Bahrain: An Asian Country? Exploring Geography And Culture

Bahrain is an island country in the Middle East, located in the Persian Gulf. It is an archipelago of around 30 islands, including the largest, Bahrain Island, and is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway. The country is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Khalifa family since 1783, and gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. Bahrain has a population of around 1.5 million people, with a diverse range of ethnic groups, including Bahrainis, Asians, and Arabs. The country has a rich history, with its Dilmun civilization, and is known for its date palms, camels, and archaeological sites. It has a mixed economy, with oil and natural gas playing a significant role, but it has diversified into other sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and finance. Bahrain is also known for its cultural and religious aspects, with Islam influencing customs and traditions, and Arabic being the main language.

Bahrain's location and neighbours

Bahrain is an island country in the Middle East, located in the Persian Gulf. It is an archipelago of 33 islands, including the largest one, Bahrain Island. The country is situated east of Saudi Arabia, with which it shares maritime borders, and north of Qatar, with Iran lying 124 nautical miles to the north. The King Fahd Causeway, a series of bridges and causeways, connects Bahrain with Saudi Arabia. The country covers an area of 780 sq km, with a population of 1.58 million people, including more than 800,000 non-nationals. The capital and largest city is Manama, located on Bahrain Island, the most densely populated area.

Bahrain has a mixed economy, with government control of many basic industries. Petroleum and natural gas are the only significant natural resources, with oil comprising 80-85% of Bahraini budget revenues. Bahrain was one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil and build a refinery, but production has never reached the same levels as its neighbours, so the country has had to diversify its economy. Other major economic activities include the production of aluminium, finance, and construction.

Bahrain has a constitutional hereditary monarchy, ruled by the Sunni Khalifa family since the 18th century. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. The divide between the Shia majority and the Sunni rulers has led to long-running tension, which has occasionally boiled over into civil disobedience.

The country's population and demographics

Bahrain is a small country with a population of around 1.5 million people, including a large number of non-nationals, who make up over half of the population. The population density is 2115 people per square kilometre, and the median age is 33.2 years.

Bahrain is an ethnically diverse country, with a Financial Times article from 1983 identifying at least eight or nine communities on the island. These include descendants of Africans, Lurs, Achomis, indigenous Bahrainis, Indians, Jews, Sunni Arabs from Persia, and urbanised Sunni Bahrainis of Bedouin ancestry.

The country is predominantly Muslim, with around 70% of the population following the Shia branch of Islam and 30% following the Sunni branch. There are also small Christian, Jewish, and Hindu communities, collectively making up around 0.2% of the population.

The population is mostly urban, with the majority concentrated in the two principal cities, Manama and Al Muharraq. Bahrain Island is the most densely populated area, with over two-thirds of the country's residents living there.

Bahrain has a growing, economically diverse, middle-income island economy. It has a mixed economy, with government control of many basic industries, and has traditionally relied heavily on oil and gas, which still bring in around 80% of the country's revenues. However, Bahrain has begun to diversify its economy and turn towards tourism, agriculture, and other financial ventures.

The official language of Bahrain is Arabic, spoken by around half of the population. Other widely spoken languages include English, Farsi, and Urdu.

The Bahraini government and monarchy

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the House of Khalifa since the 18th century. The Sunni Khalifa family rules over a Shia majority population. The chief of state is the king, and the head of government is the prime minister. The current ruler is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who ascended the throne in 1999. He has since introduced democratic reforms, including granting women the right to vote and freeing all political prisoners.

The Bahraini government is appointed by the king, and the parliament is a bicameral legislature. The Council of Representatives is the lower house, with 40 members elected by universal suffrage. The upper house is the Consultative Council, also known as the Shura Council, with 40 members appointed directly by the king.

The Bahraini government has close relations with the United States, signing a cooperative agreement with the United States Military and providing a base for the US Navy since the early 1990s. Bahrain is also a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council and has established bilateral relations with 190 countries worldwide.

The economy and natural resources

Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf, located off the east coast of Saudi Arabia. It is one of the smallest nations in Asia, covering an area of roughly 300 square miles. Despite its small size, Bahrain's economy is one of the strongest in the world.

Natural Resources

Bahrain's economy is driven by sectors that utilize the country's limited natural resources. The most critical natural resources in Bahrain are fossil fuels, particularly oil and natural gas. Oil and gas play a dominant role in Bahrain’s economy, with oil comprising 85% of Bahraini budget revenues. Bahrain was the first country in the region to discover crude oil, in 1932, and refinery operations began in 1936. At the end of 2012, its proven reserves of crude oil were estimated to be 120 million barrels, while its reserves of natural gas were estimated to be approximately 92 billion cubic meters.

Bahrain has other natural resources, including arable land and minerals such as aluminum. Historically, arable land was one of the most critical natural resources, with close to 25 square miles of Bahraini territory dedicated to agriculture during the colonial period. After gaining independence, the area devoted to agriculture reduced significantly to roughly 6 square miles. Bahrain has always tried to achieve self-sufficiency in its agricultural and livestock productions. According to 2008 statistics, its estimated self-sufficiency in dates was more than 96%, in fish 90%, in white meat 21%, in eggs 43%, in milk and dairy products 41%, in vegetables 19%, and in green fodder 85%.

Economy

Bahrain has a mixed economy, with government control of many basic industries. Due to its limited oil reserves, Bahrain has worked to diversify its economy and has invested heavily in the banking and tourism sectors. Bahrain's finance industry is very successful, with the country being named the world's fastest-growing financial center by the City of London's Global Financial Centres Index in 2008. Bahrain's banking and financial services sector, particularly Islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil.

Petroleum is Bahrain's most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. Aluminum is the second most exported product, followed by finance and construction materials. Bahrain's other industries include Aluminum Bahrain, which operates the largest aluminum smelter in the world, and the Bahrain National Gas Company, which operates a gas liquefaction plant.

Bahrain's currency, the Bahraini Dinar, is the second-highest-valued currency unit in the world. There is no personal income tax in Bahrain, and the country has been recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy. According to the 2020 edition of the Index of Economic Freedom, Bahrain has the fourth-freest economy in the Middle East and North Africa region and is the 40th-freest economy in the world.

Climate, geography, and environment

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, mostly desert, located in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The country is situated in the Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf, off the north shore of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia. Manama, the capital of Bahrain, lies on Bahrain Island, the largest island in the archipelago, which accounts for about 78% of the kingdom's land area. The second-largest island is Hawar, followed by Nabih Saleh, Jidda Island, and Umm as Sabaan. The total area of Bahrain is about 694 square kilometres (268 sq mi), with a population of around 1.3 million people.

The geography of Bahrain is characterised by low-lying, barren desert landscapes with outcroppings of limestone forming low rolling hills, cliffs, and shallow ravines. The limestone is covered by varying densities of saline sand, capable of supporting only the hardiest desert vegetation, such as thorn trees and scrub. There is a fertile strip about five kilometres wide along the northern coast where date, almond, fig, and pomegranate trees grow. The interior of Bahrain Island contains an escarpment that rises to 134 meters at Jabal al Dukhan (Mountain of Smoke), named for the mists that often surround its summit. Most of the country's oil wells are located near Jabal al Dukhan.

Bahrain has an arid climate with two distinct seasons: an extremely hot summer and a relatively mild winter. During the summer months, from April to October, temperatures can reach 50°C, and the combination of intense heat and high humidity makes this season uncomfortable. Summer temperatures average 40 °C (104 °F) and can reach 46 °C (114.8 °F) in May, June, and July. Strong southwest winds, known as qaws, periodically blow sand clouds across the southern end of Bahrain toward Manama during the summer.

The winter months, from November to March, bring milder temperatures ranging from 10°C to 20°C. However, the humidity often rises above 90% during this season. From December to March, northwest winds known as the shamal bring damp air over the islands. Bahrain receives minimal precipitation, with an average annual rainfall of 70-72 millimeters, usually confined to the winter months. The winter rains tend to fall in brief, intense downpours, causing flash floods in the shallow wadis.

Bahrain faces several environmental challenges, including desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periodic droughts, and dust storms. The country also experiences coastal degradation due to oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations. Additionally, the lack of freshwater resources is a significant issue, as groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water needs.

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