Middle East :: Bahrain page last updated on November 29, 2011

Introduction ::Bahrain

Background: In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. 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. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. In addition, the Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its approximately 70% Shia-majority population. During the mid-to-late 1990s, Shia activists mounted a low-intensity uprising to demand that the Sunni-led government stop systemic economic, social, and political discrimination against Shia Bahrainis. King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa, after succeeding his late father in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms in part to improve relations with the Shia community. After boycotting the country's first round of democratic elections under the newlypromulgated constitution in 2002, Shia political societies participated in 2006 and 2010 in legislative and municipal elections and Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest bloc of seats in the elected lower-house of the legislature both times. Nevertheless, Shia discontent persisted, often manifesting itself in street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence. In early 2011, Bahrain's fractious opposition sought to ride a rising tide of popular Arab protests to petition for the redress of popular grievances. In mid-February, a vanguard of hardline activists who reject the legitimacy of the Al Khalifa regime and have sometimes instigated low-level violence - organized demonstrations in Shia neighborhoods demanding a new constitution, release of hundreds of Shia prisoners, and an end to discriminations in all sectors of society. Cycles of protestor deaths, funerals, and clashes with security forces ensued, escalating domestic tensions. The government's offers of modest political and economic concessions went nowhere as did the king's "national dialogue" with the opposition. In mid-March 2011, with the backing of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) capitals - especially Riyadh and Abu Dhabi - King HAMAD put an end to the mass public gatherings and increasingly disruptive demonstrations by declaring a state of emergency and authorizing the military to take all measures to "protect the safety of the country and its citizens." Manama also welcomed a contingent of mostly Saudi and Emirati forces as part of a GCC deployment intended to help Bahraini security forces maintain order. By mid-April security forces had largely relegated demonstrations to outlying Shia neighborhoods and villages, and negotiations between the government and opposition reached a stalemate. Manama exacted retribution against opposition groups and their supporters through mass firings, arrests, and sectarian incitement. In March, the Gulf Cooperation Council pledged $20 billion in financial aid to Bahrain and Oman over a 10-year period to assist the two nations in their struggle with Arab protests. In June, in an effort to salvage Bahrain's image and economy, King HAMAD lifted the state of emergency, offered to renew talks with opposition leaders, and formed an independent commission of experts from the legal community to investigate abuses during the February and March protests. The government held a byelection in September 2011 to fill 18 seats that were vacated earlier in the year when Wifaq withdrew from the National Assembly.

Geography ::Bahrain

Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E Map references: Middle East Area: total: 760 sq km country comparison to the world: 188 land: 760 sq km water: 0 sq km Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 161 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls Land use: arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005) Irrigated land: 40 sq km (2008) Total renewable water resources:

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%) per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000) Natural hazards: People and Society ::Bahrain periodic droughts; dust storms Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) Environment - current issues: adjective: Bahraini desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from Ethnic groups: oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census) freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs) Languages: Environment - international agreements: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands Religions: signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) Geography - note: Population: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean 1,214,705 country comparison to the world: 157 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2011 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 20.5% (male 126,313/female 122,359) 15-64 years: 77% (male 595,244/female 339,635) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 14,791/female 16,363) (2011 est.) Median age: total: 30.9 years male: 32.2 years female: 28.1 years (2011 est.) Population growth rate: 2.814% (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 15 Birth rate: 14.64 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 136 Death rate: 2.61 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 220 Net migration rate: 16.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 4 Urbanization: urban population: 89% of total population (2010) rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) Major cities - population: MANAMA (capital) 163,000 (2009)

at birth: 1.028 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2011 est.) Maternal mortality rate: 19 deaths/100,000 live births (2008) country comparison to the world: 127 Infant mortality rate: total: 10.43 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 146 male: 11.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 78.15 years country comparison to the world: 52 male: 76.03 years female: 80.33 years (2011 est.) Total fertility rate: 1.88 children born/woman (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 143 Health expenditures: 4.5% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 149 Physicians density: 1.442 physicians/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 83 Hospital bed density: 1.9 beds/1,000 population (2008) country comparison to the world: 105 Sanitation facility access: improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population (2008) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.) country comparison to the world: 95 HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: fewer than 600 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 148 HIV/AIDS - deaths: fewer than 200 (2003 est.) country comparison to the world: 107 Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2008)