Bahrain

Kingdom of Bahrain

National Name: Mamlakat al Bahrayn

King: Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah (1999)

Prime Minister: Khalifah ibn Sulman al-Khalifah (1970)

Total area: 257 sq mi (665 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 698,585 (growth rate: 1.5%); birth rate: 17.8/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.8/1000; life expectancy: 74.5; density per sq mi: 2,923

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Al-Manámah, 527,000 (metro area), 149,900 (city proper)

Monetary unit: Bahrain dinar

Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Ethnicity/race: Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001)

Religion: Islam (Shiite and Sunni) 81%, Christian 9%

Literacy rate: 89% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est): $14.11 billion; per capita $20,500. Real growth rate: 5.9%. Inflation: 2.7%. Unemployment: 15%. Arable land: 2.82%. Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish. Labor force: 380,000; note: 44% of the population in the 15–64 age group is non-national; agriculture 1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997 est.). Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing, tourism. Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls. Exports: $11.17 billion (2005 est.): petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles. Imports: $7.83 billion (2005 est.): crude oil, machinery, chemicals. Major trading partners: Saudi Arabia, U.S., UAE, Japan, Germany, UK, France (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 191,600 (2004); mobile cellular: 649,800 (2004). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998). Television broadcast stations: 4 (1997). Internet hosts: 1,952 (2005). Internet users: 152,700 (2005).

Transportation: Railways: 0 km. Highways: total: 3,498 km; paved: 2,768 km; unpaved: 730 km (2003). Ports and harbors: Mina' Salman, Sitrah. Airports: 3 (2005).

International disputes: none.

 

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