Bahrain (/bɑːˈreɪn/ⓘbah-RAYN, /bæxˈreɪn/; Arabic: البحرين, romanized: al-Baḥrayn, locally [ælbɑħˈreːn]ⓘ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain,[a] is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals.[2] Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi),[13] and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore.[14] The capital and largest city is Manama.
Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization.[15] It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century.[16] Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim.
In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom.[17] In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a constitutional monarchy in 2002.
Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf,[18] the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors;[19] many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council.[20] Bahrain is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.[21][22]
^"Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain (Issued in 2002) and Its Amendments (Issued in 2012)" (PDF). National Institution for Human Rights. National Institute for Human Rights. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
^ abc"Bahrain 2020 Census". Information and eGovernment Authority. 28 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
^Bahrain Country Study Library of Congress
^Cite error: The named reference pew was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Bahrain ends special pact". The Straits Times. 15 August 1971.
^Cite error: The named reference CIA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Facts & Figures". data.gov.bh. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
^"World Population Prospects 2022". United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
^"World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
^ abcd"World Economic Outlook Database, October 2023 Edition. (Bahrain)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
^"Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
^"Area of Bahrain Expands to 765.3 square kilometres". Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
^Oman: The Lost Land Archived 6 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Saudi Aramco World. Retrieved on 7 November 2016.
^EB (1878).
^"The history of British involvement in Bahrain's internal security". openDemocracy. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
^"Bahrain: Reform-Promise and Reality" (PDF). J.E. Peterson. p. 157.
^"Bahrain's economy praised for diversity and sustainability". Bahrain Economic Development Board. Archived from the original on 28 December 2010. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
^"Bahrain". IMUNA | NHSMUN | Model UN. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
^"Shanghai Cooperation Organisation". eng.sectsco.org. Archived from the original on 16 August 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
^"Bahrain granted the status of SCO dialogue partner". bna.bh/en/. 15 July 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
Bahrain (/bɑːˈreɪn/ bah-RAYN, /bæxˈreɪn/; Arabic: البحرين, romanized: al-Baḥrayn, locally [æl bɑħˈreːn] ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island...
the Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: ملك مملكة البحرين Malik Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn) is the monarch and head of state of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The House of Khalifa...
The economy of Bahrain is heavily dependent upon oil and gas. The Bahraini Dinar is the second-highest-valued currency unit in the world. Since the late...
The Bahrain national football team (Arabic: منتخب الْبَحرَيْن لِكُرَّةُ الْقَدَم) represents Bahrain in international football and is controlled by the...
Bahrain International Airport (IATA: BAH, ICAO: OBBI) (Arabic: مطار البحرين الدولي, romanized: Maṭār al-Baḥrayn al-dwalī) is the international airport...
The Bahrain Grand Prix (Arabic: جائزة البحرين الكبرى), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor...
The demographics of the population of Bahrain includes population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious...
stc Bahrain (previously VIVA Bahrain) is a telecommunications company based in Bahrain. It is owned by the Saudi Telecom Company (stc Group) and started...
The national flag of Bahrain (Arabic: عَلَم الْبَحرَيْن, romanized: Alem el-Bahreyn) consists of a white band on the left, separated from a red area on...
Bahrani pronunciation: [elmɐˈnɑːmɐ]) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 200,000 as of 2020. Long an important...
In Bahrain, the king directly appoints the prime minister, who is the country's head of government. The constitution doesn't require the prime minister...
Eastern Arabia (Bahrain) (Arabic: ٱلْبَحْرَيْن, romanized: Al-Baḥrayn), is a region stretched from Basra to Khasab along the Persian Gulf coast and included...
Khalīfa; born 28 January 1950) is King of Bahrain since 14 February 2002, after ruling as Emir of Bahrain from 6 March 1999. He is the son of Isa bin...
خليفة, romanized: Āl Khalīfah) is the ruling family of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Al Khalifas profess Sunni Islam and belong to the Anizah tribe. Some...
The Bahrain Defence Force (Arabic: قوة دفاع البحرين, abbreviated BDF) is the military force of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Bahrain Defence Force is under...
The Bahrain Bourse, also called the Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE), is the stock exchange of Bahrain. As at 2017, 42 companies were listed on the exchange...
1969) is Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. He is also the deputy supreme commander of the Bahrain Defence Force. Prince Salman is the eldest...
The 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2024) was a Formula One motor race held on 2 March 2024 at the...
Events in the year 2024 in Bahrain. 11–25 January – 2024 Asian Men's Handball Championship Source: 1 January - New Year's Day 10–12 April – Eid al-Fitr...
Bab Al Bahrain (Arabic: باب البحرين, translitered Bāb al-Baḥrayn meaning Gateway of Bahrain) is a historical building located in the Customs Square in...
The Kingdom of Bahrain consists of Bahrain Island and 33 of the 37 Bahrain Islands, lying in the Persian Gulf's Gulf of Bahrain off the north shore of...
Bahrain is divided into four Governorates: the Capital, Northern, Southern and Muharraq. Until September 2014, there were five, when the Central Governorate...
بحريني Dīnār Baḥrēnī) (sign: .د.ب or BD; code: BHD) is the currency of Bahrain. It is divided into 1000 fils (فلس). The Bahraini dinar is abbreviated...
Bahrain was a central location of the ancient Dilmun civilization. Bahrain's strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from...
Bahrain's record on human rights has been described by Human Rights Watch as "dismal", and having "deteriorated sharply in the latter half of 2010". Their...
championships. Prior to Thursday's two practice sessions at the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix, updated rules were introduced to discourage drivers from driving...
The 2011 Bahraini uprising was a series of anti-government protests in Bahrain led by the Shia-dominant and some Sunni minority Bahraini opposition from...
The Ajam of Bahrain (Arabic: عجم البحرین), also known as Persian Bahrainis or Iranian Bahrainis, are an ethnic group in Bahrain composed of Bahraini citizens...
This is a list of cities and towns in Bahrain with listed governorates: Manama – 436,000 Riffa – 195,606 Muharraq – 176,583 Hamad Town – 57,000 A'ali...