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]

27 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]

9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,367 GRT/249,441 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk

Pipelines [time series]

crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km

Ports [time series]

Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

excellent international telecommunications; good domestic services; 98,000 telephones; broadcast stations - 2 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; satellite earth stations - 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, 1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT, 1 ARABSAT; tropospheric scatter to Qatar, UAE, and microwave to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

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

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

exchange rate conversion - $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990)

Manpower availability [time series]

males 15-49, 190,937; 105,857 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 (1970-89), $45 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $9.8 billion

Electricity [time series]

3,600,000 kW capacity; 10,500 million kWh produced, 21,000 kWh per capita (1991)

Exchange rates [time series]

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

Exports [time series]

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1990 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7%, other 13% partners: UAE 18%, Japan 12%, India 11%, US 6%

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]

exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, per capita $7,500 (1990); real growth rate 6.7% (1988)

Imports [time series]

$3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 23%, Japan 8%, UK 8%

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 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 31% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, 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. A large share of exports is petroleum products made from imported crude.

Unemployment rate [time series]

8-10% (1989)

Climate [time series]

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

Coastline [time series]

161 km

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; maritime boundary with Qatar

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

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

Area (Land area) [time series]

620 km2

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%

Maritime claims [time series]

Continental shelf: not specific Territorial sea: 3 nm

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

12 districts (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); 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

Constitution [time series]

26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

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

Ambassador `Abd al-Rahman Faris Al KHALIFA; 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 Road No. 3119 (next to Alahli Sports Club), Zinj; (mailing address is P. O. 26431, Manama, or FPO AE 09834-6210); telephone [973] 273-300; FAX (973) 272-594

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

Executive branch (Leaders) [time series]

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]

Independence Day, 16 December

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

none

Government type (Type) [time series]

traditional monarchy

Birth rate [time series]

27 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate [time series]

4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

70 years male, 75 years female (1992)

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 (1992)

Organized labor [time series]

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

Population [time series]

551,513 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)

Religions [time series]

Muslim (Shi`a 70%, Sunni 30%)

Total fertility rate [time series]

4.0 children born/woman (1992)