Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf

Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf made up of more than 30 islands, including the largest, which is also named Bahrain. Although surrounded by water, the islands have a dry desert climate.

For hundreds of years, Bahrain was a center of trade and communications in the Persian Gulf region. Dilmun, a prosperous trading civilization, occupied the islands about 4,000 years ago. In the 1700's, al Khalifah Arabs from Saudi Arabia took control of Bahrain and have ruled it ever since, though the country was a protectorate of the United Kingdom from 1861 to 1971.

Manama, Bahrain's capital city, lights up tor a religious festival. Bahrain, a major banking and financial center for the Persian Gulf area, also serves as the Middle East headquarters of many international companies.

Bahrain was an underdeveloped nation until 1932, when petroleum was discovered on the island of Bahrain. The country now enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Persian Gulf area. It has one of the highest literacy rates in the region, and education is free. The government also provides free medical care.

Bahrain is headed by a ruler called an emir. The emir appoints a Cabinet of 15 members and a prime minister to run the government. The country had a national assembly elected by the people, but it was disbanded by the emir. Sheik Isa Khalifah, in 1975. In the mid-1990's, widespread demands for the restoration of parliament led to violent antigovernment riots and bombings.

About 80 per cent of Bahrain's people are Arabs. Large groups of Indians, Iranians, and Pakistanis also live in the country. Almost all the people are Muslims, and Islam is the national religion. Arabic is the official language, though Farsi—the language of Iran—and English are also spoken. Many Bahrainis, especially younger people, wear clothes reflecting Western influence, but others still wear traditional Arab dress.

Most of Bahrain's people live in towns in the northern part of the island of Bahrain. The majority live in houses or apartments, but some villagers build thatched huts. Freshwater springs provide ample drinking water on the northern coast of Bahrain, and farmers also use this water to irrigate their land.

Northern Bahrain receives most of the little rain that falls—about 3 inches (8 centimeters) a year, mainly during the winter. Summers are hot and humid. Bahrain has one of the best electric service systems in the Middle East, so refrigerators and air conditioners are common in this desert land.

The electricity, free medical care, and other services Bahrainis enjoy are due mainly to oil profits. Bahrain actually has only a small supply of petroleum, but its oil refinery, on the island of Sitrah, is one of the world's largest and most modern. The Sitrah refinery processes all of Bahrain's crude petroleum, as well as much of the oil that comes from Saudi Arabia via pipeline.

While Bahrain's economy depends largely on the petroleum industry, the government has taken steps to broaden the economy. It has established programs designed to develop commerce, construction, fishing, manufacturing, and transportation. Also, Bahrain today ranks as a major banking and financial center for the Persian Gulf region. Modern warehouse and port facilities help make it a major trading center as well.

Ship repairing is also an important industry in Bahrain. Factories produce aluminum and aluminum products, ammonia, iron, liquid natural gas, methanol, and petroleum products. Farmers grow dates, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables on irrigated land, and also raise cattle and poultry. Fish and shrimp are caught in the country's coastal waters.