32 Facts About Bahrain

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in western Asia. 

Bahrain is situated east of Saudi Arabia and north of Qatar. 

Despite its location in one of the world's most important oil producing regions, Bahrain has only limited petroleum reserves.

Bahrain's main economic drivers include oil refining and international banking.

Bahrain has a population of 1,526,929 people and the Bahraini Dinar is the official currency.

Bahrain's capital and largest city is Manama.

Bahrain is derived from the Arabic word al-Bahrayn. The root word "Bahr" means "sea," and its dual form is Bahrayn. As a result, the literal translation is "the two seas," which refers to the country's surrounding waters.

People mistake Bahrain for a Persian Gulf island nation, but it is an archipelago of 33 islands, the largest of which accounts for 83% of the country's total land mass.

Bahrain is Asia's third smallest country, with an area only slightly larger than Singapore and the Maldives.

According to a 2014 World Bank study, Bahrain ranks third in the world in terms of electric power consumption per capita, trailing only Iceland and Norway.

Bahrain's highest point is only 134 metres above sea level. It is called Jabal ad Dukhan which translates to "mountain of smoke". The haze that envelops the area on humid days inspired the name.

Only 2.82% of Bahrain's total land area is suitable for agriculture, while the remaining 92% is desert, with frequent droughts and dust storms.

There are no rivers, lakes, or streams in Bahrain. It has the world's lowest freshwater supply. The Dammam aquifer supplies the country with limited groundwater.

Water scarcity, oil pollution, and climate change are all threatening the country's stability. Bahrain applied to the Green Climate Fund for assistance with water conservation efforts in 2018.

Bahrain was known as Dilmun, a trading centre during the Bronze Age around 3000 BCE. It connected Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley.

In AD 628, the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) dispatched an envoy to Bahrain, according to traditional accounts. The local ruler welcomed the mission and converted the entire area to Islam.

The legal system of Bahrain was influenced by both English common law and Islamic law. Sunni and Shi'i sects have separate courts, with the High Civil Appeals Court serving as the highest court in the country.

Bahrain provides free health care. Citizens also have access to a comprehensive social security system, which includes unemployment benefits, pensions, sick pay, workers compensation, and maternity allowance payments.

Bahraini cuisine emphasises seafood, with shrimp and fish frequently served with rice. They also enjoy shawarma, a wrap filled with sliced vegetables and spit-roasted meat. Guests are always offered coffee, which is frequently flavoured with saffron or cardamom.

In Bahrain, football is the most popular sport. Horse racing and camel racing are also popular among the locals.

The vast majority of newspapers are privately owned and published in Arabic. They are not censored as long as they do not criticise the ruling family. The same is true for radio and television stations.

Bahrain has the world's lowest income tax of zero percent. People are not required to pay taxes regardless of their income. The value-added tax was implemented on the majority of goods and services in 2019.

Oil accounts for 85% of Bahrain's budget revenue. Other important economic activities include aluminium, finance, and construction.

Bahrain imports the majority of its food, but it grows tomatoes, dates, mangoes, bananas, citrus fruits, alfalfa, and pomegranates.

All children aged 6 to 14 are entitled to free public education.

Bahrain has the highest rate of female literacy in the Persian Gulf.

Bahrain is the country with the highest amount of waste generated per capita, according to Guinness World Records. Every year, each person generates 906.7 kg of waste.

In 2012, Bahrain created the world's first 3D-printed coral reef, which was sunk along its coast.

In January 1976, British Airways began commercial Concorde service from London to Bahrain. The jet flew 3,500 miles in 4 hours, much faster than subsonic planes, which take 6.5 hours.

The Bahrain World Trade Center was one of the first skyscrapers in the world to incorporate large-scale wind turbines into their design. When it first opened in 2007, wind power supplied 11-15% of its energy needs.

Bahrain unfurled the world's largest national draped flag at the time in 2004. This was to commemorate their 33rd National Day. The flag is 160 metres by 96 metres in size and weighs 3,200 kilograms.

To boost tourism and revitalize the pearl industry, Bahrain opened the world's largest underwater theme park in 2019, complete with a submerged Boeing 747 jet.