tycoon
Abdulhakeem Al Khayyat —Chairman of Durrat al Bahrain and Mena Telecom.
Mohamed Ghuloom (Dj Outlaw) — Founder of the first Hip-hop organization in Bahrain
Dhafer kamal- surgeon
Ali Bahar - singer
Ali Al Shargawi - poet
Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh- poet
Ali Al Jallawi- poet
Tarafa- poet

BAHRAIN COUNTRY FAMOUS FOR:

Bahrain is a popular tourist destination due to the kingdom’s heritage and the Bahrain Formula One Race Track.
Bahrain combines Arab and gulf culture along with the archaeological legacy of five thousand years of civilization.
Qalat Al Bahrain has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site
The Bahrain National Museum has artifacts that are over 9000 years old.
Manama’s nightlife and culture make it a favorite destination among international celebrities like Michael Jackson and Shakira.

BAHRAIN TOTAL POPULATION:

According to a 2008 census, the total population was estimated to be 718,306.
The annual population growth rate is 1.337% (2008 est.)
Birth rate: 17.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate: 4.29 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)