Bahrain — map and facts

About Bahrain

Bahrain is a small island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, comprising a main island and around 50 smaller islands, with a total area of approximately 780 square kilometres. Manama is the capital and largest city. The population stands at approximately 1.5 million, of whom roughly half are foreign nationals, many working in the oil and services sectors. Bahrain is governed as a constitutional monarchy under King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who has ruled since 1999, with an appointed prime minister and a bicameral parliament. The country was the first in the Arabian Peninsula to discover oil, in 1932, though reserves are now substantially depleted. Bahrain has diversified its economy into financial services, aluminium production, and tourism, and serves as a major regional banking centre. The kingdom hosts the United States Navy's Fifth Fleet at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. Significant social tensions exist between the Sunni ruling establishment and the Shia Muslim majority population, which came to the fore during the 2011 Arab Spring protests.

Geography and Landscape

Bahrain consists of a low-lying archipelago in the southwestern Persian Gulf, approximately 16 kilometres from the coast of Saudi Arabia, connected by the King Fahd Causeway since 1986. The main island, also called Bahrain, accounts for the majority of the land area. The terrain is predominantly flat desert, with the highest point being the Jabal ad Dukhan hill at just 135 metres above sea level. Freshwater springs historically bubbled up from the seabed in the shallow surrounding waters, supporting pearl fisheries that made the archipelago famous for centuries. The northern part of the main island is more fertile due to artesian water sources, supporting some date palm cultivation. The coastline is extensively modified by land reclamation projects that have substantially increased the total land area over recent decades. The climate is arid, with very hot and humid summers when temperatures routinely exceed 40 degrees Celsius and mild winters. Coral reefs and seagrass beds support diverse marine life in surrounding waters.

History

Bahrain has been continuously inhabited for at least 5,000 years and was the heart of the ancient Dilmun civilisation, a major Bronze Age trading culture mentioned in Sumerian texts as a land of paradise. The islands later came under Assyrian and then Persian Achaemenid control. Arab tribes introduced Islam in the 7th century. The Portuguese seized the islands in 1521 and held them until 1602, when Persian Safavid forces expelled them. The Al Khalifa family, originally from the Arabian mainland, took control in 1783 and has ruled ever since. Britain established a protectorate over Bahrain in 1820, and formal British rule solidified through subsequent agreements. Oil was discovered in 1932, transforming the economy. Bahrain became fully independent in 1971 following British withdrawal from the Gulf. In 2002, the country transitioned from an emirate to a constitutional monarchy. The Arab Spring of 2011 triggered significant pro-democracy protests that were suppressed with assistance from Gulf Cooperation Council forces.