The new amir is pushing economic
and political reforms, and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a
community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on
the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political
liberalization program.

Geography Bahrain

Location: Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi
Arabia

Geographic coordinates: 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km land: 665 sq km

Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 161 km

Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

Climate: arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point:
Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas,
fish, pearls

Land use: arable land: 5% permanent crops: 4% other: 91% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 50 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms

Environment - current issues: desertification resulting from the
degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust
storms; coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea
vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large
tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations; lack of freshwater
resources, groundwater and seawater are the only sources for all water
needs

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone
Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Geography - note:
close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location
in Persian Gulf, which much of Western world's petroleum must transit
to reach open ocean

People Bahrain

Population: 656,397 note: includes 228,424 non-nationals (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.2% (male 97,022; female 94,605) 15-64
years: 67.7% (male 261,919; female 182,727) 65 years and over: 3.1%
(male 10,230; female 9,894) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.67% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 19.53 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 3.95 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration