The state of Bahrain was founded in the Persian Gulf, in the southwestern part of Asia. The country consists of 33 islands, of which only 5 are inhabited. These include Bahrain with an area of 578 square meters. km, Sitra - 9.5, Muharraq - 14, Havra - 41, Umm-Naasan - 19 square kilometers. All of them are located in the southwest relative to Saudi Arabia. The total area of the state of Bahrain, whose capital is the city of Manama, is approximately 695 square kilometers. The population of the country according to 2012 is more than 1 million 200 thousand. The population density is about 2,000 people per kilometer square. The highest point in Bahrain is Jebel Dukan - a mountain with a height of 134 meters above sea level. The official language of the country is Arabic, religion is Islam. Bahraini currency is dinar. The main holiday of the country is National Day, celebrated annually since 1971 on December 16. The national anthem of Bahrain is called "Long live the emir!"
Bahrain flag: symbolism and meaning
The flag of the state of Bahrain consists of a red cloth on which there is a vertical white stripe at the edge on the left side. At the junction of the two colors, there are five triangles forming a zigzag line. They are symbols of the pillars of Islam. Presumably the red color is the personification of the Kharijit sect. The modern version of the flag was approved in 2002, February 14. This happened after the proclamation of the ruler of the country of Bahrain by its emir. The state gained independence after the withdrawal of British troops from it in 1971. The flag of Bahrain has become the occasion for the creation of many laws. According to one of them, this symbol of the state is forbidden to be used in any way (for example, placed on transport), except for official use by the government. You can not use the flag for commercial purposes.
Bahrain's main city
Few people know about a metropolis called Manama. What country is this city? It is located on the island of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Persian Gulf. This is the capital of Bahrain. Al-Fateh Mosque, called one of the largest in the world, was built in the city. It accommodates about 7000 people. The dome of the mosque weighs 60 tons and is made of molded fiberglass.
The city of Manama is spread out on dry and deserted lands. Bahrain has a climate that combines the attributes of subtropics. The air temperature in the capital of the country ranges from +17 ° C in January to +38 ° C in July. On average, about 90 millimeters of precipitation falls in Manama during the year. The rainy period in the city lasts from December to February inclusive. The rest of the year in Manama is a dry season, dust storms occur. Occasionally, precipitation is observed in March, April, November in the state of Bahrain. The capital is one of its five provinces.
Religion of the inhabitants of the capital
The majority of the population of Manama (over 80%) professes Islam. Manama is the capital of the state, in which about half of Muslims are Shiite in faith, the rest are Sunni. Also among the population of the city there are Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and adherents of Zoroastrianism. The minority, consisting of Sunnis, include members of the royal family.
Bahrain nature
The island of Bahrain, whose photo is attached to the article, is the largest in the whole state. It has a length of 15 kilometers from east to west and 50 from south to north. In the center of the island there is a low plateau made of limestone. In some of its places there are separate so-called mountains with a height of 100 to 130 meters above sea level. The highest of them is Jebel Dukan. The coast of the island consists of a strip of sandy beaches. They are occasionally interrupted by places where the bedrock emerges. Coral reefs are located along the coastline north of Bahrain, the islands of which have a flat surface and rise only a few meters above sea level.
Availability of fresh water on the island
On large separate land areas there are fresh underground water outlets on the surface. It flows down oblique rocks in the direction of the Persian Gulf. In the area along the coastline, fresh water keys are also beating. They are sent to the pipeline for use in the household.
Climate of bahrain
The Arab state of Bahrain has an arid tropical climate with relatively cool winters and humid summers. In January, the average temperature fluctuates around +16 ° , in July-August + 37 ° . The islands of Bahrain suffer from drought and dust storms from time to time. There are no rivers on them; desert landscapes prevail. The average rainfall in the state is 90 mm. Every year the area of deserts increases. This happens due to the degradation of those lands that are cultivated. Drought-resistant plants such as camel thorn, saxaul, astragalus, hodgepodge, wormwood, tamarix (comb) and others grow in the desert. Some areas are famous for artificially created plantings of Arabian acacia. In those places where water comes to the surface of the soil, oases with date palms are located.
The fauna of the country of Bahrain
Bahrain is a country whose fauna is rather poor. It is dominated by reptiles, rodents and birds. In order to restore the populations of the Arabian gazelle, mammals of the barnacle family (oryx and tar), in 1976, the El-Arein reserve was created. As for fish, in the coastal waters of the islands of the country of Bahrain there are about 400 species, including commercial ones. The most common sea turtles. An abundance of shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mollusks (pearl mussel also belongs to them) can be found in reefs formed from corals, which amaze with diversity - there are about 2000 species of them.
Bahrain State Population
In 2012, there were more than 1,248,000 inhabitants in Bahrain. Of these, more than 235 thousand are not citizens of the state. These are immigrant workers and members of their families who arrived in Bahrain for the most part from Iran. The state is home to many natives of South Asia and Europe. The official language in Bahrain is Arabic. Besides him, the country's population also communicates in English, Urdu and Farsi. Approximately 89% of Bahrain's inhabitants live in cities.
Bahrain: Persian Gulf Government
The political system in the country is the hereditary emirate, or constitutional monarchy. Since 1783, the al-Khalifa dynasty has been in power. The head of state and government at the present time is Sheikh Hamad bin Isa. He took the throne after the death of his father, who ruled Bahrain for 38 years, in 1999. The current state constitution was adopted in 2002, February 14th. In Bahrain politics, parties are banned, but societies were legalized in 2005. The Popular Front is illegally operating on the territory of the country. He advocates for democracy and political freedoms in Bahrain. And also against foreign domination in the state. In addition, there is an illegal National Liberation Front in the country, among which are mostly communists.
The main economic direction of the state
The Kingdom of Bahrain is part of the UN, in the League of Arab States. The country is also a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Among other things, Bahrain is a member of the Organization of Arab Countries Exporting Oil. For a long time many achievements have accumulated in this country of the Persian Gulf. A list of them is headed by trading activities. Peasants grew fruit and fodder crops, vegetables, and cattle: cows, goats, sheep, and hens on the territory of the oases. The population of the kingdom of Bahrain also mined pearls and built single mast vessels. All of these economic activities were abandoned after the discovery of oil on the territory of the state in 1932 and the start of exploitation of its fields.
Bahrain State Oil Industry
The largest amount of oil was produced in the country in 1970-1972. Its reserves were significantly depleted by the beginning of the 90s of the 20th century. A new oil refining complex was launched in the mid-90s. In the Middle East, it takes second place among similar in performance. The complex processes imported oil, which is delivered from Saudi Arabia via a pipeline located under water. The extraction and cracking of this oily combustible liquid of natural origin provides Bahrain with approximately 60% of foreign exchange earnings from foreign trade, most of the budget and about 30% of gross domestic product.
Bahrain: Other industries
Oil fields in Bahrain are depleted every decade. This is becoming a serious threat to the country's economy. Also a problem of the state of Bahrain is the depletion of fresh water resources and high unemployment (approximately 15% of the population). A large share of GDP is in the service sector (about 47%), industry (a little more than 52%) and less than 1% in agriculture. In Bahrain, there are approximately 660 thousand people related to labor. These include foreigners.
In addition to oil, the state has huge reserves of natural gas. It is used as a raw material in the petrochemical industry in the production of propane and butane. Bahrain on the world map showing mineral deposits is listed as the largest supplier of aluminum among the countries of the Middle East. Fossil fuels make it possible to generate electricity. Its quantity more than covers the population consumed.
Agriculture
No more than 4% of the territory of Bahrain is suitable for agriculture. The population grows in oases oranges citrus, dates, papaya, grapes, pistachios, walnuts, grains and vegetables. Also in Bahrain, cows, sheep, donkeys are bred. Crop products provide residents of the country only by 20%, dairy products - by about 50%. Saves the situation of shrimp and fish, pearl mining.
Infrastructure
The total length of roads in Bahrain intended for the movement of cars is 3851 kilometers. At the same time, 3121 of them are paved. The islands of Umm Naasan and Muharraq are connected to Bahrain using dams. They have highways. In 1996, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were connected by motorway. The capital of the state, Manama, has an airport on the outskirts. He is one of four located in the country. There are also three major seaports in Bahrain. The merchant fleet of the state consists of eight heavy vessels, each of which has a displacement of more than 1000 gross registered tons.
Bahrain Trade Level
The country of Bahrain (the capital is Manama) is an active participant in international trade. The main export items of the state include petroleum products and aluminum. Among the main trading partners are Saudi Arabia, India, the UAE, Japan. Bahrain imports crude oil for processing, consumer goods and food. The main import partners are Saudi Arabia, Germany, USA, UK. The state of Bahrain has one of the most diversified economies in the Persian Gulf. Many multinational companies are attracted by its highly developed infrastructure and communications.
Economic policy
Bahrain's economy, as before, is directly dependent on the amount of oil produced. Of great importance for the economic life of the country is construction and banking. In the latter, Bahrain is fighting Malaysia for primacy in the Islamic world. Due to internal unrest in the state, its economy was overtaken by a recession in 2011. Then the reputation of Bahrain as the financial center of the Persian Gulf suffered. At the moment, one of the country's main problems is economic policy, which is aimed at restoring confidence. Also, the state debt is the fight against unemployment, which primarily concerns youth.
The ancient history of Bahrain
The Arab state of Bahrain in the 3rd millennium BC had a developed civilization. It was characterized by fortified settlements. Archaeologists have discovered on the territory of ancient Bahrain, called in ancient times Dilmun, traces of the Paleolithic man. Then the state was the largest center of trade through the sea. Handwritten information about Dilmun is found in Greek, Roman and Persian sources. In the 4th century AD, Bahrain was conquered by the Persians, in 7 - by the Arabs. The latter dominated the territory of Bahrain until 1541, until they were captured by the Portuguese. The Persians again took possession of the lands of the current state in 1602. But they were expelled by a representative of the ruling to date dynasty named Ahmad ibn al-Khalifa in 1783. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British landed for the first time on the coast of Bahrain and throughout the course of a century tried to seize power in their hands.
The struggle for independence and tenure
The country of Bahrain fully gained independence (a map of its location is attached to the article) gained in 1971. After about ten years, Iran again began to encroach on the sovereignty of the state . In response to attempts by the adversaries to establish political primacy in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, together with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, created a Cooperation Council in 1981. Until now, the state has good neighborly relations with almost all countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The exception is Qatar, which claims to be the island of Hawar, transferred to Bahrain according to the decision of the British government during its protectorate over both countries. The International Court of Justice still cannot resolve this conflict. This is the cause of the tensions between Bahrain and Qatar.
Military policy of the country
When you try to find the country of Bahrain on a world (political) map, you may find that the state is the main base for the United States Navy in the Persian Gulf. The presence of the armed forces has been welcomed by the emirate since 1949. Based on the territory of Bahrain, the Air Force of America was allowed by the Government of Bahrain in 1990 after the invasion and occupation of the Iraqi army by Kuwait. This was the reason for drawing up the agreement on defense cooperation. On its basis, Bahrain, jointly with the United States, conducts military exercises, America commits itself to the Arab state to supply arms in the event of a sharp aggravation of political conflicts.
Grand Prix in Bahrain
At present, the state of Bahrain is famous for its international Sahir race track. Its construction was launched in 2002. Since it was planned to carry out the stages of the Formula 1 race and drag racing competitions at the racetrack, the project aroused great interest among both residents of Bahrain and foreigners. The Grand Prix was first held on the track in 2004. The first winner to descend from the circuit was the legendary Michael Schumacher. On the eve of the 2010 racing season, the track configuration in Bahrain was changed. A new segment was added to the Formula pilots' route, and the length of the race track as a whole began to be 6299 meters. Designed by Hermann Tilke race track. The cost of its creation is approximately 150 million dollars. The circuit has become one of the newest in the territory of Asian countries. On the Sahir Grand Prix “Formula 1” track was held 9 times (data for 2014).