BAHRAIN
MARCH 25, 2009 BY RANG WHAM
| Introduction | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Background:
In 1783, the Sunni Al-Khalifa family took power in Bahrain. 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 become an international banking center. Bahrain's small size and central location among Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors.
The Sunni-led government has struggled to manage relations with its large Shia-majority population. In early 2011, amid Arab uprisings elsewhere in the region, the Bahraini Government confronted similar protests at home with police and military action, including deploying Gulf Cooperation Council security forces to Bahrain. Ongoing dissatisfaction with the political status quo has led to sporadic clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
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| Geography | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Location:
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
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Geographic coordinates:
26 00 N, 50 33 E
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Map references:
Middle East
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Area:
total: 760 sq km
land: 760 sq km water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Land boundaries:
0 km
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Coastline:
161 km
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Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined |
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Climate:
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
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Terrain:
mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
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Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m |
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Natural resources:
oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
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Land use:
agricultural land: 11.3%
arable land 2.1%; permanent crops 3.9%; permanent pasture 5.3% forest: 0.7% other: 88% (2011 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
40.15 sq km (2003)
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Total renewable water resources:
0.12 cu km (2011)
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.36 cu km/yr (50%/6%/45%)
per capita: 386 cu m/yr (2003) |
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Natural hazards:
periodic droughts; dust storms
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Environment - current issues:
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 oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater resources (groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs)
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Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Geography - note:
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
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| People | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Population:
1,346,613
note: immigrants make up almost 55% of the total population, according to UN data (2013) (July 2015 est.) |
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Age structure:
0-14 years: 19.48% (male 133,201/female 129,140)
15-24 years: 15.84% (male 120,073/female 93,182) 25-54 years: 56.13% (male 494,405/female 261,399) 55-64 years: 5.79% (male 50,466/female 27,501) 65 years and over: 2.77% (male 18,092/female 19,154) (2015 est.) |
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Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 31.4% youth dependency ratio: 28.2% elderly dependency ratio: 3.2% potential support ratio: 31.6% (2015 est.) |
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Median age:
total: 31.8 years
male: 33.3 years female: 29.1 years (2015 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
2.41% (2015 est.)
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Birth rate:
13.66 births/1,000 population (2015 est.)
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Death rate:
2.69 deaths/1,000 population (2015 est.)
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Net migration rate:
13.09 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2015 est.)
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Urbanization:
urban population: 88.8% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: 1.71% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.) |
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Major cities - population:
MANAMA (capital) 411,000 (2015)
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Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.29 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.89 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.84 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.54 male(s)/female (2015 est.) |
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Maternal mortality rate:
15 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
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Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.4 deaths/1,000 live births female: 8.26 deaths/1,000 live births (2015 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 78.73 years
male: 76.53 years female: 80.98 years (2015 est.) |
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Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2015 est.)
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Health expenditures:
4.9% of GDP (2013)
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Physicians density:
0.92 physicians/1,000 population (2012)
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Hospital bed density:
2.1 beds/1,000 population (2012)
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Drinking water source:
improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 100% of population total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0% of population (2015 est.) |
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Sanitation facility access:
improved: urban: 99.2% of population rural: 99.2% of population total: 99.2% of population unimproved: urban: 0.8% of population rural: 0.8% of population total 0.8% of population (2015 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
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Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
34.1% (2014)
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Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini |
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Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 46%, Asian 45.5%, other Arabs 4.7%, African 1.6%, European 1%, other 1.2% (includes Gulf Co-operative country nationals, North and South Americans, and Oceanians) (2010 est.)
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Religions:
Muslim 70.3%, Christian 14.5%, Hindu 9.8%, Buddhist 2.5%, Jewish 0.6%, folk religion <.1, unaffiliated 1.9%, other 0.2% (2010 est.)
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Languages:
Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu
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Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.7% male: 96.9% female: 93.5% (2015 est.) |
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Education expenditures:
2.7% of GDP (2012)
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| Government | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun, State of Bahrain note: the name means "The Two Seas" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago |
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Government type:
constitutional monarchy
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Capital:
name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern)
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor |
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Independence:
15 August 1971 (from the UK)
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National holiday:
National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection
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Constitution:
adopted 14 February 2002; amended 2012 (2015)
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Legal system:
mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
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International law organization participation:
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
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Citizenship:
birthright citizenship: no, unless the father was a citizen of Bahrain dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: 25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals |
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Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years
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Executive branch:
chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH (since 11 December 2006), KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa (since November 2010), MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa (since September 2005) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch |
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Legislative branch:
description: bicameral National Assembly consists of the Consultative Council or Majlis al Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king) and the Council of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in two rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms)
elections: Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 29 November 2014 (next in November 2018) election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Al-Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 2, Islamic Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 1, independent 36, other 1; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties |
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Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal note: the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointment and tenure NA subordinate courts: Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court |
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Political parties and leaders:
note: political parties are prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society or Al-Wefeq [Ali SALMAN] Arab Islamic Center Society [Abdulrahman AL-BAKER] Constitutional Gathering Society [Abdulrahman AL-BAKER] Islamic Asalah [Abd al-Halim MURAD] Islamic Saff Society [Abdullah Khalil BU GHAMAR] Islamic Shura Society Movement of National Justice Society [Muhi al-Din KHAN] National Action Charter Society [Muhammad AL-BUAYNAYN] National Democratic Action Society [Radhi AL-MOUSAWI] National Democratic Assembly [Hasan AL-ALI] National Dialogue Society National Fraternity Society [Musa AL-ANSARI] National Islamic Minbar [Ali AHMAD] National Progressive Tribune [Abd al-Nabi SALMAN] National Unity Gathering Unitary National Democratic Assemblage [Fadhil ABBAS] |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
none
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International organization participation:
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador ABDALLAH bin Muhammad bin Rashid Al Khalifa (since 3 December 2013)
chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador William V. ROEBUCK (since 12 December 2014)
embassy: Building mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1727-0547 |
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Flag description:
red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
note: until 2002 the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag |
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National symbol(s):
a red field surmounted by a white serrated band with five white points; national colors: red, white
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National anthem:
name: "Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain) lyrics/music: unknown note: adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom |
| Economy | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Economy - overview:
Bahrain has made great efforts to diversify its economy; its highly developed communication and transport facilities make Bahrain home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. As part of its diversification plans, Bahrain implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in August 2006, the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Bahrain's economy, however, continues to depend heavily on oil. In 2013, petroleum production and refining accounted for 73% of Bahrain's export receipts, 88% of government revenues, and 21% of GDP. Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil - finance, and construction. Bahrain continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. In 2011 Bahrain experienced economic setbacks as a result of domestic unrest, however, the economy recovered in 2012-14, partly as a result of improved tourism. Lower oil prices in 2015 will likely exacerbate Bahrain's budget deficit.
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GDP (purchasing power parity):
$62.17 billion (2014 est.)
$59.49 billion (2013 est.) $56.47 billion (2012 est.) note: data are in 2014 US dollars |
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GDP (official exchange rate):
$33.86 billion (2014 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
4.5% (2014 est.)
5.3% (2013 est.) 3.6% (2012 est.) |
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
$49,000 (2014 est.)
$46,900 (2013 est.) $44,500 (2012 est.) note: data are in 2014 US dollars |
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Gross national saving:
19.6% of GDP (2014 est.) 24.7% of GDP (2013 est.) 27.3% of GDP (2012 est.) |
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GDP - composition, by end use:
household consumption: 41% government consumption: 15.7% investment in fixed capital: 15.3% investment in inventories: 1% exports of goods and services: 71.2% imports of goods and services: -44.1% (2014 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 0.3%
industry: 47.1% services: 52.6% (2014 est.) |
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Labor force:
738,000
note: excludes unemployed; 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2014 est.) |
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Child labor - children ages 5-14:
total number: 5,530 percentage: 5% (2000 est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 1%
industry: 32% services: 67% (2004 est.) |
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Unemployment rate:
4.1% (2014 est.)
4.3% (2013 est.)
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Unemployment, youth ages 15-24:
total: 5% male: 2.5% female: 11.6% (2010 est.) |
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Population below poverty line:
NA%
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Budget:
revenues: $8.217 billion
expenditures: $9.427 billion (2014 est.) |
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Taxes and other revenues:
24.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
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Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-3.6% of GDP (2014 est.)
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Public debt:
42.1% of GDP (2014 est.)
41.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.7% (2014 est.)
3.3% (2013 est.)
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Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.88% (31 December 2014 est.)
5.93% (31 December 2013 est.)
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Stock of narrow money:
$7.996 billion (30 September 2014 est.)
$7.416 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
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Stock of broad money:
$25.95 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$24.36 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
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Stock of domestic credit:
$25.44 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$25.77 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
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Market value of publicly traded shares:
$22.1 billion (31 December 2014 est.) $18.57 billion (31 December 2013) $15.65 billion (31 December 2012 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
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Industries:
petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism
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Industrial production growth rate:
4.3% (2014 est.)
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Electricity - production:
13.26 billion kWh (2012 est.)
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Electricity - consumption:
11.69 billion kWh (2012 est.)
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Electricity - exports:
190 million kWh (2012 est.)
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Electricity - imports:
35 million kWh (2012 est.)
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Electricity - installed generating capacity:
3.94 million kW (2012 est.)
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Electricity - from fossil fuels:
99.9% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
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Electricity - from nuclear fuels:
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
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Electricity - from hydroelectric plants:
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
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Electricity - from other renewable sources:
0.1% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
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Oil - production:
49,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)
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Oil - exports:
152,600 bbl/day (2012 est.)
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Oil - imports:
243,300 bbl/day (2012 est.)
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Oil - proved reserves:
124.6 million bbl (1 January 2015 est.)
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Refined petroleum products - production:
278,500 bbl/day (2012 est.)
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Refined petroleum products - consumption:
50,000 bbl/day (2013 est.)
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Refined petroleum products - exports:
242,900 bbl/day (2012 est.)
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Refined petroleum products - imports:
2,357 bbl/day (2012 est.)
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Natural gas - production:
15.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
15.7 billion cu m (2013 est.)
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Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2013 est.)
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Natural gas - proved reserves:
92.03 billion cu m (1 January 2014 est.)
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Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy:
32.2 million Mt (2012 est.)
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Current account balance:
-$1.474 billion (2015 est.)
$1.123 billion (2014 est.)
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Exports:
$14.08 billion (2015 est.)
$20.75 billion (2014 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
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Exports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 3.3%, US 2.4%, UAE 2.2% (2014)
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Imports:
$8.791 billion (2015 est.)
$13.32 billion (2014 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
crude oil, machinery, chemicals
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Imports - partners:
Saudi Arabia 24%, Algeria 11.9%, China 8.2%, US 7%, Japan 5.7%, Australia 4.4% (2014)
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Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$5.051 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$6.049 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
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Debt - external:
$18.75 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$17.66 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$19.69 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$18.77 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
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Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$10.82 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$10.72 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
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Exchange rates:
Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2015 est.), 0.376 (2014 est.), 0.376 (2013 est.), 0.376 (2012 est.), 0.376 (2011 est.)
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Fiscal year:
calendar year
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| Communications | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
total subscriptions: 280,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 22 (2014 est.) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
total: 2.3 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 177 (2014 est.) |
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Telephone system:
general assessment: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile-cellular telephones international: country code - 973; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth station - 1 (2007) |
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Broadcast media:
state-run Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) operates 5 terrestrial TV networks and several radio stations; satellite TV systems provide access to international broadcasts; 1 private FM station directs broadcasts to Indian listeners; radio and TV broadcasts from countries in the region are available (2007)
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Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
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Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)
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Internet country code:
.bh
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Internet hosts:
47,727 (2012)
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Internet users:
total: 1.3 million percent of population: 96.5% (2014 est.) |
| Transportation | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Airports:
4 (2013)
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Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013) |
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Heliports:
1 (2013)
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Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 54 km (2013)
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Roadways:
total: 4,122 km
paved: 3,392 km unpaved: 730 km (2010) |
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Merchant marine:
total: 8
by type: bulk carrier 2, container 4, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 5 (Kuwait 5) registered in other countries: 5 (Honduras 5) (2010) |
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Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Mina' Salman, Sitrah |
| Military | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Force (BDF): Royal Bahraini Army (RBA), Royal Bahraini Navy (RBN), Royal Bahraini Air Force (RBAF), Royal Bahraini Air Defense Force (RBADF) (2013)
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Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service; 15 years of age for NCOs, technicians, and cadets; no conscription (2012)
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Military expenditures:
4.2% of GDP (2014) 4.1% of GDP (2013) 3.9% of GDP (2010) |
| Transnational Issues | Bahrain | Top of Page |
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Disputes-international:
none
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This page was last updated on 14 May 2009