Cruising to Bahrain

Background

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. Sheikh HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, who came to power in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community.

In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of Sheikh HAMAD's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Sheikh HAMAD pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and changed his status from amir to king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.

Geography

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

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 point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Economy

Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from refining imported crude.

Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In 2005 Bahrain and the US ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state.

Transportation

Airports: 3 (2005)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 3
Heliports: 1 (2005)
Pipelines: gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)
Roadways: total: 3,498 km

Merchant marine

Total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 235,449 GRT/339,728 DWT
By type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1
Foreign-owned: 4 (India 1, Kuwait 3) (2005)

Sailing Specifics: Ports and terminals

Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Other Sailing Destinations in the Region

Bahrain - Christmas Islands - Cocos Keeling - Comoros - Djibouti - Eritrea - India - Jordan - Kenya - Kuwait - Madagascar - Maldives - Mauritius - Mayotte - Mozambique - Oman - Pakistan - Qatar - Reunion Island - Saudi Arabia - Seychelles - Somalia - Sri Lanka - Sudan - Tanzania - United Arab Emirates - Yemen

Further Reading

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