Bahrain. Kingdom of Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain is located on islands in the southwest part of the Persian Gulf, between the coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatar Peninsula. The largest of the islands is Bahrain (586.5 km²), and the second largest is Muharraq (20.8 km²). The total area of all the islands is 703.6 km². The island of Bahrain is connected to the coast of Saudi Arabia by a 26-km causeway-bridge. The capital is Manama, and major cities include Muharraq, Riffa, and Isa. The population is about 700,000, of which 60.8% are native Bahrainis, while the rest are foreigners from other Arab countries, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The annual growth rate of the native population is 2.9%, while among immigrants it is 4.8%.
The official language is Arabic. English is widely spoken and holds a dominant position in business. The state religion is Islam (60% Shia and 25% Sunni), which is practiced by 85% of the population, including foreigners. Adherents of Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism make up 15% of the country's population. The currency is the Bahraini dinar = 1000 fils.
Bahrain has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR on September 29, 1990).
The national holiday is December 16 — the Day of the Ascension to the Throne of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy. The constitution (adopted on November 14, 2002) grants extensive powers to the king.
The executive power is held by the Council of Ministers. The chairman of the Council of Ministers is appointed by the king's decree. Key positions (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, and several others) are held by members of the ruling family. Legislative power is exercised by the king and a parliament consisting of two chambers.
The Consultative Council (upper chamber) is an advisory body with the right to develop recommendations on draft laws that are developed and submitted for approval to the head of state by the Council of Ministers. The chamber is incompetent to discuss issues of defense, security, and finance. Members of the Consultative Council (40 people, including the chairman) are appointed by the king's decree. The term of office is 4 years. The Council of Representatives (lower chamber) is elected by direct universal suffrage. The highest judicial authority is the Constitutional Court, whose independence is guaranteed by the constitution of the country. The Prime Minister since 1971 has been Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
The activities of political parties and trade unions are prohibited.
In the 16th century, the Bahrain Islands were captured by Portugal, and in the 17th century by Iran. From the beginning of the 19th century, Britain began to penetrate Bahrain. In 1871, it was officially declared a British protectorate. In 1934, a "new status" for Bahrain was established, according to which it was not part of the British Empire but was connected to it by a "special alliance treaty."
On August 14, 1971, Bahrain was proclaimed an independent state. In 2001, a territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar over the Hawar archipelago (14 islands) was resolved by a decision of the International Court in The Hague, which both sides agreed to. Bahrain advocates disarmament (joined the convention on the prohibition of chemical and biological weapons), the establishment of a new international order, supports efforts aimed at a comprehensive resolution of the Middle Eastern conflict, the establishment of lasting peace in the Persian Gulf region, and opposes international terrorism. It has close ties with Western countries, especially the USA.
Bahrain is a member of the UN (since 1971), the League of Arab States (since 1971), and a participant in the Non-Aligned Movement. In 1981, along with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE, it joined the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The GDP volume in 2004 was $8.13 billion. The economy is primarily based on oil and gas. In 2004, oil production amounted to 87.5 million barrels (13.72 million barrels from the Bahraini field; 73.8 million barrels from the joint Saudi Arabian shelf of Abu Safa), and gas production was 11.5 billion m³. In 2004, 92.3 million barrels of petroleum products were produced. The oil sector of the economy provides about 75% of government budget revenues. There is a large oil refinery (with a capacity of 14 million tons of petroleum products per year) and a petrochemical plant, primarily working on oil supplied via pipeline from Saudi Arabia. The existing facilities produced 533,000 tons of aluminum (2004).
The country has one of the largest dry docks in the world for repairing supertankers with a displacement of up to 500,000 tons. Industrial enterprises have been established for the production of drilling equipment, aluminum, plastic, and paint products, pipes, liquid oxygen, air conditioning assembly, etc. A complex for the production of butane and propane from associated gas with a capacity of 280,000 tons per year is operational. The state energy system has a total installed capacity of 1276 MW. It consists of 5 gas-fired power plants and 1 diesel power station.
Agriculture is poorly developed, accounting for about 1% of GNP. Only 4.2% of the country's territory is suitable for agricultural use. Vegetables, dates, citrus fruits, and grapes are grown. Self-sufficiency in agricultural products is about 20%. The main food needs are met through imports. Fishing is well developed: fishing for fish and shrimp.
Bahrain is a leading banking center in the region. There are 339 financial banks in the country, as well as financial and insurance companies. Of the 38 Islamic banks operating in the GCC countries, 26 are located in Bahrain.
The total volume of trade in 2004 amounted to about $14 billion with a positive trade balance of $1 billion. The oil share in exports and imports is 74% and 42%, respectively. Along with petroleum products, aluminum is the main item of Bahrain's exports. Imports consist of oil and petroleum products, machinery and electrical equipment, and products from the chemical and textile industries. Leading trading partners include Saudi Arabia, the UK, the USA, Japan, Germany, and Australia.
The private sector is expected to play a key role as the main guarantor of future economic growth. Government programs place significant emphasis on creating the necessary conditions to attract foreign investment to the country, efforts to reduce the budget deficit, further development of the industrial base and tourism, and strengthening Bahrain's position as a center for banking services in the region.
Bahrain is an important communication hub. The main ports are Manama, Sitra, and Sulman. Bahrain International Airport handles over 3 million passengers and 40,000 tons of cargo annually. There is a modern dry cargo port. Communication between the main islands is carried out via causeways.
Bahrain hosts the largest radio station in the Persian Gulf region, as well as a telex and telephone communication station via artificial satellites. A highly developed international telecommunications system provides automatic telephone communication with more than 160 countries.
Bahrainis receive free education. The literacy rate among the adult population exceeds 85%. The country's universities include the University of Bahrain and the Arab Gulf University. Many Bahrainis prefer to study abroad, mainly in Western countries.
Three daily newspapers are published in Arabic and two in English, as well as a number of socio-political weekly publications, tourist information, and professional magazines. Television is highly developed, broadcasting programs from the BBC, CNN, the Egyptian satellite channel, and a pan-Arab program from London.