Bahrain

The Kingdom of Bahrain , or Bahrain ( formally spelled Bahrein ), is a borderless island nation in the Persian Gulf ( Southwest Asia / Middle East , Asia ). Saudi Arabia is to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway , and Qatar is to the south across the Persian Gulf . The Qatar-Bahrain Friendship Bridge , currently in planning, will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world.

other uses Bahrain , officially Kingdom of Bahrain ( , Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn , literally: "Kingdom of the Two Seas"), is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family . While Bahrain is an archipelago of thirty-three islands, the largest ( Bahrain Island ) is 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain via the King Fahd Causeway , which was officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain . The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world. Bahrain is also known for its oil and pearls . The country is also the home of many popular structures such as the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour , and also the home of many skyscrapers , including the proposed 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high supertall Murjan Tower . The Bahrain International Circuit is also located here, and is the place where the popular Bahrain F1 Grand Prix takes place.

Kingdom on the Persian Gulf Bahrain ( / b ɑː ˈ r eɪ n / ; al-Baḥrayn ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain ( Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn ), is a sovereign state in the Persian Gulf . The island nation comprises a small archipelago made up of 33 natural islands and an additional 51 artificial islands , centered around Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. The country is situated between the Qatar peninsula and the north eastern coast of Saudi Arabia , to which it is connected by the 25-kilometre (16 mi) King Fahd Causeway . According to the 2010 census, Bahrain's population is over 1.2 million, of which around half are non-nationals. At 780 square kilometres (300 sq mi) in size, it is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore . The capital and largest city is Manama . Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization . It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries , which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to convert to Islam , during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad in 628 CE. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, following the conquest by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty under the Persian Empire . In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family , with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim . Formerly an emirate , Bahrain was declared an Islamic constitutional monarchy in 2002. In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British , Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence . In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring . Bahrain's ruling al-Khalifa royal family has been accused and criticized for human rights abuses including imprisonment, torture and execution of dissidents, political opposition figures and its majority Shia Muslim population . Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf , the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It subsequently has a high Human Development Index and is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy . Bahrain is a member of the United Nations , Non-Aligned Movement , Arab League , Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council . "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950–2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). "How Bahrain uses sport to whitewash a legacy of torture and human rights abuses | David Conn | Sport" .

Country in West Asia This article is about the country in West Asia. Bahrain ( / b ɑː ˈ r eɪ n / bah- RAYN ; / b æ x ˈ r eɪ n / ; , locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is an island country in West Asia . It is situated on the Persian Gulf , and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands , centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 per cent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia , to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway . The current population of Bahrain is 1,870,817 as of May 14, 2023, based on elaborations of the latest United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore . The capital and largest city is Manama . Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization . It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries , which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam , during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628 AD. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty . In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family , with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim . In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British , Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence . Formerly an emirate , Bahrain was declared an Islamic constitutional monarchy in 2002. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring . Bahrain's ruling Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its majority Shia Muslim population . Bahrain developed the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf , the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in the country's capital. It is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy . Bahrain is a member of the United Nations , Non-Aligned Movement , Arab League , Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council . Bahrain is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization . National Institution for Human Rights . National Institute for Human Rights . "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950–2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). "The history of British involvement in Bahrain's internal security" . openDemocracy . "How Bahrain uses sport to whitewash a legacy of torture and human rights abuses | David Conn | Sport" . "Bahrain granted the status of SCO dialogue partner" . bna.bh/en/ . 15 July 2023 . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Country in West Asia This article is about the country in West Asia. Bahrain , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is an island country in West Asia . Situated on the Persian Gulf , it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands , centered on Bahrain Island , which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia , to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway . The population is 1,501,635 as of 2023, of whom 712,362 (47% of the population) are Bahraini nationals and 789,273 are expatriates spanning 2,000 ethnicities (53% of the population). Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore . The capital and largest city is Manama . According to archeologist Geoffrey Bibby, Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilization . It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries , which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam , during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran . In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur , and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family , with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim . In the late 19th century, following successive treaties with the British , Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence . Formerly an emirate , Bahrain was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the constitution made sharia a principal source for legislation. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring . The ruling Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its Shia Muslim population . Bahrain has been called one of the first post-oil economies in the Persian Gulf , the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors; many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in Manama. Oil revenues still constitute a significant part of its government budget. It is recognized by the World Bank as a high-income economy . Bahrain is a member of the United Nations , Non-Aligned Movement , Arab League , Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council . It is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization . National Institution for Human Rights . "World Population Prospects 2022: Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950–2100" (XSLX) ("Total Population, as of 1 July (thousands)"). "The history of British involvement in Bahrain's internal security" . openDemocracy . "Bahrain granted the status of SCO dialogue partner" . bna.bh/en/ . 15 July 2023 . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).