Bahrain or Bahrein, independent kingdom in the Middle East, comprising an archipelago of 33 islands in the southern Persian Gulf, between the Qatar Peninsula on the east and the coast of Saudi Arabia on the west, one of the Persian Gulf states. It has a total area of 707 sq km (273 sq mi). The principal islands include Bahrain (area, 562 sq km/217 sq mi), by far the largest island; Al Muḩarraq; Umm an Na’san; Sitrah; Jiddah; and the Ḩawar group. Manama is Bahrain’s capital and largest city. Bahrain was under British control from 1861 to 1971, when it gained its independence.
POPULATION
The population of Bahrain is over 70 per cent Arab; roughly a third of the population is foreign-born, many of them Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, or European expatriate workers, but there are also large numbers of Arab immigrants. Bahrain has a population of 677,886 (2004 estimate), giving a population density of 1,095 people per sq km (2,836 per sq mi). Only half of these are Bahraini citizens. Average life expectancy at birth in 2004 was 72 years for men and 77 years for women. Infant mortality was 18 per 1,000 live births (2004). The majority of the population is concentrated in the northern part of the country.
LANGUAGE
Standard Arabic is the official language, although this is always a second language learned in schools and used in official domains, and generally only the well-educated elite are fluent in it. Bahrain Spoken Arabic and Gulf Spoken Arabic are the mother tongues for the majority of the population, particularly the former. Non-indigenous languages including Western Farsi and Urdu are also spoken.
RELIGION
Almost all the resident population of Bahrain is Muslim. Shiism is the dominant creed of Islam in Bahrain, with some 75 per cent of the Muslim population, but the remaining 25 per cent, mainly the ruling classes, are Sunni; this division tends to lead to recurrent internal tension. Bahrain is notably liberal in contrast with other neighbouring states such as Saudi Arabia.
POPULATION
The population of Bahrain is over 70 per cent Arab; roughly a third of the population is foreign-born, many of them Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, or European expatriate workers, but there are also large numbers of Arab immigrants. Bahrain has a population of 677,886 (2004 estimate), giving a population density of 1,095 people per sq km (2,836 per sq mi). Only half of these are Bahraini citizens. Average life expectancy at birth in 2004 was 72 years for men and 77 years for women. Infant mortality was 18 per 1,000 live births (2004). The majority of the population is concentrated in the northern part of the country.
LANGUAGE
Standard Arabic is the official language, although this is always a second language learned in schools and used in official domains, and generally only the well-educated elite are fluent in it. Bahrain Spoken Arabic and Gulf Spoken Arabic are the mother tongues for the majority of the population, particularly the former. Non-indigenous languages including Western Farsi and Urdu are also spoken.
RELIGION
Almost all the resident population of Bahrain is Muslim. Shiism is the dominant creed of Islam in Bahrain, with some 75 per cent of the Muslim population, but the remaining 25 per cent, mainly the ruling classes, are Sunni; this division tends to lead to recurrent internal tension. Bahrain is notably liberal in contrast with other neighbouring states such as Saudi Arabia.
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