:Bahrain Geography Total area: 620 km2 Land area: 620 km2 Comparative area: slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: none Coastline: 161 km Maritime claims: Continental shelf: not specific Territorial sea: 3 nm Disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops 2%; meadows and pastures 6%; forest and woodland 0%; other 90%, includes irrigated NEGL% Environment: subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification Note: 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 :Bahrain People Population: 551,513 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992) Birth rate: 27 births/1,000 population (1992) Death rate: 4 deaths/1,000 population (1992) Net migration rate: 7 migrants/1,000 population (1992) Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992) Life expectancy at birth: 70 years male, 75 years female (1992) Total fertility rate: 4.0 children born/woman (1992) Nationality: noun - Bahraini(s); adjective - Bahraini Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6% Religions: Muslim (Shi`a 70%, Sunni 30%) Languages: Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu Literacy: 77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.) Labor force: 140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982) Organized labor: General Committee for Bahrain Workers exists in only eight major designated companies :Bahrain Government Long-form name: State of Bahrain Type: traditional monarchy Capital: Manama Administrative divisions: 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 Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK) Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973 Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December Executive branch: amir, crown prince and heir apparent, prime minister, Cabinet Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court Leaders: 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) Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active Suffrage: none Elections: none Member of: 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 Diplomatic representation: 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 Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the hoist side :Bahrain Economy Overview: 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. GDP: exchange rate conversion - $4.0 billion, per capita $7,500 (1990); real growth rate 6.7% (1988) Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.5% (1989) Unemployment rate: 8-10% (1989) Budget: revenues $1.2 billion; expenditures $1.32 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1989) Exports: $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% Imports: $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 41%, US 23%, Japan 8%, UK 8% External debt: $1.1 billion (December 1989 est.) Industrial production: growth rate 3.8% (1988); accounts for 44% of GDP Electricity: 3,600,000 kW capacity; 10,500 million kWh produced, 21,000 kWh per capita (1991) Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing Agriculture: 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 Economic aid: 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 Currency: Bahraini dinar (plural - dinars); 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate) Fiscal year: calendar year :Bahrain Communications Highways: 200 km bituminous surfaced, including 25 km bridge-causeway to Saudi Arabia opened in November 1986; NA km natural surface tracks Pipelines: crude oil 56 km; petroleum products 16 km; natural gas 32 km Ports: Mina' Salman, Manama, Sitrah Merchant marine: 9 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 186,367 GRT/249,441 DWT; includes 5 cargo, 2 container, 1 liquefied gas, 1 bulk Civil air: 27 major transport aircraft Airports: 3 total, 3 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 2 with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m Telecommunications: 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 :Bahrain Defense Forces Branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense, Police Force Manpower availability: males 15-49, 190,937; 105,857 fit for military service Defense expenditures: exchange rate conversion - $194 million, 6% of GDP (1990)