Bahrain is an archipelago located in the Persian Gulf east of Saudi Arabia that is 688 km squared. Bahrain is generally flat comprising of low desert plains. Only 2.82% of land is farmable and 92% of the land is desert. The highest point of Bahrain is Jabal ad Dukhan which is 122m high. During the summer it is very hot and humid, but during the winter the temperature is quite pleasant. The main natural hazards of Bahrain are the periodic droughts and dust storms. Some environmental issues concerning Bahrain are; desertification of arable land, coastal degradation, and lack of freshwater resources.
The government of Bahrain is a Constitutional Monarchy. The king of Bahrain is Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the Prime Minister is Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa. The legal system is based on Islamic law and English common law. Bahrain gained independence in August of 1971 from the UK.
The type of economy in Bahrain is a mixed economy. Bahrain is a generally wealthy country but it relies too strongly on oil. Some major industries that can be found in Bahrain are; petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism.
Bahrain was captured in 1782 by the Al Khalifa family from Persia. In order to secure these holdings Bahrain became a British protectorate. The country gained independence in 1971. The major religion of Bahrain is Muslim, both Shi’a and Sunni are practiced. A manmade creation of the country is the Babar temples, which were found in an archeological dig. The oldest of the temples dates back too 3000 BC. Another manmade creation is the King Fahd Causeway, which a bridge that connects Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The two main languages in Bahrain are Arabic and English. One issue in Bahrain is that people who come to the country to work are subjected to abuse. Another issue in the country is Shi’a activists protesting.
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