ent: modern system
domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network
with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones
international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and
UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to
Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)

Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios:
338,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
4 (1997)

Televisions:
275,000 (1997)

Internet country code:
.bh

Internet hosts:
1,334 (2003)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)

Internet users:
195,700 (2003)

Transportation Bahrain

Highways:
total: 3,459 km
paved: 2,653 km
unpaved: 806 km (2002)

Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Merchant marine:
total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Kuwait 2) (2005)

Airports:
4 (2004 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 2
1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

Heliports:
1 (2004 est.)

Military Bahrain

Military branches:
Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense),
Navy, Air Force, National Guard

Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Manpower available for military service:
males age 18-49: 202,126 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
males age 18-49: 161,372 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males: 6,013 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$628.9 million (2004)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
6.3% (2004)

Transnational Issues Bahrain

Disputes - international:
none

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@Baker Island

Introduction Baker Island

Background:
The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano
deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second
half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at
colonization was begun on this island - as w