Bahrain - Country information


		Bahrain	Population Government Economy Geography Communication Transportation

Population		Top of page

Inhabitants		Life expectancy
708,573		total population: 74.68 years male: 72.18 years female: 77.25 years (2007 est.)

Ethnic groups		Religions
Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)		Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)

Languages		Literacy
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu		definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.)

Government		Top of page

Government type		Capital
constitutional hereditary monarchy		Manama

Independance		National day
15 August 1971 (from UK)		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

Constitution		Legal system
adopted 14 February 2002		based on Islamic law and English common law

Economy		Top of page

GDP (purchasing power parity)		Growth rate
$12.12 billion (2006 est.)		7.6% (2006 est.)

GDP per inhabitant		Unemployment rate
$25,300 (2006 est.)		15% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line		Inflation rate
NA%		3.5% (2006 est.)

Exports		Imports
$12.62 billion (2006 est.)		$9.036 billion (2006 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold		Currency
$2.918 billion (2006 est.)		Bahraini dinar (BHD)

Military expenditures
4.5% (2006)

Geography		Top of page

Location		Area
Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia		665 sq km

Climate		Natural resources
arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers		oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls

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