Bahrain: Background & Geography

Introduction Bahrain
Background:
 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. Facing declining 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 October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.
Geography Bahrain
Location:
 Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Geographic coordinates:
 26 00 N, 50 33 E
Map references:
 Middle East
Area:
 total: 665 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 665 sq km
Area - comparative:
 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
 0 km
Coastline:
 161 km
Maritime claims - as described in UNCLOS 1982 (see Notes and Definitions):
 territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
contiguous zone: 24 NM
Climate:
 arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Terrain:
 mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Natural resources:
 oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Land use:
 arable land: 4.35%
permanent crops: 4.35%
other: 91.3% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
 50 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
 periodic droughts; dust storms
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
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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

See Also: