Despite its huge losses in the Iran-Iraq War, Iraq was
unchallenged as the most powerful military presence in the
gulf
area. Reviving Iraq's old territorial claims against
Kuwait,
Saddam Husayn called for the annexation of Bubiyan and
Warbah
islands at the mouth of the Shatt al Arab to give Iraq a
clear
passage to the gulf. He also accused Kuwait of illegally
siphoning off oil from Ar Rumaylah field, one of the
world's
largest oil pools, which the two countries shared. Saddam
Husayn
threatened to use force against Arab oil producers,
including
Kuwait and the UAE, that exceeded their oil quotas,
charging them
with colluding with the United States to strangle the
Iraqi
economy by flooding the market with low-priced oil.
Although Iraq had accompanied its threats by moving
troops to
the border area, the world was largely taken by surprise
when, on
August 2, 1990, the Iraqi army invaded and occupied
Kuwait. A
force of about 120,000 soldiers and approximately 2,000
tanks and
other armored vehicles met little resistance. The Kuwaiti
army
was not on the alert, and those troops at their posts
could not
mount an effective defense. Some aircraft operating from
southern
Kuwait attacked Iraqi armored columns before their air
base was
overrun, and they sought refuge in Saudi Arabia. Of the
20,000
Kuwaiti troops, many were killed or captured, although up
to
7,000 escaped into Saudi Arabia, along with about forty
tanks.
Having completed the occupation of Kuwait, the Iraqi
armored
and mechanized divisions and the elite Republican Guard
advanced
south toward Kuwait's border with Saudi Arabia.
Intelligence
sources indicated that the Iraqis were positioning
themselves for
a subsequent drive toward the Saudi oil fields and
shipping
terminals, possibly continuing toward the other gulf
states.
In the first of a series of resolutions condemning
Iraq, the
United Nations (UN) Security Council on August 2 called
for
Iraq's unconditional and immediate withdrawal from Kuwait.
In the
ensuing months, a coalition force of more than 600,000
ground,
sea, and air force personnel deployed to defend Saudi
Arabia and
to drive the Iraqis out of Kuwait. Command of the force
was
divided: commander in chief of the United States Central
Command,
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, headed United States,
British, and
French units; his Saudi counterpart, Lieutenant General
Khalid
ibn Sultan ibn Abd al Aziz Al Saud, commanded units from
twentyfour non-Western countries, including troops from Saudi
Arabia,
Egypt, Syria, Kuwait, and the other gulf states. In
addition to
20,000 Saudi troops and 7,000 Kuwaiti troops, an estimated
3,000
personnel from the other GCC states took part in the land
forces
of the coalition offensive, known as Operation Desert
Storm.
When the massive coalition ground assault of Operation
Desert
Storm got under way on February 24, 1991, troops of the
Persian
Gulf states formed part of two Arab task forces. The
first, Joint
Forces Command North, consisting of Egyptian, Saudi,
Syrian, and
Kuwaiti troops, deployed on Kuwait's western border. Joint
Forces
Command East deployed along the gulf immediately south of
Kuwait
and consisted of about five brigades (each well below the
strength of a regular Western brigade) from Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait,
Bahrain, and Qatar. The main attack was a sweeping
movement by
United States, British, and French forces in the west
designed to
cut the links between the Iraqi forces in Kuwait and their
bases
in Iraq. The Saudis and Kuwaitis on the western border of
Kuwait,
composed of about four brigades organized as the Khalid
Division,
together with an Egyptian regiment, breached Iraqi
defenses after
allied bombing and engineer operations blasted passages.
Iraqi
troops, although in strong positions, surrendered or
streamed to
the north. Units of Joint Forces Command East advanced up
the
coastal road, capturing the city of Kuwait on the third
day of
the offensive after light fighting and the surrender of
thousands
of Iraqi soldiers.
|
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.
|
|
Location | | Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
|
|
Area(sq km) | | total: 741 sq km
land: 741 sq km
water: 0 sq km
|
|
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
|
|
Elevation extremes(m) | | lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
|
|
Natural resources | | oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
|
|
Land use(%) | | arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005)
|
|
Irrigated land(sq km) | | 40 sq km (2003)
|
|
Total renewable water resources(cu km) | | 0.1 cu km (1997)
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) | | total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
|
|
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)
|
|
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
|
|
Population | | 727,785
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2009 est.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Median age(years) | | total: 30.1 years
male: 33.2 years
female: 26.7 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Population growth rate(%) | | 1.285% (2009 est.)
|
|
Birth rate(births/1,000 population) | | 17.02 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Death rate(deaths/1,000 population) | | 4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
|
|
Net migration rate(migrant(s)/1,000 population) | | 0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
|
|
Urbanization(%) | | urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
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.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth(years) | | total population: 75.16 years
male: 72.64 years
female: 77.76 years (2009 est.)
|
|
Total fertility rate(children born/woman) | | 2.5 children born/woman (2009 est.)
|
|
Nationality | | noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini
|
|
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)
|
|
Languages(%) | | Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
|
|
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
|
|
Government type | | constitutional monarchy
|
|
Capital | | name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
|
|
Administrative divisions | | 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
|
|
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
|
|
Political pressure groups and leaders | | Shia activists; Sunni Islamist legislators
other: several small leftist and other groups are active
|
|
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
|
|
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.
|
|
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
|
|
GDP (official exchange rate) | | $21.24 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
GDP - real growth rate(%) | | 6.3% (2008 est.)
8.4% (2007 est.)
6.7% (2006 est.)
|
|
GDP - per capita (PPP) | | $37,400 (2008 est.)
$35,700 (2007 est.)
$33,400 (2006 est.)
note: data are in 2008 US dollars
|
|
GDP - composition by sector(%) | | agriculture: 0.4%
industry: 66.2%
services: 33.3% (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force | | 557,000
note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2008 est.)
|
|
Labor force - by occupation(%) | | agriculture: 1%
industry: 79%
services: 20% (1997 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate(%) | | 15% (2005 est.)
|
|
Population below poverty line(%) | | NA%
|
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share(%) | | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
|
|
Investment (gross fixed)(% of GDP) | | 26.6% of GDP (2008 est.)
|
|
Budget | | revenues: $6.934 billion
expenditures: $5.612 billion (2008 est.)
|
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices)(%) | | 7% (2008 est.)
3.3% (2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$4.169 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of quasi money | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$10.63 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Stock of domestic credit | | $NA (31 December 2008)
$10.32 billion (31 December 2007)
|
|
Market value of publicly traded shares | | $21.18 billion (31 December 2008)
$28.13 billion (31 December 2007)
$21.12 billion (31 December 2006)
|
|
Economic aid - recipient | | $103.9 million (2004)
|
|
Public debt(% of GDP) | | 28.7% of GDP (2008 est.)
63.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
|
|
Agriculture - products | | fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
|
|
Industries | | petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism
|
|
Industrial production growth rate(%) | | 6.3% (2008 est.)
|
|
Current account balance | | $2.257 billion (2008 est.)
$2.907 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports | | $17.49 billion (2008 est.)
$13.79 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Exports - commodities(%) | | petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
|
|
Exports - partners(%) | | Saudi Arabia 3.4%, India 2.7%, UAE 2.2% (2008)
|
|
Imports | | $14.25 billion (2008 est.)
$10.93 billion (2007 est.)
|
|
Imports - commodities(%) | | crude oil, machinery, chemicals
|
|
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)
|
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | | $3.803 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$4.101 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Debt - external | | $10.33 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$7.858 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | | $15.01 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$13.31 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | | $9.34 billion (31 December 2008 est.)
$7.72 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
|
|
Exchange rates | | Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2008 est.), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004)
|
|
Currency (code) | | Bahraini dinar (BHD)
|
|
Telephones - main lines in use | | 220,000 (2008)
|
|
Telephones - mobile cellular | | 1.4 million (2008)
|
|
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)
|
|
Internet country code | | .bh
|
|
Internet users | | 402,900 (2008)
|
|
Airports | | 3 (2009)
|
|
Pipelines(km) | | gas 20 km; oil 32 km (2008)
|
|
Roadways(km) | | total: 3,498 km
paved: 2,768 km
unpaved: 730 km (2003)
|
|
Ports and terminals | | Mina' Salman, Sitrah
|
|
Military branches | | Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard
|
|
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)
|
|
Manpower available for military service | | males age 16-49: 210,938
females age 16-49: 170,471 (2008 est.)
|
|
Manpower fit for military service | | males age 16-49: 171,004
females age 16-49: 144,555 (2009 est.)
|
|
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually | | male: 6,612
female: 6,499 (2009 est.)
|
|
Military expenditures(% of GDP) | | 4.5% of GDP (2006)
|
|
Disputes - international | | none
|
|
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)
|
|
Electricity - production(kWh) | | 10.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - production by source(%) | | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
|
|
Electricity - consumption(kWh) | | 10.1 billion kWh (2007 est.)
|
|
Electricity - exports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Electricity - imports(kWh) | | 0 kWh (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - production(bbl/day) | | 48,520 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - consumption(bbl/day) | | 38,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)
|
|
Oil - exports(bbl/day) | | 238,300 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - imports(bbl/day) | | 228,400 bbl/day (2007 est.)
|
|
Oil - proved reserves(bbl) | | 124.6 million bbl (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - production(cu m) | | 12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - consumption(cu m) | | 12.64 billion cu m (2008 est.)
|
|
Natural gas - exports(cu m) | | 0 cu m (2008)
|
|
Natural gas - proved reserves(cu m) | | 92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate(%) | | 0.2% (2001 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | | fewer than 600 (2007 est.)
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths | | fewer than 200 (2003 est.)
|
|
Literacy(%) | | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.6%
female: 83.6% (2001 census)
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)(years) | | total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006)
|
|
Education expenditures(% of GDP) | | 3.9% of GDP (1991)
|
