Located in the Middle East, the small territory of Bahrain is made up of 36 islands located in the Persian Gulf, close to Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Of these 36 islands, only three are uninhabited (Bahrain, Umm Nassam and Al Muharraq). Approximately 25% of the population is made up of Pakistanis, Afghans and Indians, in addition to Americans and British employees in oil companies.
Despite its small territorial extension, Bahrain stands out in the world economy, as it was the first country to discover, explore and export oil in the Middle East. However, oil, the main source of the national economy, could run out in the first half of this century.
Oil was discovered in 1932, since then this product has become the main element of Bahrain’s economy. Oil exploration is responsible for 60% of the country’s exports and represents 30% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Bahrain also stands out for its large number of transnational companies, in addition to being an international banking and financial center. Due to the real possibility of depletion of oil reserves, Bahrain has diversified its economy as a way to reduce dependence on oil. In this sense, the country is industrializing in the segments of the chemical, shipbuilding, cement and aluminum industries.
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Bahrain Coat of Arms
Bahrain details:
Territorial extension: 678 km².
Location: Middle East.
Capital: Manama.
Climate: Tropical arid.
Government: Constitutional monarchy.
Administrative division: 12 regions.
Language: Arabic (official), English.
Religion: Islam 83.4%, Christianity 9.5% (independents 1.9%, Catholics 5.7%, others 1.9%), Hinduism 6.3%, no religion 0.2%, other 0.6 %.
Population: 791,473 inhabitants. (Men: 454,152; Women: 337,321).
Ethnic Composition: Bahraini Arabs 63%, other Arabs 12%, Afghans, Pakistanis and Indians 25%.
Population density: 1,167 inhabitants/km².
Average annual rate of population growth: 2%.
Population living in urban areas: 88.56%.
Population living in rural areas: 11.14%.
Life expectancy at birth: 75.4 years.
Infant mortality (per thousand live births): 10 deaths.
Illiteracy Rate: 11%.
Human Development Index (HDI): 0.801 (very high).
Currency: Bahrain Dinar.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): 15.8 billion dollars.
GDP per capita: $26,127.
External relations: World Bank, IMF, WTO, UN.
By Wagner de Cerqueira and Francisco
Graduated in Geography
Team
Countries of the world – Geography –