General Information:

Capital: Al-Man amah

Area: 239.38 sq mi

Population: 645,361

GNP: IRR8,652,475 million

GNP per capita: IRR13,405,984

Density: 2,695.93 inch / sq mi

Ethnic groups  Bahraini  63 %, Asian  19 %, other Arab  10 %, Iranian  8 %

Religions Shi'a Muslim  70 %, Sunni Muslim  30 %

Languages        Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy: definition   age 15 and over can read and write

Literacy: total population 85.20 %

Literacy: male  89.10 %

Literacy: female        79.40 %

Head of Government: Prime Minister

National Holiday:  16^th December (1971)

Bahrain was once part of the ancient civilization of Dilmun and served as an important link in trade routes between Sumeria and the Indus Valley as long as 5,000 years ago. The archipelago was also mentioned by Persian, Greek and Roman geographers and historians. The area was conquered in the 7th century by the Muslims and has remained Arab and Muslim since then, though it was ruled by the Portuguese from 1521 to 1602 and by the Persians from 1602 to 1783. Since the late 18th century, Bahrain has been governed by the Al Khalifa family, which created close ties to Britain by signing the General Treaty of Peace in 1820. A binding treaty of protection, known as the Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship, was concluded in 1861 and further revised in 1892 and 1951. This treaty was similar to those entered into by the British Government with the other Persian Gulf principalities. It specified that the ruler could not dispose of any of his territory except to the United Kingdom and could not enter into relationships with any foreign government other than the United Kingdom without British consent. The British promised to protect Bahrain from all aggression by sea and to lend support in case of land attack. After World War II, Bahrain became the center for British administration of treaty obligations in the lower Persian Gulf. In 1968, when the British Government announced its decision (reaffirmed in March 1971) to end the treaty relationships with the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Bahrain joined the other eight states (Qatar and the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms, which are now called the United Arab Emirates) under British protection in an effort to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, however, the nine sheikhdoms still had not agreed on terms of union. Accordingly, Bahrain sought independence as a separate entity and became fully independent on August 15, 1971, as the State of Bahrain.

In Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil revenue granted as aid. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.