Part 53

International disputes: territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands; maritime boundary with Qatar

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

Terrain: mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

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

Land use: arable land: 2% permanent crops: 2% meadows and pastures: 6% forest and woodland: 0% other: 90%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity

Geographic 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 ------

Population: 590,042 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 92,455; female 89,554) 15-64 years: 67% (male 236,048; female 156,556) 65 years and over: 2% (male 7,956; female 7,473) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.27% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 23.58 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 3.29 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.51 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female all ages: 1.33 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.27 years male: 71.78 years female: 76.83 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.08 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 85.2% male: 89.1% female: 79.4%

Government ----------

Name of country: conventional long form: State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn

Data code: BA

Type of government: traditional monarchy