Bahrain

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Bahrain is an archipelago lying between the east coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatar Peninsula. Made up of some thirty-six islands—the biggest of which is Bahrain Island, where the capital of Manama is located—Bahrain's total area is 706 square kilometers (273 square miles). Bahrain has a population of 724,000, and 85 percent of the residents live in cities. Foreigners make up one-third of the population and more than half of the labor force. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni Muslim family even though its population is predominantly Shia Muslim. Although most of Bahrain is desert, some areas in the north are cultivable.

Bahrain remained under Portuguese control in the 1500s and Persian rule in the 1600s. In 1783 Ahmed Bin Mohammed al-Khalifa (d. 1796)—known as Ahmad bin Mohammed al-Fateh (the conqueror)—invaded Bahrain and brought it under Arab control. With al-Khalifa's rule, the country became a British protectorate. It remained so until it gained its independence on August 14, 1971. Following the 1961 death of Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, his son, Sheikh Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa, acceded to power, becoming the first emir of the country. After his death on March 6, 1999, his eldest son Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa succeeded him. Sheikh Hamad's son, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Isa al-Khalifa, became Bahrain's crown prince.

Bahrain's economy is dominated by the government, which has encouraged a number of industries and service sectors other than those exploiting oil and natural gas, for the purpose of diversifying it. With a life expectancy of seventy-four years of age, Bahrain's citizens enjoy a high gross domestic product per capita (GDP) of approximately U.S.$15,000.

During Emir Isa's rule, Bahrain adopted its first constitution in 1973. This constitution called for the election of a National Assembly, but the emir dissolved this body in 1975. After Bahrainis indicated overwhelming support for it in a 2001 referendum, a new constitution was adopted in 2002. It provided for the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate into a monarchy ruled by a king, and guaranteed women the right to vote and hold public office.

Bahrain is a constitutional hereditary monarchy, in which the king is the chief of state and head of government. He appoints the prime minister who, after consultation with the king, appoints a Council of Ministers. The parliament is a bicameral legislative body, with a higher chamber, the Consultative Council, and a lower chamber, the Chamber of Deputies. The legislative branch is not truly free of the monarch's control, as he maintains the power to ratify all legislation approved by the parliament before it becomes law and appoints the forty members of the Consultative Council. The forty members of the Chamber of Deputies are directly elected by the people. Elections for the Chamber of Deputies took place in 2002 and witnessed 50 percent voter turnout. The citizens also elect municipal governments: Bahrain is divided into twelve municipalities, administered and controlled from Manama by a central municipal council whose members are appointed by the king. In addition, the king maintains control over the judiciary: He chairs the Higher Judicial Council, which supervises the court system (both the civil and Shari'a, or Islamic law, courts) and appoints judges based on the council's proposals.

Bahraini citizens can voice their opinions through limited participation in the political process and at the public meetings held by the king. The government continues to restrict citizens' rights in a number of ways: It bans political parties; imposes restrictions on freedom of speech and freedom of the press; restricts freedoms of assembly and association; imposes some limits on freedom of religion; and monitors its citizens' e-mail and Internet use.

Shari'a.

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Mohammed, Nadeya Sayed Ali. Population and Development of the Arab Gulf States: The Case of Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2003.

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U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, 2004. <http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/ hrrpt/2003/27925.htm>.

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