Bahrain

1# Location/Geography/Environment-The official name and year of origin of this country, location, climate and major geographical features of the country. (Be sure to include Maps and a Flag!)

http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.html

-“Bahrain is an archipelago made up of Bahrain Island and thirty smaller islands. It is located in the Persian Gulf near the Arabian Peninsula, 120 miles southwest of Iran, 14 miles to the east of Saudi Arabia, and 17 miles to the west of the Qatar Peninsula. The main island, which accounts for seven-eighths of the country's area, is thirty miles from north to south and ten miles from east to west. The total area of the country is 240 square miles (620 square kilometers).”

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.html#ixzz2rcOD94zS

-"Along the north and northwest coast, there are some springs and aquifers that are used for irrigation. Only 1 percent of the land is arable."

- "Bahrain has two seasons: an extremely hot summer and a relatively mild winter. During the summer months, from April to October, afternoon temperatures average 40° C and can reach 48° C during June and July. The combination of intense heat and high humidity makes this season uncomfortable. In addition, a hot, dry southwest wind, known locally as the qaws, periodically blows sand clouds across the barren southern end of Bahrain toward Manama in the summer. Temperatures moderate in the winter months, from November to March, when the range is between 10° C and 20° C. However, humidity often rises above 90 percent in the winter. From December to March, prevailing winds from the southeast, known as theshammal, bring damp air over the islands. Regardless of the season, daily temperatures are fairly uniform throughout the"
archipelago.http://www.photius.com/countries/bahrain/climate/bahrain_climate_climate.html

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.html#ixzz2rcOkvKa8

- "According to the CIA World Factbook, the estimated population in 2000 was 634,137. The majority of these people are Arabs. There are many temporary immigrant workers, and one-third of the population is foreign-born. Nineteen percent of the population is Asian, 10 percent is non-Bahraini Arab, and 8 percent is Iranian".

-"Arabic is the official language and the language of daily life. English is understood in many places and Farsi and Urdu also are spoken by the large numbers of Indian and Persian residents".

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.html#ixzz2rcQYyXpg

-" Archaeological evidence dating back to the third millennium B.C.E. indicates that the main island probably was settled by Sumerians. Around 2000 B.C.E. it was known as Dilmun and served as a trading post on the route between Sumeri and the Indus Valley".

-" In the fourth century C.E. Bahrain was annexed into the Sasanian Empire. In the seventh century, Muslims conquered the area and ruled until the sixteenth century. In 1521, Portugal took control, using Bahrain as a pearling post and military garrison. This situation lasted until 1602, when the Persians wrested the country from the Portuguese. The ruler Ahmad ibn Al Khalifah took control from the Persians in 1783; his descendants lead the country to this day."

Read more: http://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bahrain.html#ixzz2rcRfBhWS

- "In the 1830s, the British signed several treaties with Bahrain, offering protection from the Turks in exchange for access to the Persian Gulf. In 1869, Britain put its own emir in place. In 1935, it placed its main Middle Eastern naval base in Bahrain, and in 1946, it stationed the senior British officer in the region there. Anti-British sentiment rose in the 1950s, but Britain did not decide to pull out until 1971. Bahrain officially declared its independence on 14 August of that year."

http://www.theodora.com/maps/bahrain_map.html

#2 Social Structure–What racial, ethnic, class structures are present?

- "Because Bahrain is one of the wealthiest Gulf states, there are a number of well-to-do people, who are almost all well educated and live in Manama or Muharraq. However, many jobs are staffed by foreigners, and there is an unemployment rate of 15 percent among Bahrainis."

- "There are significantly more men than women. The population is growing rapidly with a high birthrate and a low death rate. One-third of the people are less than fifteen years old."

Ethnic groups:
Bahraini 46%, non-Bahraini 54% (2010 census)
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/bahrain/bahrain_people.html

Languages:
Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/bahrain/bahrain_people.html

Education expenditures:
2.9% of GDP (2008)
country comparison to the world: 134
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/bahrain/bahrain_people.html

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 94.6%
male: 96.1%
female: 91.6% (2010 census)
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/bahrain/bahrain_people.html

Religions:
Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
http://www.theodora.com/wfbcurrent/bahrain/bahrain_people.html

#3 Politics- what type of government runs this country?

Government type:

"constitutional monarchy"

(Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the guidelines of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified, or blended constitution. ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitutional_monarchy)