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The Kingdom of Bahrain, or Bahrain (formerly spelled
Bahrein), (Arabic: مملكة البحرين) is a borderless island
nation in the Persian Gulf (Southwest Asia/Middle East,
Asia). Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to
Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway (officially opened on
November 25, 1986), and Qatar is to the south across the
Persian Gulf. The Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge, currently
being planned, will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest
fixed link in the world.
Tourism
Main articles, Tourism in Bahrain and List of Bahrain's
tourist attractions
Bahrain has long been a popular tourist destination for
visitors from neighboring states, but growing awareness of
its rich heritage dating back five thousand years to the
Dilmun civilization means that the Kingdom is steadily
attracting visitors from further abroad.
Bahrain combines a modern infrastructure and comparatively
liberal society with an authentic Gulf experience making it
an ideal introduction to the Middle East. Tourist
attractions include historic sites such as the recently
UNESCO listed Qalat Al Bahrain castle and archaeological
complex, the tens of thousands of ancient Dilmun Burial
Mounds that dot the landscape, traditional Arab culture,
shopping in the Kingdom's malls and souks, and the
opportunity to relax in the many hotel beach resorts and
luxury spas.
The Kingdom is becoming increasingly popular with
celebrities: during a 2006 New Year break in Manama
controversial former Daily Mirror editor Piers Morgan told
the Telegraph that he found his "arch-enemies", TV presenter
Carol Vorderman and journalist Des Kelly, sharing the same
hotel swimming pool.
History
Main article: History of Bahrain
Bahrain has been populated by humans since prehistoric
times, and has even been proposed as the site of the
Biblical Garden of Eden.
Its strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule
and influence from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks,
Persians, and finally the Arabs, under whom the island
became Muslim. Bahrain was in the ancient times known as
Dilmun, Tylos (its Greek given name), Awal, as well as
Persian name Mishmahig when it came under of the imperial
rule of the Persian Empire.
The islands of Bahrain, positioned in the middle south of
the Persian Gulf, have attracted the attention of many
invaders in history. Bahrain, meaning "Two Seas" refers to
the fact that the islands contain the two sources of water,
sweet water springs and salty water in the surrounding seas.
A strategic position between East and West, fertile lands,
fresh water, and pearl diving made Bahrain a centre of urban
settlement throughout history. Some 2300 years BC, Bahrain
became a centre of one of the ancient empires trading
between Mesopotamia (now Iraq) and the Indus Valley (now the
region near India). This was the civilization of Delmon that
was linked to the Sumerian Civilization in the third
millennium BC. Bahrain became part of the Babylonian empire
about 600 BC. Historical records referred to Bahrain as the
"Life of Eternity", "Paradise", etc. Bahrain was also called
the "Pearl of the Persian Gulf".
Bahrain up until 1521 comprised the bigger region of Ahsa,
Qatif (both are now the eastern province of Saudi Arabia) as
well as Awal (now Bahrain Islands). The region stretched
from what is now Kuwait to Oman. This was Iqlim Al-Bahrain
(Province of Bahrain). In 1521, the Portuguese separated
Awal (now Bahrain) from the rest and since then the name of
Bahrain specifically referred to today's Bahrain.
Portuguese rule was followed by a period of control by the
Persian Empire. In the late 18th Century the Al-Khalifa
family invaded and captured the islands. In order to secure
Bahrain from Persian expansionism to the East, the Emirate
entered into a treaty relationship with Britain.
Oil was discovered in 1931 and brought rapid modernization
and improvements to Bahrain. It also made relations with
Britain closer, and this was evidenced by the British moving
more bases to the island nation. British influence would
continue to grow as the country developed, culminating with
the appointment of Charles Belgrave as an advisor; Belgrave
established modern education systems in Bahrain.
After World War II, increasing anti-British feeling spread
throughout the Arab world and led to riots in Bahrain. In
the 1960s, Britain put Bahrain's future to international
arbitration and requested that the United Nations General
Secretary take on this responsibility. In a plebiscite to
decide the country's future, the majority of the population
voted for independence and chose to reject the Iranian
Shah's long held claims to the country.
The British withdrew from Bahrain in August 1971, making it
an independent emirate. The oil boom of the 1980s greatly
benefitted Bahrain, but its downturn was not as badly felt,
and the economy was forced to diversify.
After 1979, Iran sought to export its revolution to the
region, and in 1981 orchestrated a failed coup attempt under
the auspices of a front organisation, the Islamic Front for
the Liberation of Bahrain. The coup would have installed an
Iranian based cleric, Hojjat ol-Eslam Hadi al-Modarresi, as
supreme leader heading a theocratic government.
In 1994 occurred a wave of rioting by disaffected Shi'a
Islamists due to what they perceived as injust actions by
the government. The Kingdom was badly affected by sporadic
violence during the mid-1990s in which over forty people
were killed.
In March 1999, Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah succeeded his
father as head of state and instituted elections for
parliament, gave women the right to vote and released many
political prisoners; moves described by Amnesty
International as representing an 'historic period for human
rights'. This provided the country with a great chance to
move forward, if somewhat falteringly[1], toward a political
consensus.
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Background:
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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. Possessing minimal oil
reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing
and refining, and has transformed itself into an
international banking center. The new amir,
installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political
reforms, and has worked to improve relations with
the Shi'a community. In February 2001, Bahraini
voters approved a referendum on the National Action
Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political
liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD
bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In local
elections held in May 2002, Bahraini women were
allowed to vote and run for office for the first
time. |
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Location:
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Middle East, archipelago in the
Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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26 00 N, 50 33 E |
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Map references:
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Middle East |
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Area:
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total: 665
sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 665 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
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Climate:
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arid; mild, pleasant winters; very
hot, humid summers |
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Terrain:
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mostly low desert plain rising gently
to low central escarpment |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini |
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Ethnic groups:
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Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab
10%, Iranian 8% |
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Religions:
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Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%
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Languages:
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Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
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Currency:
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Bahraini dinar (BHD) |
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Currency code:
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BHD |
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Exchange rates:
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Bahraini dinars per US dollar -
0.3760 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar)
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