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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Bahrain Index
Armed Forces: In 1993 personnel strength 7,150:
army,
6,000; navy, 500; and air force, 650. Service voluntary.
Army in
1991 had 81 M-60A3 main battle tanks and armored cars.
Navy had
two corvettes and four missile craft. Air force had
McDonnell
Douglas F-5 Tigers, General Dynamics F-16 Fighting
Falcons, and
Agusta/Bell-212 armed helicopters.
Paramilitary: In 1993 coast guard about 400
personnel;
police about 9,000.
Overview
IN 1993 BAHRAIN CONTINUED to be ruled by the Al Khalifa
family. The amir, Shaykh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa (b.
1933), was
the eleventh ruler of the Al Khalifa dynasty, which has
ruled the
country since 1783. Originally, the Al Khalifa were a
prominent
family among the Bani Utub beduin tribes from the interior
of the
Arabian Peninsula who had settled on the Persian Gulf
coast
during the eighteenth century. The Al Khalifa initially
established a successful commercial port at Az Zubarah on
the
western coast of the Qatar Peninsula, but this was
attacked
several times by rulers of Bahrain, at that time part of
the
Iranian Empire, which intermittently controlled Bahrain
from 1602
to 1782. Eventually, with the assistance of a tribal
coalition
that included the Al Sabah--another Bani Utub family--of
Kuwait,
the Al Khalifa captured Bahrain from Iran. The first Al
Khalifa
ruler, Ahmad ibn Muhammad (r. 1783-96), adopted policies
that
enabled Bahrain's ports to develop into prosperous trade
and
pearling centers.
During the reign of subsequent Al Khalifa rulers,
dynastic
feuding among heirs, as well as wars with Oman, adversely
affected Bahrain's economy and the security of regional
trade.
The family rivalries prompted Britain, then the paramount
power
in the area, to impose a series of treaties that made
Bahrain a
British protectorate by 1868. An important consequence of
Britain's intervention was the regulation of the Al
Khalifa
succession on the basis of primogeniture. After the death
of
Shaykh Ali ibn Khalifa Al Khalifa (r. 1868-69) in a
dynastic war
instigated by his brother and nephew, Britain refused to
accept
the legitimacy of the victor's rule and forced all
factions to
acknowledge Ali's son, Shaykh Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa (r.
1869-
1923), as the rightful heir. Since that time, each Al
Khalifa
ruler has been succeeded by his eldest son. This practice
was
unlike succession in most other Arab dynasties, which
chose the
heir apparent from among several able males within the
royal
family. The principle of primogeniture was codified in the
1973
constitution.
In early 1993, Isa ibn Salman had ruled Bahrain for
thirtytwo years, having succeeded to the throne in 1961 on the
death of
his father, Shaykh Salman ibn Hamad Al Khalifa (r.
1942-61). At
the time of Isa ibn Salman's accession, Bahrain was still
a
British protectorate. Isa ibn Salman negotiated the
termination
of the country's dependent status after Britain announced
in 1968
that it would withdraw all its defense forces from the
Persian
Gulf region. When Bahrain achieved complete independence
in 1971,
Isa ibn Salman assumed the title of amir.
The Al Khalifa continued to dominate Bahrain's
government and
society after independence. The amir's brothers, sons,
nephews,
and cousins controlled the major decision-making
positions. For
example, Isa ibn Salman's brother, Shaykh Khalifa ibn
Salman Al
Khalifa, was prime minister and head of government in late
1992;
the amir's eldest son, Shaykh Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa,
was
deputy prime minister and heir apparent; and six other
members of
the ruling family served in the cabinet, including Major
General
Khalifa ibn Ahmad Al Khalifa, who was minister of defense.
In 1993 Bahrain's economy continued to experience
relative
prosperity. Before the discovery of oil in 1932, the
country's
economy had been based on trade and pearling.
Fortuitously, oil
was discovered in commercial quantities just as the
development
of the cultured pearl by the Japanese caused the collapse
of the
Persian Gulf pearling industry. By 1935 oil wells and a
small
refinery were in operation, thus enabling Bahrain to claim
distinction as the first Arab state in the region to
benefit from
the presence of oil resources. Both Shaykh Hamad ibn Isa
Al
Khalifa (r. 1923-42) and his son, Shaykh Salman ibn Hamad,
used
revenues obtained from oil concessions and production
royalties
to institute education and health care programs and
various
public services.
Although oil revenues accounted for more than one-half
the
government budget until the 1980s, the ruling family
recognized
that Bahrain's oil wells had a limited productive capacity
and
that oil reserves probably would be exhausted by the end
of the
twentieth century. Consequently, the government decided to
base
the country's long-term economic well-being on commercial
and
industrial diversification. Official efforts to encourage
jointventure projects resulted in the construction of several
enterprises, including an aluminum plant (opened in 1972),
a ship
repair yard (1977), an iron foundry (1984), a chemical
factory
(1985), and a pharmaceutical facility (scheduled to open
in
1993). In addition, Bahrain's efficient communications
system and
relatively liberal financial policies enabled the island
state to
emerge in the 1980s as a principal center for regional
banking,
insurance, and business operations.
The transformation of Bahrain's economy created new
occupational groups, in particular an industrial working
class
and a highly educated professional class. Bahrain's
indigenous
labor force was unique in the immediate area because
foreign
workers constituted virtually the entire labor force in
the
neighboring countries of Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and
the
United Arab Emirates (UAE). Although trade unions and
other labor
associations were illegal in Bahrain, workers organized
their
first strike as early as 1943. Labor unrest erupted
periodically
during the next thirty years but declined after 1974, when
the
percentage of foreign workers in the industrial labor
force began
to increase significantly. The growth of an indigenous
class of
professionals tended to shift societal interest away from
working
conditions and wages in the oil industry and toward the
issue of
political participation. Bahrain's professionals were
among the
most enthusiastic supporters of the brief experiment with
an
elected legislature in the early 1970s; since the
dissolution of
the National Assembly in 1975, professionals have been
consistent
advocates of a return to democratic political
institutions.
Two generations of economic and social changes failed
to
lessen sectarian tensions in Bahrain. The Al Khalifa and
their
historical political allies are
Sunni (see Glossary)
Muslims.
However, at least two-thirds of Bahrain's population
identify
themselves as
Shia (see Glossary)
Muslims. Shia were the
original
inhabitants of the archipelago when the Al Khalifa seized
it from
Iranian control in the 1780s. Although the Al Khalifa have
not
persecuted the Shia, they have habitually excluded them
from
political power. Shia generally resent their subordinate
political status; periodically this resentment flares up
as
incidents of religious strife. The Iranian Revolution of
1979--
which resulted in Shia clergy controlling that country's
government--tended to exacerbate Shia-Sunni tensions in
Bahrain
because events in Iran inspired Shia activists in Bahrain
to
demand more equitable political representation for their
community.
The Iranian Revolution and the subsequent Iran-Iraq War
(1980-88) demonstrated how much Bahrain's political
stability and
economic prosperity depended on overall regional security.
The
government sought to contain the spillover effects of
these
crises by joining with Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, and
Saudi
Arabia in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 1981. As a
result
of its membership, Bahrain obtained GCC intelligence
assistance
in monitoring the activities of local dissident groups
suspected
of receiving support from Iran and profited from inclusion
in
regional economic development plans. In addition, it
received GCC
approval for a program of enhancing its military
capability
through the purchase of advanced United States weapons.
During
the Persian Gulf War of 1991, Bahrain participated in the
GCC
coalition that sent troops to Saudi Arabia to fight
against Iraq
and permitted the United States Navy to use its port
facilities.
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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