Bahrain
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Name: The State of Bahrain Introduction: The Ancient name of Bahrain is Dilmun and it was an important port for trade between and other Sumerian cities. It came under the Arab rule in the seventeenth century AD and from 1521 to 1602 Portuguese used it as a trading base. Then it came under the control of the Persians from 1602 but they were driven out by the Arabs of al Khalifa dynasty in 1783 and 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. Location: An island in the middle East in the Persian Gulf. Borders: Saudi Arabia lies to the west and Qatar to the south across the Persian Gulf. Terrain: There are 33 islands in this country and the largest is the Bahrain Island where the capital Manama is situated. Bahrain is low lying land they are sandy, and mostly desert with oases. Climate: Bahrain enjoys arid, pleasant and mild winters and endures hot and humid summers. Annual rainfall is 3 inches, but many springs provide a good supply of fresh water. Ethnic Group: Mostly Arabs but 20% are of Iranian stock also. Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census). Religion: Islam is practiced by 85% of the population. Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) Area: 665 sq km Coastline: 161 km Capital: Manama Currency: Bahraini Dinar (BHD) Life Expectancy: 74.68 years Population: 708,573 (2007 est ) Population Growth Rate: 1.392% (2007 est.) Language: Official language is Arabic. English, Farsi, Urdu and Malayalam are also spoken. Literacy: Bahrain has free education and medical care and literacy is very high. Total – 89.1%, male – 91.9% and female – 85%. Internet TLD: .bh Calling Code: +973 Nationality: Bahraini Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK) Government: Constitutional hereditary Monarchy Constitution: It was adopted on 14 February 2002. Executive Branch: King Hamid bin Isa al Khalifa is the head of the State. Prime minister is the head of the government and is appointed by the Monarch. Cabinet has 23 members who are also appointed by the Monarch. The Monarchy is hereditary in Bahrain. Legislative Branch: Bicameral legislature which consists of the Consultative Council with 40 members, appointed by the King and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies with 40 members who are directly elected to serve four-year terms. Judiciary Branch: High Civil Appeals Court Legal System: It is based on Islamic law and English common law. Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal National Flag: Red in colour which is 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. National Anthem: Bahrainona; meaning Our Bahrain National Holiday: National Day, 16 December 1971 (15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK and 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection). Coat of Arm: Coat of Arm has a same design of the national flag which is located in the center of a shield. Laurels surround this shield. Economy: Oil and natural gas are the backbone of Bahrain’s economy. Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. It has become fastest growing economy in the Arab world and Freest economy in the Middle East. King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shi'a community and government is developing Bahrain’s traditional role as an internayional trading port. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain has become home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum and processing adds for some 60% of the government revenue, 60% of export earrings and 30% of the GDP. GDP Total: $12.12 billion (2006 est.) GDP Per capita: $25,300 (2006 est.) GDP Growth Rate: 7.6% (2006 est.) Export: Petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles Import: Crude oil, machinery, chemicals |