close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

People Bahrain

Population:
677,886
note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 28.4% (male 97,179; female 95,043)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 271,015; female 192,342)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 11,426; female 10,881) (2004 est.)

Median age:
total: 29 years
male: 31.9 years
female: 25.3 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate:
1.56% (2004 est.)

Birth rate:
18.54 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate:
4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate:
1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female
total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
total: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 20.93 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.98 years
male: 71.52 years
female: 76.51 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate:
2.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.3% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
less than 600 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
less than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%

Religions:
Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 89.1%
male: 91.9%
female: 85% (2003 est.)

Government Bahrain

Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn

Government type:
constitutional hereditary monarchy

Capital:
Manama

Administrative divisions:
12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al
Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah
ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah,
Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah
not