Bahrain: the capital. Bahrain on the world map. The smallest Arab state

The state of Bahrain was founded in the Persian Gulf, in the southwestern part of Asia. The country consists of 33 islands, inhabited of which only 5. They include Bahrain area of 578 square meters. Km, Sitra - 9.5, Muharrak - 14, Javra - 41, Umm-Naasan - 19 square kilometers. All of them are located in the south-west of Saudi Arabia. The total area of the state of Bahrain, whose capital is the city of Manama, is approximately 695 kilometers square. The number of inhabitants of the country according to 2012 - more than 1 billion 200 thousand. The population density is about 2000 people per square kilometer. The highest point of Bahrain is Jebel Dukan - a mountain that has a height of 134 meters above sea level. The official language of the country is Arabic, religion is Islam. Bahrain currency is a dinar. The main holiday of the country is the National Day, celebrated annually since 1971 on December 16. The national anthem of Bahrain is called "Long live the Emir!"

Flag of Bahrain: symbols and meaning

The flag of the state of Bahrain consists of a cloth of red color, on which is located a vertical white strip at the edge on the left side. At the junction of the two colors are five triangles, forming a zigzag line. They are symbols of the pillars of Islam. Presumably red color is the embodiment of the Kharijite sect. The modern version of the flag was approved in 2002, on February 14. It happened after the proclamation of the ruler of Bahrain by her emir. The state acquired independence after the withdrawal of British troops in 1971. The flag of Bahrain was the reason for the creation of many laws. According to one of them, this symbol of the state is prohibited to be used in any way (for example, to place on transport), except for official application by the government. You can not use the flag for commercial purposes.

Main city of Bahrain

Few know about the metropolis called Manama. Which country's capital is this city? It is located on the island of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Persian Gulf. This is the capital of Bahrain. In the city, the Al-Fateh mosque was built, called one of the largest in the world. It accommodates about 7000 people. The dome of the mosque weighs 60 tons and is made of cast fibroglass.

On the dry and desert lands stretched the city of Manama. Bahrain has a climate that combines the signs of subtropics. The air temperature in the capital of the state ranges from +17 ° C in January to +38 ° C in July. On average, about 90 millimeters of precipitation falls in Manama during the year. The rainy season in the city lasts from December to February inclusive. The rest of the year in Manama is a dry period, dust storms occur. Occasionally, precipitation is observed in March, April, November in the state of Bahrain. The capital is one of its five provinces.

Religion of the inhabitants of the capital

Most of the population of Manama (over 80%) professes Islam. Manama is the capital of the state in which about half of Muslims have a Shiite direction in the faith, the rest are Sunni. Also among the population of the city there are Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and Zoroastrianists. A minority of Sunnis includes members of the royal family.

Nature of Bahrain

The island of Bahrain, whose photo is attached to the article, is the largest in the whole state. It has a length of 15 kilometers from east to west and 50 from south to north. In the center of the island there is a low plateau, composed of limestones. In some of its places there are separate so-called mountains, having a height of 100 to 130 meters above sea level. The highest of them is Jebel Dukan. The coast of the island consists of a strip of sandy beaches. They are occasionally interrupted by places of access to the surface of bedrock. Along the coastline north of Bahrain, there are coral reefs, the islands of which have an even surface and rise only a few meters above sea level.

Presence of fresh water on the island

On large parts of the land, there are freshwater outlets on the surface. It flows down the inclined rocks in the direction of the Persian Gulf. In the area along the coastline, fresh water springs are also beating. They are sent to the pipeline for use in the farm.

The climate of Bahrain

The Arab state of Bahrain has an arid tropical climate with relatively cool winters and humid summers. In January, the average temperature fluctuates around +16 ° C, in July-August + 37 ° C. The islands of Bahrain from time to time suffer from drought and dust storms. There are no rivers on them, desert landscapes prevail. The amount of precipitation in the state is on average 90 mm. Every year the area of deserts increases. This is due to the degradation of those lands that are being processed. In the desert area, drought resistant plants such as camel thorn, saxaul, astragalus, solyanka, wormwood, tamarix (comber) and others grow. Some zones are famous for the artificially created plantations of the Arabian acacia. In those places where water flows to the surface of the ground, there are oases with date palms.

Fauna of the country Bahrain

Bahrain is a country whose fauna is rather poor. It is dominated by reptiles, rodents and birds. In order to restore the populations of the Arab gazelle, the mammals of the Polorohidae family (Oryx and tar) in 1976, the El-Araine Reserve was established. As for fish, in the coastal waters of the islands of Bahrain there are about 400 species, including commercial ones. The most common are sea turtles. The abundance of shrimp, crabs, lobsters, mollusks (including pearl mussels) can be found in reefs formed from corals, which amaze with a variety - there are about 2000 species.

Population of the State of Bahrain

In 2012, Bahrain had more than 1,248,000 inhabitants. Of these, more than 235,000 are not citizens of the state. They are immigrant workers and members of their families who arrived in Bahrain mostly from Iran. In the state there are many natives of the countries of South Asia and Europe. The official language in Bahrain is Arabic. In addition to it, the country's population also communicates in English, Urdu and Farsi. Approximately 89% of the inhabitants of Bahrain live in cities.

Bahrain: the state structure of the country of the Persian Gulf

The political system in the country is a hereditary emirate, or a constitutional monarchy. Since 1783 the dynasty of al-Khalifa has been in power. The head of state and government at the present time is Sheikh Hamad bin Isa. He took over the throne after the death of his father, who ruled Bahrain for 38 years, in 1999. The current constitution of the state was adopted in 2002, on February 14. In politics, Bahrain banned the party, but legalized in 2005 the society. The People's Front is acting illegally on the territory of the country. He stands in support of democracy and political freedoms in Bahrain. And also against foreign domination on the territory of the state. In addition, the country has an illegal Front for National Liberation, among which are mostly Communists.

The main economic direction of the state

The Kingdom of Bahrain is part of the UN, in the League of Arab States. The country is also a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Above all, Bahrain is the Organization of Arab oil-exporting countries. Since ancient times, many achievements have been accumulated in this country of the Persian Gulf. Their list is headed by trading activity. The peasants grew fruit and forage crops, vegetables on the territory of oases, raised cattle: cows, goats, sheep, chickens. Also, the population of the Kingdom of Bahrain mined pearls and built single-masted vessels. All these economic activities were abandoned after the discovery of oil on the territory of the state in 1932 and the beginning of the exploitation of its deposits.

The oil industry of the state of Bahrain

The greatest amount of oil was extracted in the country in 1970-1972. Its reserves were considerably depleted by the early 90s of the 20th century. A new complex for oil processing was released in the mid-90's. In the Middle East, he ranks second among similar on productivity. The complex processes imported oil, which is delivered from Saudi Arabia via a pipeline located under water. The extraction and cracking of this oily, combustible liquid of natural origin provides Bahrain with approximately 60% of the currency's revenues from foreign trade operations, most of the budget and about 30% of the gross domestic product.

Bahrain: Other Industries

Oil deposits in Bahrain are depleted with every decade more and more. This becomes a serious threat to the country's economy. Also, the problem of the state of Bahrain is the depletion of freshwater resources and a high level of unemployment (about 15% of the population). A large share of GDP is provided by services (about 47%), industry (slightly more than 52%) and less than 1% by agriculture. In Bahrain, there are approximately 660,000 people who are part of the labor force. These include foreigners.

In addition to oil, the state has huge reserves of natural gas. It is used as raw material in the petrochemical industry for the production of propane and butane. Bahrain on the map of the world, reflecting mineral deposits, is listed as the largest supplier of aluminum among the countries of the Middle East. Fossil fuels allow the production of electricity. Its quantity covers more than that consumed by the population.

Agriculture

No more than 4% of the country's territory Bahrain is suitable for agriculture. The population grows citrus fruits, dates, papayas, grapes, pistachios, walnuts, grains and vegetables in oases. Also in Bahrain bred cows, sheep, donkeys. Products of crop production provide the residents of the country only by 20%, dairy - by about 50%. The situation is saved by catching shrimp and fish, mining pearls.

Infrastructure

The total length of roads in Bahrain, intended for the movement of cars, is 3851 km. At that, 3121 of them - with a hard surface. The islands of Umm Naasan and Muharraq are connected with Bahrain by means of dams. Highways are located on them. In 1996, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were connected via a highway. The capital of the state, Manama, has an airport on the outskirts. He is one of four located in the country. Also in Bahrain there are three main seaports. The state merchant fleet consists of eight heavy vessels, each of which has a displacement of more than 1,000 gross registered tons.

The level of trade in Bahrain

Country Bahrain (capital - Manama) is an active participant in international trade. Oil products and aluminum are the main export items of the state. Among the main trading partners - Saudi Arabia, India, the United Arab Emirates, Japan. Imports to Bahrain crude oil for processing, consumer goods and food. The main import partners are Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United States, Great Britain. The state of Bahrain has one of the most diversified economies in the Persian Gulf. Many transnational companies attracted its highly developed infrastructure and communications.

Economic policy

The economy of Bahrain, as before, directly depends on the amount of oil produced. Great importance for the economic life of the country has construction and banking. In the latter, Bahrain is fighting with Malaysia for supremacy in the Islamic world. As a result of internal unrest in the country, its economy fell in 2011. Then the reputation of Bahrain as the financial center of the Persian Gulf suffered. At the moment, one of the main problems of the country is the policy in the economy, which is aimed at restoring confidence. Also, the public debt is the fight against unemployment, which primarily affects young people.

Ancient History of Bahrain

The Arab state of Bahrain in the 3rd millennium BC had a developed civilization. For her, fortified settlements were characteristic. Archaeologists found in the territory of ancient Bahrain, called in the distant times Dilmun, traces of the Paleolithic man's habitat. Then the state was the largest center of trade through the sea. Handwritten information about Dilmun was found in Greek, Roman and Persian sources. In the 4th century AD, Bahrain was conquered by Persians, in 7 Arabs. The latter dominated the territory of Bahrain until 1541, until they were captured by the Portuguese. The Persians again seized the lands of the present state in 1602. But they were also expelled by the representative of the ruling dynasty named after Ahmad ibn al-Khalifa in 1783. At the beginning of the 19th century the British landed on the coast of Bahrain for the first time and throughout the century they tried to seize power in their hands.

The struggle for independence and possessions

The independence of the country of Bahrain (the map of its location is attached to the article) was acquired in 1971. After about ten years, Iran once again resorted to the sovereignty of the state . In response to attempts to establish political opponents in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, together with Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman, established the Cooperation Council in 1981. Until now, the state has good neighborly relations with virtually all countries of the Arabian Peninsula. The exception is Qatar, which claims to the island of Khavar, transferred to Bahrain according to the decision of the British government during its protectorate over both countries. The International Court of Justice has not yet been able to resolve this conflict. This is the cause of the tense relationship between Bahrain and Qatar.

Military policy of the country

When you try to find a Bahrain country on a world map (political), you can find that the state is the main base for the United States Navy in the Persian Gulf. The presence of the armed forces here has been welcomed by the emirate since 1949. To be based in the territory of Bahrain, the Air Force of America allowed the Government of Bahrain in 1990 after the invasion of the Iraqi Army and its occupation. This was the reason for drawing up a treaty on defense cooperation. On its basis, Bahrain, together with the US, conducts military exercises, America undertakes to the Arab state to supply weapons in case of sharp aggravation of political conflicts.

Grand Prix in Bahrain

At the present time, the state of Bahrain is famous for its international race track Sahir. Its construction was launched in 2002. Since it was planned to conduct stages of Formula 1 race and drag race races on the circuit, the project attracted a great deal of interest both among the residents of Bahrain and foreigners. The Grand Prix was held for the first time on the track in 2004. The first winner, descended from the circuit, was the legendary Michael Schumacher. On the eve of the race season in 2010, the configuration of the track in Bahrain changed. There was added a new segment in the route of the pilots of the "Formula", and the length of the motor-racing track as a whole was 6299 meters. Designed the circuit Herman Tilke. The cost of its creation is about 150 million dollars. Autodrome has become one of the newest in the territory of Asia. On the highway Sahir Grand Prix "Formula 1" was held 9 times (data for 2014).