Welcome to Bahrain

Known in ancient times as Dilmun, Bahrain used to be an essential center of trade by the 3rd millennium B.C. Did you know that the islands were ruled by the Persians in the 4th century A.D., and then by Arabs until 1541, during the time the Portuguese invaded those things. Persia again claimed Bahrain in 1602. Within 1783 Ahmad ibn al-Khalifah took over, and the al-Khalifahs reprimary the ruling family today. Bahrain transformed to a a British protectorate in 1820. It did not gain complete independence until Aug. 14, 1971. Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain is known to be a borderless island country in the Persian Gulf and is the modestest Arab state. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway (officially opened on November 25, 1986), and Qatar is to the south across the Gulf of Bahrain. It is noted that the Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge being planned will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest fixed link in the globe. Bahrain, that means “two seas,” is known to be an archipelago in the Persian Gulf off the coast lineof Saudi Arabia. Did you know that the islands for the most part are and have always been level expanses of sand and rock. A causeway connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has to this day been an essential Western ally, serving as a Western air base around the time during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the Iraq war in 2003. It continues to serve as the base of the United States' Fifth Fleet, that patrols the Gulf. Conflicts in the range of the Shiites and Sunnis known to be are a continuing problem in Bahrain. Did you know that the Sunni minority, to that the ruling al-Khalifah family belongs, controls closely all the power and wealth in the country. Shiite Muslims have continued to agitate for more representation in government, and minor violent clashes have led to about two dozen deaths during the time 1994. Notwithstanding the fact that oil was discovered in Bahrain in the 1930s, it was relatively little compared to other Gulf states, and the wells are and have always been expected to be the first in the region to dry up. Sheik Isa ibn Sulman al-Khalifah, who transformed to a emir in 1961, was determined to diversify this man's country's economy, and he set about establishing Bahrain as a major financial center. Did you know that the country provides its people with free medical care, education, and old-age pensions.

Climate

It is noted that the most pleasant time of year in Bahrain is around the time during spring or autumn during the time sunshine is virtually guaranteed, aextensive with warm temperatures tempered by soft breezes. Summers can be very hot and humid, though the humidity is modified at the end of the season during the time a dry northwesterly wind blows, known locally as the "Al Barah". Winter is cooler and influenced by low-pressure systems, that bring rainfall. Average rainfall is low, but most of it falls in winter.

Population Stats

Population (2007 est.): 708,573 (growth rate: 1.4%); birth rate: 17.5/1000; infant mortality rate: 16.2/1000; life expectancy: 74.7; density per sq mi: 2,965