e annually:

male: 3,016
female: 3,024 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

0.5% of GDP (2006)

Transnational Issues
Bahamas, The

Disputes - international:

disagrees with the US on the alignment the northern axis of a
potential maritime boundary; continues to monitor and interdict drug
dealers and Haitian and Cuban refugees in Bahamian waters

Illicit drugs:

transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and
Europe; offshore financial center

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Bahrain

Introduction
Bahrain

Background:

In 1783, the al-Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians.
In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of
treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a
British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in
1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf
countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign
affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has
transformed itself into an international banking center. King HAMAD
bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic
and political reforms to improve relations with the Shia community.
Shia political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and
municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shia political society,
won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the
legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent
years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence.

Geography
Bahrain

Location:

Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates:

26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 665 sq km
land: 665 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:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

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 poin