Airports [time series]

3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

24 major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks

Merchant marine [time series]

4 cargo and 2 container (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 114,733 GRT/155,065 DWT

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil, 56 km; refined products, 16 km; natural gas, 32 km

Ports [time series]

Mina Salman, Manama, Sitrah

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

excellent international telecommunications; adequate domestic services; 98,000 telephones; stations--2 AM, 1 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations--1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter and microwave to Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar and UAE

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$194 million, 6% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 187,606; 104,285 fit for military service

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

including fishing, accounts for less than 2% of GDP; not self-sufficient in food production; heavily subsidized sector produces fruit, vegetables, poultry, dairy products, shrimp, and fish; fish catch 9,000 metric tons in 1987

Budget [time series]

revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

Bahraini dinar (plural--dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils

Economic aid [time series]

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-79), $24 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-88), $35 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion

Electricity [time series]

1,652,000 kW capacity; 6,000 million kWh produced, 12,080 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1--0.3760 (fixed rate)

Exports [time series]

$2.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989 est.); commodities--petroleum 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13%; partners--UAE, Japan, US, India

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$1.1 billion (December 1989 est.)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

$3.9 billion, per capita $7,500; real growth rate 2.5% (1990 est.)

Imports [time series]

$3.0 billion (f.o.b., 1989); commodities--nonoil 59%, crude oil 41%; partners--Saudi Arabia, Japan, US, UK

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP

Industries [time series]

petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.5% (1989)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Petroleum production and processing account for about 85% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 20% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, including the Gulf crisis of 1990-91. The liberation of Kuwait in early 1991 has improved short- to medium-term prospects and has raised investors' confidence. Bahrain with its highly developed communication and transport facilities is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf.

Unemployment rate (Unemployment) [time series]

8-10% (1989)

Climate [time series]

arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Coastline [time series]

161 km Continental shelf: not specific; Territorial sea: 3 nm

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Disputes - international (Disputes) [time series]

territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL%

Natural resources [time series]

oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

Note [time series]

close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to reach open ocean

Terrain [time series]

mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Area (Total area) [time series]

620 km2; land area: 620 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

12 municipalities (baladiyat, singular--baladiyah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat Isa, Mintaqat Juzur Hawar, Sitrah

Capital [time series]

Manama

Political parties (Communists) [time series]

negligible

Constitution [time series]

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

Ambassador Ghazi Muhammad AL-QUSAYBI; Chancery at 3502 International Drive NW, Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 342-0741 or 342-0742; there is a Bahraini Consulate General in New York; US--Ambassador Dr. Charles W. HOSTLER; Embassy at Building No. 979, Road No. 3119, Block/Area 331, Manama ZINJ (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO New York 09526-6210); telephone [973] 273-300 or 275-126

Executive branch (Elections) [time series]

none

Executive branch [time series]

amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet

Flag [time series]

red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side

Independence [time series]

15 August 1971 (from UK)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Civil Appeals Court Chief of State--Amir Isa bin Salman Al KHALIFA (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent Hamad bin Isa Al KHALIFA (son of Amir; born 28 January 1950); Head of Government--Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al KHALIFA, (since 19 January 1970)

Legal system [time series]

based on Islamic law and English common law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

State of Bahrain

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, IDB, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO

National holiday [time series]

National Day, 16 December

Political parties and pressure groups [time series]

political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Shia fundamentalist groups are active

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

traditional monarchy

Birth rate [time series]

27 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate [time series]

3 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Infant mortality rate [time series]

17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force [time series]

140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982)

Languages (Language) [time series]

Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

71 years male, 76 years female (1991)

Literacy [time series]

77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)

Nationality [time series]

noun--Bahraini(s); adjective--Bahraini

Net migration rate [time series]

7 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor [time series]

General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies

Population [time series]

536,974 (July 1991), growth rate 3.2% (1991)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Muslim (Shia 70%, Sunni 30%)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.0 children born/woman (1991)