determined
territorial sea: 12 nm

International 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%

Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1989 est.)

Environment:
current issues: desertification resulting from the degradation of
limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; coastal
degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation)
resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil
refineries, and distribution stations; no natural fresh water
resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for
all water needs
natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
international agreements: party to - Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not ratified -
Biodiversity

Note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic
location in Persian Gulf through which much of Western world's
petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

@Bahrain:People

Population: 575,925 (July 1995 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 31% (female 87,398; male 89,976)
15-64 years: 67% (female 152,363; male 231,586)
65 years and over: 2% (female 7,051; male 7,551) (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.58% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 24.12 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 3.31 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 4.95 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 18 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 73.94 years
male: 71.46 years
female: 76.49 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.12 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Bahraini(s)
adjective: Bahraini

Ethnic divisions: Bahraini 63%, Asian 13%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%,
other 6%

Religions: Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%

Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1991)
total population: 84%
male: 89%
female: 77%

Labor force: 140,000
by occupation: industry and commerce 85