Portal:Bahrain

The Bahrain Portal

Flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain	Coat of Arms of the Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated near the western shore of the Persian Gulf, the country comprises a small archipelago of 33 natural islands and an additional 50 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which makes up around 80 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population is 1,588,670 as of 2024, of whom 739,736 (46.6% of the population) are Bahraini nationals, and 848,934 are expatriates (53.4% of the population). Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi) and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.

The area that straddles the present-day territory of Bahrain was once the site of the ancient Dilmun civilisation. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to be influenced by Islam, during the lifetime of Muhammad in 628. Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas the Great of the Safavid Iran. In 1783, the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur. It has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim.

In the late 19th century, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, it declared independence. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and Article 2 of the constitution made sharia a principal source for legislation. In 2011, the country experienced protests inspired by the regional Arab Spring. The ruling Sunni Muslim Al Khalifa royal family has been criticised for violating the human rights of groups including dissidents, political opposition figures, and its Shia Muslim population.

Bahrain is known as one of the first post-oil economies in the Persian Gulf, the result of decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors. Many of the world's largest financial institutions have a presence in Manama, but oil revenues still constitute a significant part of its government budget. It is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy. Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council. It is a Dialogue partner of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. (Full article...)

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The Cabinet of Bahrain is the chief executive body of the Kingdom of Bahrain. According to Article 32 (b) of the 2002 Constitution, "executive authority is vested in the King together with the Council of Ministers and Ministers". The Council of Ministers (Cabinet) is appointed directly by the King (Article 33d). Bahrain has had two Prime Ministers since the country's independence in 1971, Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the uncle of the reigning King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah. Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa died on 11 November 2020, and was succeeded by the King's son, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. (Full article...)

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Manama

Skyline with roads, towers and harbour of Manama, Bahrain

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Buhmaid bleeding on ground after being shot

Abdulredha Mohamed Hasan Buhmaid (or Buhamaid, Arabic: عبدالرضا محمد حسن بوحميد) was a 28-year-old Bahraini protester shot by a live bullet in the head on 18 February 2011. He died in hospital three days later, the seventh death in the Bahraini uprising.

Buhmaid was among a group of protesters who on 18 February marched toward the Pearl Roundabout following the funeral procession of protester Ali Abdulhadi Mushaima, who was killed four days earlier. When the protesters neared Pearl Roundabout, the army opened fire. Buhmaid collapsed to the ground, and blood poured from his head after it was hit by a bullet. The army opened fire twice more. Protesters regrouped after each round of shooting. Riot police finally intervened and dispersed protesters. Over one hundred protesters were injured, some seriously. Buhmaid was taken to Salmaniya hospital where attempts to revive him failed over the course of three days. He died on the afternoon of 21 February. (Full article...)

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The following are images from various Bahrain-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1The Shrinathji temple in Manama (from Bahrain)
Image 2Manama souq in 1965 (from Bahrain)
Image 3The Tree of Life, a 9.75 metre high Prosopis cineraria tree that is over 400 years old (from Bahrain)
Image 4Several people held a sit-in in solidarity with human rights activist Nabeel Rajab. (from Bahrain)
Image 5Bahrainis observing public prayers in Manama (from Bahrain)
Image 6The Portuguese Fort in 1870. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 7The National Union Committee members in 1954 (from History of Bahrain)
Image 8Protesters at the Pearl Roundabout just before it was demolished (from Bahrain)
Image 9The emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa heads the opening session of the first conference on the formation of a union of the Gulf emirates in February 1968. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 10The Portuguese Fort of Barém, built by the Portuguese when they ruled Bahrain from 1521 to 1602 (from Bahrain)
Image 11A 1745 Bellin map of the historical region of Bahrain (from Bahrain)
Image 12The historical region of Bahrain on a 1745 Bellin map (from History of Bahrain)
Image 13The podium ceremony at the 2007 Bahrain Grand Prix (from Bahrain)
Image 14Facsimile of the letter written by Muhammed to the ruler of Bahrain. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 15Dilmun burial mounds in 1918. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 16A map showing the locations of Bahrain's ancient burial mounds. There are an estimated 350,000 burial mounds. (from Bahrain)
Image 17Sidade de Baren depicted in Lázaro Luís' 1563 map of Arabia (from History of Bahrain)
Image 18The King Hamad American Mission Hospital. (from Bahrain)
Image 19The Isa ibn Ali Al Khalifa house is an example of traditional architecture in Bahrain. (from Bahrain)
Image 20The proposed federation of Arab emirates (from History of Bahrain)
Image 21Inside Riffa Fort (from History of Bahrain)
Image 22Manama skyline as viewed from Juffair (from Bahrain)
Image 23Location of the Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 24An artisan making pottery using the traditional mud and water mixture on a revolving wheel (from Bahrain)
Image 25Bahrain was the tenth most water-stressed country in the world in 2022. (from Bahrain)
Image 26Phoenicians man their ships in service to Assyrian king Sennacherib, during his war against the Chaldeans in the Persian Gulf, ca. 700 BC (from History of Bahrain)
Image 27Topography (from Bahrain)
Image 28Map of Manama in 1926. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 29Bahrain province before Independence, was simultaneously part of Iran, a British protectorate whilst at the same time it was ruled "locally" by the Al-Khalifa tribe. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 30The view from outside one of the entrance gates at the Avenues (from Bahrain)
Image 31Manama Harbour, c. 1870 (from Bahrain)
Image 32The Persian Empire in the Sassanid era on the eve of the Arab conquest, c. 600 AD (from Bahrain)
Image 33The coronation of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as the Hakim of Bahrain in February 1933 (from Bahrain)
Image 34A view of Arad Fort (from History of Bahrain)
Image 35A facsimile of a letter sent by Muhammad to Munzir ibn-Sawa al-Tamimi, governor of Bahrain, in AD 628 (from Bahrain)
Image 36Coronation of Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa as the Hakim of Bahrain in 1933. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 37Overview of Manama, 1953 (from Bahrain)
Image 38The cities of Muharraq (foreground) and Manama (background) (from Bahrain)
Image 39Artistic depiction of Nasr Al-Madhkur in Bushehr (from History of Bahrain)
Image 40The Manama Souq on Bahrain National Day (from Bahrain)
Image 41Manama seen from Muharraq (from Bahrain)
Image 42The National Library of Bahrain at Isa Cultural Centre (from Bahrain)
Image 43Female students at the University of Bahrain dressed in traditional garb (from Bahrain)
Image 44Al-Hidaya Al-Khalifia Boys school. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 45The Khamis Mosque in 1956. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 46A map of Bahrain in 1825 (from Bahrain)
Image 47The Sasanian Empire at its greatest extent c. 620, under Khosrow II (from History of Bahrain)
Image 48King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meets American president Donald Trump in May 2017. (from Bahrain)
Image 49The Bahrain national football team playing Australia in June 2009, in a World Cup qualifier (from Bahrain)
Image 50First Oil Well, Bahrain. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 51Over 100,000 of Bahrainis taking part in the "March of Loyalty to Martyrs", honoring political dissidents killed by security forces, on 22 February. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 52A view of the Grand Avenue section of the Avenues (from Bahrain)
Image 53The First Oil Well in Bahrain, with oil first being extracted in 1931 (from Bahrain)
Image 54GDP per capita development in Bahrain (from Bahrain)
Image 55A mixed martial arts event in Bahrain (from Bahrain)
Image 56Greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus) are native to Bahrain. (from Bahrain)
Image 57Purple – Portuguese Empire in the Persian Gulf in the 16th and 17th centuries (modern boundaries shown). Main cities, ports and routes. (from Bahrain)
Image 58National Evangelical Church, Manama (from Bahrain)
Image 59Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain (from Bahrain)
Image 60The new terminal of the Bahrain International Airport (from Bahrain)
Image 61The King Fahd Causeway as seen from space (from Bahrain)
Image 62The Bahrain Fort, location of Dilmun artifacts. (from History of Bahrain)
Image 63Bahraini protests against the ruling Al Khalifa family in 2011 (from Bahrain)

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... that the Bahrain pearling trail is Bahrain's second UNESCO World Heritage Site after the Bahrain Fort?

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... that between 2006 and 2007, Stacy Hollowell worked for basketball teams in Qatar, China, Bahrain and Lithuania?
... that Bahraini author Fatema Al Harbi, the first non-government Bahraini to visit Israel, faced death threats upon her return to Bahrain?
... that the first Chinese driver to race in Formula One debuted at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix?
... that hurdler Ahmed Hamada was the Bahraini flagbearer for two Olympic Games – sixteen years apart?

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