Bahrain : Ask Biography

General information

Common name

Bahrain

Local name

مملكة البحرين
Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn

Name

مملكة البحرين
Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn

Anthem

Bahrainona

Capital

Manama

Largest city

capital

Official languages

Arabic

Demonym

Bahraini

Government

Government

Constitutional Monarchy

King

Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Crown Prince

Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

Prime Minister

Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa

Legislature

National Assembly of Bahrain

Independence

Independence

From Persia

1783

Termination of special treaty with the United Kingdom

15 August 1971

Geography

Total Area

290 sq mi (751.1 km2) (185th)

Water %

Demography

Population Est.

1,234,596 (155th)

Density (pop.)

1643.3/km² (7th) (4257.2/sq mi)

Economy

GDP PPP

$29.712 billion (2010)

GDP (PPP) per capita

$26,852

GDP (nominal)

$22.656 billion (2010)

GDP (nominal) per capita

$20,474

Other information

HDI

(+) 0.801 (2010) (very high) (39th)

Currency

Bahraini dinar (BHD)

Time zone

AST (UTC+3)

Drives on the

Right

Internet TLD

.bh

Calling code

973

Home | Country | Bahrain

( , al-Baḥrayn), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain ( , ), is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.

Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, the largest being Bahrain Island, at 55 km (34.2 mi) long by 18 km (11.2 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar and become the world's longest marine causeway.

Known for its oil and pearls, Bahrain is also home to many large structures, including the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour, with a proposal in place to build the 1022 m (3353 ft) high Murjan Tower. The Qal’at al-Bahrain (the harbour and capital of the ancient land of Dilmun) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit.