Project: Bahrain/Country
{{Image|file=
|
| Flag of Bahrain |
Contents |
Location
|
The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island country located in West Asia. The country comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country’s landmass. It is situated in the Persian Gulf, between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia and is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway.
See Also: Geography of Bahrain
Administrative Divisions
|
Bahrain is divided into four Governorates:
| Map # | Governorate |
|---|---|
| 1 | Capital Governorate العاصمة محافظة |
| 2 | Muharraq Governorate المحرق محافظة |
| 3 | Northern Governorate الشمالية المحافظة |
| 4 | Southern Governorate الجنوبية المحافظة |
Each governorate is led by a governor who is appointed by the Prime Minister, and has its own municipality council. Until September 2014, there were five governorates when the Central Governorate was abolished.
See Also: Governorates of Bahrian
The capital and largest city of Bahrain is Manama. Other significant cities include Riffa, Muharraq, Hamad Town, and A'ali.
History
Bahrain was a central location of the ancient Dilmun civilization which first appears in Sumerian cuneiform clay tablets dated to the end of fourth millennium BC.
Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602. In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family.
In 1783, the Bani Utbah tribe led by Al Khalifa invaded Bahrain from their base in Al Zubarah, which was then a British Protectorate of Qatar1. Since then, Bahrain has been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family2.
Bahrain was a dependency of the Persian Empire when it was invaded by the Bani Utbah tribe1. The country was under Portuguese rule from 1521 to 1602, and then under Persian rule from 1602 to 1783.
In 1861, Bahrain became a British protectorate, with Britain assuming responsibility for Bahrain's defense and for its relations with other major powers. In turn, the sheikh agreed to refrain from the prosecution of war, piracy, or slavery. In 1947, this protection briefly became the responsibility of the government of British India, but it reverted back to Britain following India’s independence. Until 1970, the government of Iran periodically advanced claims to sovereignty over Bahrain, but these were repudiated.
Britain’s decision to withdraw all of its forces from the gulf in 1968 led Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah to proclaim Bahrain’s independence in August 1971. A treaty of friendship was signed with the United Kingdom, terminating Bahrain’s status as a British protectorate, and Sheikh Isa was designated as the emir. Bahrain then became a member of the United Nations and the Arab League.
Historical Timeline
- 1521 to 1602: Bahrain was under Portuguese rule.
- 1602 to 1783: Bahrain was under Persian rule.
- 1783: The Bani Utbah tribe led by Al Khalifa invaded Bahrain and the Al Khalifa royal family has ruled Bahrain ever since.
- 1861: Bahrain became a British protectorate.
- 1947: Bahrain briefly became the responsibility of the government of British India, but it reverted to Britain following India’s independence that same year.
- 1971: Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifah proclaimed Bahrain’s independence in August and Sheikh Isa was designated as the emir.
See Also: History of Bahrian
Ethnicities:
The largest ethnic group in Bahrain are Bahranians, comprising about 47% of the population. They are followed closely by Asians (mostly Southeast Asians) at about 40%. Other Arabs make up about 6% of the population. Non-nationals make up more than half of the population of Bahrain, with immigrants making up about 52.6% of the overall population. Of those, the vast majority come from South and Southeast Asia.
The Bahranian ethnic group can be further divided into several sub-groups:
- Baharna are the indigenous inhabitants of Bahrain - the overwhelming majority are Shia Muslims.
- Afro-Arabs descend from Africans, primarily from East Africa and mostly of the Sunni faith.
- The Ajam of Bahrain who are Persians, mostly of Shia faith (a minority are from the Baháʼí Faith).
- Banyan (formerly known as the Hunood) are descended from Indians who traded with and settled in Bahrain before the age of oil. They are mostly of Hindu faith.
- Bahraini Jews have inhabited Bahrain for centuries. Most native Bahraini Jews are of Mesopotamian and Persian descent.
- Huwala are Sunni Arabs from Persia.
- The Bahraini Sunni Arabs are urbanized Sunni Bahrainis of Bedouin ancestry.
See Also: Baharna
Languages:
The official language of Bahrain is Modern Standard Arabic. Arabic is spoken in two main variations in Bahrain: Bahrani and Gulf Arabic. Most government communications are in Arabic, although some documents are translated into English when the targeted audience is non-Arabic speakers. The presence of a large expatriate community and the need to adopt a foreign language in the country has led to the use of English the de facto national working and primary business language. The Persian language is also still actively used, mainly by the Persian immigrants, with three modern varieties spoken in the country: Western Persian, Dari, and Tajik. Urdu is spoken in Bahrain, primarily by South Asian immigrants.
See also: Languages of Bahrain
Google Translation Tool: Translate
Religions:
Islam is the state religion of Bahrain and is followed by around 70% of the population. Most Bahraini citizens are Muslim and most Muslims are Shiites. The country also has a small but significant Christian population, with about 15% of the population adhering to Christianity. Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, and folk religions account for about 10% of the total population.
See Also: Religion in Bahrain
See Also: Demographics of Bahrain
Bahraini Naming Conventions
Bahrain, like many other Arabic-speaking countries, follows a long naming system. Here are the main components of Bahraini names:
Ism (Given Name): The ism is the given name, first name, or personal name; e.g. “Ahmad” or “Fatimah”. Most Arabic names have meaning as ordinary adjectives and nouns, and are often aspirational of character. For example, Muhammad means ‘Praiseworthy’ and Ali means ‘Exalted’ or 'High’.
Nasab (Lineage): The nasab is a patronymic or matronymic, or a series thereof. It indicates the person’s heritage by the word ibn (“son of”, colloquially bin) or ibnat (“daughter of”, also bint, abbreviated bte.). Ibn Khaldun means “son of Khaldun”. Khaldun is the father’s personal name or the name of a remote male ancestor.
Several nasab names can follow in a chain to trace a person’s ancestry backwards in time, as was important in the tribal society of medieval Arabs, both for purposes of identification and for socio-political interactions. Today, however, ibn or bint is no longer used (unless it is the official naming style in a country, region, etc.)
See Also: Arabic names
This page was last modified 00:09, 6 November 2024. This page has been accessed 110 times.