590,042 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 31% (male 92,455; female 89,554)
15–64 years: 67% (male 236,048; female 156,556)
65 years and over: 2% (male 7,956; female 7,473) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.27% (1996 est.)
Birth rate: 23.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate: 3.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate: 2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.33 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.27 years male: 71.78 years female: 76.83 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini
Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%
Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.)
total population: 85.2%
male: 89.1%
female: 79.4%
Government—————
Name of country: conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn
Data code: BA
Type of government: traditional monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative divisions: 12 municipalites (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, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah; note - all municipalities administered from Manama
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1971)
Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973
Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law
Suffrage: none
Executive branch:
chief of state: Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November
1961) is a traditional Arab monarch; Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin
Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1949)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa
(since 19 January 1970) was appointed by the amir
cabinet: Cabinet was appointed by the amir
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26
August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet;
appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992
Judicial branch: High Civil Appeals Court
Political parties and leaders: political parties prohibited
Other political or pressure groups: several small, clandestine
leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active; following the
arrest of a popular Shi'a cleric, Shi'a activists fomented unrest
sporadically from late 1994 to September 1995, demanding the return
of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment
International organization participation: ABEDA, AFESD, AL, AMF,
ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDB, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM,
OAPEC, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WTrO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad ABD AL-GHAFFAR al-Abdallah chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342–0741, 342–0742 FAX: [1] (202) 362–2192 consulate(s) general: New York
US diplomatic representation: chief of mission: Ambassador David M. RANSOM embassy: Building No. 979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Zinj District, Manama mailing address: FPO AE 09834–5100; P.O. Box 26431, Manama (International Mail) telephone: [973] 273–300 FAX: [973] 272–594
Flag: red with a white serrated band (eight white points) on the
hoist side
Economy———
Economic overview: In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Gulf crisis of 1990–91. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $7.3 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate: −2% (1995 est.)
GDP per capita: $12,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector: agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (1995 est.)
Labor force: 140,000 by occupation: industry and commerce 85%, agriculture 5%, services 5%, government 3% (1982) note: 42% of labor force is Bahraini
Unemployment rate: 25% (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $1.38 billion
expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)
Industries: petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting,
offshore banking, ship repairing
Industrial production growth rate: 13% (1992)
Electricity: capacity: 1,050,000 kW production: 3.3 billion kWh consumption per capita: 5,453 kWh (1993)
Agriculture: fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Exports: $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.) commodities: petroleum and petroleum products 80%, aluminum 7% partners: India 20%, Japan 14%, Saudi Arabia 7%, US 6%, UAE 5% (1994)
Imports: $3.29 billion (c.i.f., 1995 est.) commodities: nonoil 59%, crude oil 41% partners: Saudi Arabia 37%, US 12%, UK 6%, Japan 5%, Germany 4% (1994)
External debt: $2.6 billion (1993)
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange rates: Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Transportation———————