The 2010 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency
2,840
female: 2,758 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.7% of GDP (2009) country comparison to the world: 152
Transnational Issues ::Bahamas, The
Disputes - international:
disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters
Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; offshore financial center
page last updated on January 26, 2011
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@Bahrain (Middle East)
Introduction ::Bahrain
Background:
In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. 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. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community. Shia political societies participated in 2010 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.
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: 760 sq km country comparison to the world: 187 land: 760 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
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: 2.82%
permanent crops: 5.63%
other: 91.55% (2005)
Irrigated land:
40 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
0.1 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.3 cu km/yr (40%/3%/57%)
per capita: 411 cu m/yr (2000)
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, 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
People ::Bahrain
Population:
738,004 country comparison to the world: 163 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 25.9% (male 95,258/female 93,256)
15–64 years: 70.1% (male 293,340/female 217,815)
65 years and over: 4% (male 15,274/female 13,766) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 30.4 years
male: 33.5 years
female: 27.1 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.243% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
Birth rate:
16.81 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 120
Death rate:
4.37 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 204
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72
Urbanization:
urban population: 89% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.8% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.33 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female
total population: 1.24 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.76 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 126 male: 17.01 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 12.44 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.4 years country comparison to the world: 84 male: 72.87 years
female: 78.01 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.47