Part 72

Area: total : 620 sq km land: 620 sq km water: 0 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 continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined territorial sea: 12 nm

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

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 0% other: 92% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs

Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements

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

@Bahrain:People

Population: 603,318 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 221,182 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 94,330; female 91,532) 15-64 years: 66% (male 240,496; female 160,662) 65 years and over : 3% (male 8,375; female 7,923) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.18% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 23.01 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 3.27 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.5 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 1.32 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.63 years male: 72.1 years female : 77.24 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.04 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

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