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BAHRAIN
Map of BAHRAIN
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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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Area:
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total: 665 sq km
land: 665 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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3.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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161 km |
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Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined |
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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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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m |
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Natural resources:
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oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls |
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Land use:
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arable land: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005) |
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Irrigated land:
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40 sq km (2003) |
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Total renewable water resources:
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0.1 cu km (1997) |
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Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
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total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000) |
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Natural hazards:
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periodic droughts; dust storms |
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Environment - current issues:
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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) |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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Population:
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718,306
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2008 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 26.4% (male 95,709/female 93,747)
15-64 years: 69.8% (male 288,957/female 212,706)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 14,224/female 12,963) (2008 est.) |
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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 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census) |
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Religions:
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Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) |
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Languages:
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Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.5%
male: 88.6%
female: 83.6% (2001 census) |
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School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
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total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 16 years (2006) |
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Education expenditures - percent of GDP:
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3.9% (1991) |
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Country name:
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conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun |
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Government type:
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constitutional monarchy |
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Capital:
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name: Manama
geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E
time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Administrative divisions:
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5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat
note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor |
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Independence:
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15 August 1971 (from UK) |
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National holiday:
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National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection
Source: http://cia.gov
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