tropospheric scatter and submarine cable links to Florida; broadcast
stations--3 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 3 coaxial submarine cables; 1 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth station
*** No entry for this item ***

:The Bahamas Defense Forces

Branches:
Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only), Royal Bahamas Police
Branches:
Force
Manpower availability:
males 15-49, 68,020; NA fit for military service
Defense expenditures:
exchange rate conversion--$65 million, 2.7% of GDP (1990)

:Bahrain Geography

Total area:
620 km2
Land area:
620 km2
Comparative area:
slightly less than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
161 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf:
not specific
Territorial sea:
3 nm
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
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%, includes irrigated NEGL%
Environment:
subsurface water sources being rapidly depleted (requires development of
desalination facilities); dust storms; desertification
Note:
close to primary Middle Eastern crude oil sources; strategic location in
Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's crude oil must transit to
reach open ocean

:Bahrain People

Population:
551,513 (July 1992), growth rate 3.1% (1992)
Birth rate:
27 births/1,000 population (1992)
Death rate:
4 deaths/1,000 population (1992)
Net migration rate:
7 migrants/1,000 population (1992)
Infant mortality rate:
21 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)
Life expectancy at birth:
70 years male, 75 years female (1992)
Total fertility rate:
4.0 children born/woman (1992)
Nationality:
noun - Bahraini(s); adjective - Bahraini
Ethnic divisions:
Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%, other 6%
Religions:
Muslim (Shi`a 70%, Sunni 30%)
Languages:
Arabic (official); English also widely spoken; Farsi, Urdu
Literacy:
77% (male 82%, female 69%) age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
Labor force:
140,000; 42% of labor force is Bahraini; industry and c