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Bahrain Index
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Figure 6. Bahrain, 1993
Bahrain (from the Arabic word for "two seas") comprises
an
archipelago of thirty-three islands situated midway in the
Persian Gulf close to the shore of the Arabian Peninsula.
The
islands are about twenty-four kilometers from the east
coast of
Saudi Arabia and twenty-eight kilometers from Qatar. The
total
area of the islands is about 691 square kilometers, or
about four
times the size of the District of Columbia. The largest
island,
accounting for 83 percent of the area, is Bahrain (also
seen as
Al Bahrayn), which has an extent of 572 square kilometers.
From
north to south, Bahrain is forty-eight kilometers long; at
its
widest point in the north, it is sixteen kilometers from
east to
west
(see
fig. 6).
Around most of Bahrain is a relatively shallow inlet of
the
Persian Gulf known as the Gulf of Bahrain. The seabed
adjacent to
Bahrain is rocky and, mainly off the northern part of the
island,
covered by extensive coral reefs. Most of the island is
low-lying
and barren desert. Outcroppings of limestone form low
rolling
hills, stubby cliffs, and shallow ravines. The limestone
is
covered by various densities of saline sand, capable of
supporting only the hardiest desert vegetation--chiefly
thorn
trees and scrub. There is a fertile strip five kilometers
wide
along the northern coast on which date, almond, fig, and
pomegranate trees grow. The interior contains an
escarpment that
rises to 134 meters, the highest point on the island, to
form
Jabal ad Dukhan (Mountain of Smoke), named for the mists
that
often wreathe the summit. Most of the country's oil wells
are
situated in the vicinity of Jabal ad Dukhan.
Manama (Al Manamah), the capital, is located on the
northeastern tip of the island of Bahrain. The main port,
Mina
Salman, also is located on the island, as are the major
petroleum
refining facilities and commercial centers. Causeways and
bridges
connect Bahrain to adjacent islands and the mainland of
Saudi
Arabia. The oldest causeway, originally constructed in
1929,
links Bahrain to Al Muharraq, the second largest island.
Although
the island is only six kilometers long, the country's
second
largest city, Al Muharraq, and the international airport
are
located there. A causeway also connects Al Muharraq to the
tiny
island of Jazirat al Azl, the site of a major ship-repair
and
dry-dock center. South of Jazirat al Azl, the island of
Sitrah,
site of the oil export terminal, is linked to Bahrain by a
bridge
that spans the narrow channel separating the two islands.
The
causeway to the island of Umm an Nasan, off the west coast
of
Bahrain, continues on to the Saudi mainland town of Al
Khubar.
Umm an Nasan is the private property of the amir and the
site of
his personal game preserve.
The other islands of significance include Nabi Salah,
which
is northwest of Sitrah; Jiddah, to the north of Umm an
Nasan; and
a group of islands, the largest of which is Hawar, near
the coast
of Qatar
(see Geography;
Foreign Relations, ch. 4). Nabi
Salah
contains several freshwater springs that are used to
irrigate the
island's extensive date palm groves. The rocky islet of
Jiddah
houses the state prison. Hawar and the fifteen small
islands near
it are the subject of a territorial dispute between
Bahrain and
Qatar. Hawar is nineteen kilometers long and about oneand onehalf kilometers wide. The other islands are uninhabited
and are
nesting sites for a variety of migratory birds.
Data as of January 1993
Geography
Figure 6. Bahrain, 1993
Bahrain (from the Arabic word for "two seas") comprises
an
archipelago of thirty-three islands situated midway in the
Persian Gulf close to the shore of the Arabian Peninsula.
The
islands are about twenty-four kilometers from the east
coast of
Saudi Arabia and twenty-eight kilometers from Qatar. The
total
area of the islands is about 691 square kilometers, or
about four
times the size of the District of Columbia. The largest
island,
accounting for 83 percent of the area, is Bahrain (also
seen as
Al Bahrayn), which has an extent of 572 square kilometers.
From
north to south, Bahrain is forty-eight kilometers long; at
its
widest point in the north, it is sixteen kilometers from
east to
west
(see
fig. 6).
Around most of Bahrain is a relatively shallow inlet of
the
Persian Gulf known as the Gulf of Bahrain. The seabed
adjacent to
Bahrain is rocky and, mainly off the northern part of the
island,
covered by extensive coral reefs. Most of the island is
low-lying
and barren desert. Outcroppings of limestone form low
rolling
hills, stubby cliffs, and shallow ravines. The limestone
is
covered by various densities of saline sand, capable of
supporting only the hardiest desert vegetation--chiefly
thorn
trees and scrub. There is a fertile strip five kilometers
wide
along the northern coast on which date, almond, fig, and
pomegranate trees grow. The interior contains an
escarpment that
rises to 134 meters, the highest point on the island, to
form
Jabal ad Dukhan (Mountain of Smoke), named for the mists
that
often wreathe the summit. Most of the country's oil wells
are
situated in the vicinity of Jabal ad Dukhan.
Manama (Al Manamah), the capital, is located on the
northeastern tip of the island of Bahrain. The main port,
Mina
Salman, also is located on the island, as are the major
petroleum
refining facilities and commercial centers. Causeways and
bridges
connect Bahrain to adjacent islands and the mainland of
Saudi
Arabia. The oldest causeway, originally constructed in
1929,
links Bahrain to Al Muharraq, the second largest island.
Although
the island is only six kilometers long, the country's
second
largest city, Al Muharraq, and the international airport
are
located there. A causeway also connects Al Muharraq to the
tiny
island of Jazirat al Azl, the site of a major ship-repair
and
dry-dock center. South of Jazirat al Azl, the island of
Sitrah,
site of the oil export terminal, is linked to Bahrain by a
bridge
that spans the narrow channel separating the two islands.
The
causeway to the island of Umm an Nasan, off the west coast
of
Bahrain, continues on to the Saudi mainland town of Al
Khubar.
Umm an Nasan is the private property of the amir and the
site of
his personal game preserve.
The other islands of significance include Nabi Salah,
which
is northwest of Sitrah; Jiddah, to the north of Umm an
Nasan; and
a group of islands, the largest of which is Hawar, near
the coast
of Qatar
(see Geography;
Foreign Relations, ch. 4). Nabi
Salah
contains several freshwater springs that are used to
irrigate the
island's extensive date palm groves. The rocky islet of
Jiddah
houses the state prison. Hawar and the fifteen small
islands near
it are the subject of a territorial dispute between
Bahrain and
Qatar. Hawar is nineteen kilometers long and about oneand onehalf kilometers wide. The other islands are uninhabited
and are
nesting sites for a variety of migratory birds.
Data as of January 1993
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Background | | 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 | | Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
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Area(sq km) | | total: 741 sq km
land: 741 sq km
water: 0 sq km
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Geographic coordinates | | 26 00 N, 50 33 E
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Land boundaries(km) | | 0 km
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Coastline(km) | | 161 km
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Climate | | arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
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Natural resources | | oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
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Land use(%) | | arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005)
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Irrigated land(sq km) | | 40 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 0.1 cu km (1997)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
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Natural hazards | | periodic droughts; dust storms
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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)
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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
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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
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Population | | 727,785
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
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Age structure(%) | | 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(years) | | total: 30.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 26.7 years (2009 est.)
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Population growth rate(%) | | 1.285% (2009 est.)
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Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
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Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
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Urbanization(%) | | 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(male(s)/female) | | 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(deaths/1,000 live births) | | total: 15.25 deaths/1,000 live births
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(years) | | total population: 75.16 years
male: 72.64 years
female: 77.76 years (2009 est.)
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Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.)
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Nationality | | noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
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Ethnic groups(%) | | Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
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Religions(%) | | Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
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Languages(%) | | Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
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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
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Government type | | constitutional monarchy
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Capital | | name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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Administrative divisions | | 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
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Constitution | | adopted 14 February 2002
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Legal system | | based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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Suffrage | | 20 years of age; universal
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Executive branch | | chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent 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); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
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Legislative branch | | bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)
election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by society as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
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Judicial branch | | High Civil Appeals Court
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Political pressure groups and leaders | | Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators
other: several small leftist and other groups are active
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International organization participation | | ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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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
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Economy - overview | | With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. Aluminum is Bahrain's second major export after oil. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is focused on Islamic banking and is competing on an international scale with Malaysia as a worldwide banking center. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006 Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Continued strong growth hinges on Bahrain's ability to acquire new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term economic problems. The global financial crisis is likely to result in slower economic growth for Bahrain during 2009 as tight international credit and a slowing global economy cause funding for many non-oil projects to dry up. Lower oil prices may also cause Bahrain's budget to slip back into deficit.
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GDP (purchasing power parity) | | $26.89 billion (2008 est.)
$25.29 billion (2007 est.)
$23.34 billion (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP (official exchange rate) | | $21.24 billion (2008 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 6.3% (2008 est.)
8.4% (2007 est.)
6.7% (2006 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $37,400 (2008 est.)
$35,700 (2007 est.)
$33,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
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GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 66.2%
services: 33.3% (2008 est.)
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Labor force | | 557,000
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2008 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 1%
industry: 79%
services: 20% (1997 est.)
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Unemployment rate(%) | | 15% (2005 est.)
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Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
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Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 26.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
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Budget | | revenues: $6.934 billion
expenditures: $5.612 billion (2008 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 7% (2008 est.)
3.3% (2007 est.)
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Stock of money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)
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Stock of domestic credit | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)
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Market value of publicly traded shares | | $21.18 billion (31 December 2008)
$28.13 billion (31 December 2007)
$21.12 billion (31 December 2006)
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Economic aid - recipient | | $103.9 million (2004)
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Public debt(% of GDP) | | 28.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
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Agriculture - products | | fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
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Industries | | petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism
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Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 6.3% (2008 est.)
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Current account balance | | $2.257 billion (2008 est.)
$2.907 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports | | $17.49 billion (2008 est.)
$13.79 billion (2007 est.)
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Exports - commodities(%) | | petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
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Exports - partners(%) | | Saudi Arabia 3.4%, India 2.7%, UAE 2.2% (2008)
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Imports | | $14.25 billion (2008 est.)
$10.93 billion (2007 est.)
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Imports - commodities(%) | | crude oil, machinery, chemicals
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Imports - partners(%) | | Saudi Arabia 26.7%, Japan 8.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Germany 4.8%, South Korea 4.7%, UK 4.5% (2008)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $3.803 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Debt - external | | $10.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $15.01 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$13.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $9.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$7.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
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Exchange rates | | Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2008 est.), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004)
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Currency (code) | | Bahraini dinar (BHD)
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Telephones - main lines in use | | 220,000 (2008)
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Telephones - mobile cellular | | 1.4 million (2008)
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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)
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Internet country code | | .bh
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Internet users | | 402,900 (2008)
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Airports | | 3 (2009)
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Pipelines(km) | | gas 20 km; oil 32 km (2008)
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Roadways(km) | | total: 3,498 km
paved: 2,768 km
unpaved: 730 km (2003)
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Ports and terminals | | Mina' Salman, Sitrah
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Military branches | | Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard
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Military service age and obligation(years of age) | | 17 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2008)
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Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 210,938
females age 16-49: 170,471 (2008 est.)
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Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 171,004
females age 16-49: 144,555 (2009 est.)
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Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 6,612
female: 6,499 (2009 est.)
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Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 4.5% of GDP (2006)
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Disputes - international | | none
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Trafficking in persons | | current situation: Bahrain is a destination country for men and women trafficked for the purposes of involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation; men and women from Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia migrate voluntarily to Bahrain to work as laborers or domestic servants where some face conditions of involuntary servitude such as unlawful withholding of passports, restrictions on movements, non-payment of wages, threats, and physical or sexual abuse; women from Thailand, Morocco, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia are trafficked to Bahrain for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation
tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Bahrain is on the Tier 2 Watch List for failing to show evidence of increased efforts to combat human trafficking, particularly efforts that enforce laws against trafficking in persons, and that prevent the punishment of victims of trafficking; during 2007, Bahrain passed a comprehensive law prohibiting all forms of trafficking in persons; the government also established a specialized anti-trafficking unit within the Ministry of Interior to investigate trafficking crimes; however, the government did not report any prosecutions or convictions for trafficking offenses during 2007, despite reports of a substantial problem of involuntary servitude and sex trafficking (2008)
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Electricity - production(kWh) | | 10.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
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Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 10.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)
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Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
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Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 48,520 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 38,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
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Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 238,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 228,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 124.6 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
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Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
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Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
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Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.2% (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | fewer than 600 (2007 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
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Literacy(%) | | 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)(years) | | total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006)
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Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 3.9% of GDP (1991)
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