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Bahrain
Country



Native name
مملكة البحرين




Capital
Manama




Official languages
Arabic






Legislature
National Assembly








Currency
Bahraini dinar(BHD)









Website
Official website


Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in the Arabian Gulf, off the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Its capital is Manama. Bahrain is a constitutional monarchy headed by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, while Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa serves as Crown Prince and Prime Minister.[1]

Official Bahraini statistics give the country a land area of 786.8 square kilometres and a 2024 population of 1,588,670. Of that population, 739,736 people, or 46.6%, were Bahraini citizens, while 848,934, or 53.4%, were non-Bahrainis.[1] Arabic is the official language, Islam is the official religion, and the national currency is the Bahraini dinar, which is officially linked to the United States dollar.[1]

Bahrain has been an important trading centre for thousands of years. Archaeological evidence connects the islands with Dilmun, a Bronze Age civilization that traded with Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley Civilization.[2] Pearling later became a major part of the island economy, before the discovery of oil in 1932 transformed Bahrain's economic development.[3][4]

Bahrain became fully independent from the United Kingdom on 15 August 1971 and joined the United Nations on 21 September that year.[5][6] It was one of the six founding members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.[7]

Geography

Bahrain is an archipelago situated to the east of Saudi Arabia and north of Qatar. Manama, the national capital, is located in the northern part of the country. Bahrain is connected by road to Saudi Arabia through the King Fahd Causeway.[8]

The coastline and total land surface have changed over time because of reclamation and development. Government statistics list 786.8 square kilometres of land and 7,482.2 square kilometres of territorial waters, based on 2022 figures.[1]

Bahrain has an arid climate. Summers are hot and humid, while winters are generally mild. Government climatic information has recorded average temperatures of about 35.6 °C between June and August and much cooler conditions from December to February. Rainfall is low and irregular.[9]

Administratively, Bahrain is divided into four governorates: the Capital Governorate, Muharraq Governorate, Northern Governorate and Southern Governorate.[1]

History

Ancient Bahrain

Human settlement in Bahrain extends back several millennia. Qal'at al-Bahrain, an archaeological mound on the northern coast, contains layers of occupation dating from about 2300 BCE to the 16th century CE. UNESCO identifies the site as an important ancient harbour and the former capital of the Dilmun civilization.[2]

Dilmun developed as a trading centre between Mesopotamia, the Indus region and other parts of the ancient Gulf. The scale of prosperity during the Early Dilmun period is also reflected in Bahrain's extensive burial mounds. The Dilmun Burial Mounds, constructed mainly between about 2200 and 1750 BCE, include thousands of burial structures spread across archaeological sites in the western part of the main island.[10]

In later antiquity, Bahrain became associated with the culture known in classical sources as Tylos. Archaeological material shows interaction with the Hellenistic Near East, while the islands later came under the influence of regional powers including the Sasanian Empire.[11]

Islamic and early modern periods

Islam reached Bahrain during the 7th century. During subsequent centuries the islands were governed or influenced by a succession of Islamic states and regional dynasties. Bahrain was associated with the Qarmatians from the 10th century and was later controlled by other regional powers.[11]

Portuguese forces established control over Bahrain in the early 16th century as part of their efforts to dominate Gulf maritime trade. Bahrain remained under Portuguese influence until the beginning of the 17th century, when Persian forces displaced them. Control of the islands later shifted among Persian, Omani and other regional rulers.[11]

In 1783, forces led by Ahmed Al-Fateh of the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain. The Al Khalifa dynasty has ruled the country since that period.[12]

Relations with Britain and the oil era

During the 19th century, Bahrain's rulers entered into a series of agreements with Britain. The first major agreement was signed in 1820, followed by further arrangements during the century. These agreements increasingly placed Bahrain's external relations under British influence while Britain provided protection to the ruling family and territory.[12]

Pearl diving, trading and maritime commerce remained central to the economy into the early 20th century. Bahrain's pearling industry was part of a wider Gulf trade that reached its height around the turn of the 20th century before declining sharply during the 1930s, particularly as cultured pearls entered world markets.[3]

Bapco was formed in 1929 during the period of early petroleum exploration. Oil was discovered at Well Number One in Jebel Al Dukhan in 1932, making Bahrain the first country in the Arabian Gulf to discover oil commercially. The first shipment of Bahraini crude oil followed in 1934, and the Bahrain refinery opened in 1937.[4]

Independence and constitutional development

Britain announced in 1968 that it would end its treaty relationships with Gulf states. Bahrain initially participated in discussions concerning a wider federation with neighbouring territories, but an agreement among the proposed members was not reached. Bahrain consequently became fully independent on 15 August 1971.[5]

A constitution was originally issued in 1973. In 2001, voters approved the National Action Charter in a referendum. Constitutional amendments followed in 2002, and Bahrain adopted the title Kingdom of Bahrain.[13][14]

Large demonstrations and political unrest took place in Bahrain in February and March 2011. The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry was established by Royal Order in June 2011 to investigate the events and their consequences. Its report documented excessive force in a number of security operations and found that many detainees had been subjected to torture or other physical and psychological abuse. The commission also investigated violence committed by individuals and attacks connected with the unrest, and recommended accountability measures, independent investigations and institutional reforms.[15]

Government and administration

Bahrain's constitution defines the state as a hereditary constitutional monarchy. The King is head of state and appoints the Prime Minister and members of the government under the constitutional framework.[14] As of September 2026, the monarch is King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister is Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.[1]

Legislative authority is exercised through a bicameral National Assembly. The Shura Council has 40 members appointed by royal order. The Council of Representatives also has 40 members, who are chosen through direct elections by secret general ballot.[14] A law must be approved by both chambers, or by the National Assembly in the circumstances specified by the constitution, and ratified by the King before it is promulgated.[14]

The country's four governorates provide the principal territorial divisions for local administration.[1]

Foreign relations

Bahrain was admitted to the United Nations on 21 September 1971, slightly more than a month after independence.[6] It also participates in regional Arab and Gulf organizations.

On 25 May 1981, Bahrain joined Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in establishing the Gulf Cooperation Council. The GCC was formed to develop coordination and cooperation among its six member states.[7]

Economy

Bahrain's modern economy grew around petroleum production and refining, but it has expanded into financial services, manufacturing and other non-oil activities. The discovery of oil in 1932 provided a major new source of government revenue and industrial development, while the country's earlier economy had relied heavily on pearling, trade and maritime activity.[4][3]

Preliminary national accounts published by Bahrain's Information & eGovernment Authority estimated that real gross domestic product increased by 3.5% in 2025. Real GDP at constant prices reached BHD 15.71 billion. Financial and insurance activities were the largest non-oil contributor to real GDP at 17.6%, followed by manufacturing at 15.1%. Accommodation and food services, financial and insurance activities, and construction were among the sectors recording notable real growth during the year.[16]

World Bank data placed Bahrain's GDP at about US$47.11 billion in 2024, with GDP per capita of about US$29,654 and real economic growth of 2.6% that year.[17]

The Bahraini dinar is divided into 1,000 fils. The currency is officially pegged to the United States dollar, with the Bahrain National Portal reporting a fixed rate of one Bahraini dinar to US$2.65.[1]

Demographics and society

Bahrain's population has grown substantially through both natural growth and international migration. Government figures for 2024 reported 1,588,670 residents, with non-Bahrainis forming 53.4% of the total population.[1]

Arabic is the country's official language. English is widely used in the business sector.[1]

Islam is Bahrain's official religion. The national portal states that Islam is practised by the majority of the population and that places of worship are also available for followers of other religions.[1]

Education and health

Bahraini law defines compulsory schooling as beginning at age six and continuing until age fifteen. Primary education covers at least nine academic years, while secondary education normally lasts three years. Primary and secondary education in government schools is free of charge.[18]

The World Bank reported life expectancy at birth of approximately 81 years in 2024.[17]

Infrastructure and transport

Bahrain's road network is linked directly with eastern Saudi Arabia through the King Fahd Causeway. The causeway provides the country's principal fixed land connection with the Arabian Peninsula.[8]

Bahrain International Airport, located in Muharraq, is the country's principal international airport. Bahrain has a long history in regional commercial aviation, with the first commercial aircraft arriving in the country in 1932. A new passenger terminal was launched in 2021. The airport company states that the terminal has an annual capacity of about 14 million passengers and 130,000 aircraft movements.[19]

Culture and heritage

Bahrain's cultural traditions reflect its history as an island society based on trade, pearling, fishing and contact with neighbouring civilizations. Archaeological remains, traditional buildings, religious sites, crafts and maritime practices form important parts of the country's cultural heritage.

Bahrain has three properties on the UNESCO World Heritage List: Qal'at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun, inscribed in 2005; Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy, inscribed in 2012; and the Dilmun Burial Mounds, inscribed in 2019.[20]

The Pearling World Heritage property includes historic buildings in Muharraq, offshore oyster beds, part of the former pearling seashore and Qal'at Bu Mahir. UNESCO describes the property as surviving evidence of a maritime economy and cultural tradition that shaped Bahrain for generations.[3]

The Bahrain National Museum was inaugurated on 15 December 1988. Its collections and displays cover about 6,000 years of Bahrain's history, including Dilmun, burial traditions, the Tylos and Islamic periods, traditional trades, customs, manuscripts and documents.[21]

Music and traditional practices

Fjiri is a traditional musical performance associated with Bahrain's pearl-diving communities. It developed among pearl divers and crews and uses collective singing, drums, finger chimes and other instruments. UNESCO inscribed Fjiri on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2021.[22]

Sport

Football is widely played in Bahrain, alongside motorsport and other international sporting activities. The country also hosts the Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir.

The circuit held its first Formula One Grand Prix in 2004. That event was the first round of the FIA Formula One World Championship to be staged in the Middle East.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 About Bahrain. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Qal’at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour and Capital of Dilmun. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Pearling, Testimony of an Island Economy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Our Legacy. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bahrain - Countries. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Member States. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Founding Day. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Bahrain National Health Survey 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  9. ↑ Bahrain in Figures. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  10. ↑ Dilmun Burial Mounds. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Bahrain History Timeline. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Historical Profile: Bahrain. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  13. ↑ National Action Charter. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  16. ↑ The Bahraini economy achieved real growth of 3.5% during 2025. 14 April 2026. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Bahrain - Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  18. ↑ Law No. (27) of 2005 Regarding the Education Services. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  19. ↑ Bahrain International Airport - About Us. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  20. ↑ Bahrain - UNESCO World Heritage Convention. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  21. ↑ Bahrain National Museum. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  22. ↑ Fjiri. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
  23. ↑ Need to know: Bahrain. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2026.
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