The 1997 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

tropospheric scatter and submarine cable to Florida; 3 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)

      Radio broadcast stations: AM 3, FM 2, shortwave 0

      Radios: 200,000 (1993 est.)

      Television broadcast stations: 1 (1986 est.)

      Televisions: 60,000 (1993 est.)

      @The Bahamas:Transportation

      Railways: 0 km

      Highways: total: 2,450 km paved: 1,406 km unpaved: 1,044 km (1995 est.)

      Ports and harbors: Freeport, Matthew Town, Nassau

      Merchant marine: total: 988 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 23,690,478 GRT/37,428,826 DWT ships by type: bulk 176, cargo 205, chemical tanker 41, combination bulk 7, combination ore/oil 23, container 56, liquefied gas tanker 21, oil tanker 184, passenger 47, refrigerated cargo 150, roll-on/roll-off cargo 53, short-sea passenger 11, vehicle carrier 14 note: a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 46 countries among which are Norway 157, Greece 146, UK 128, US 69, Denmark 51, Sweden 34, Finland 32, Belgium 29, Japan 27, and Monaco 27; Bahamas owns 10 additional ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 256,379 DWT that operate under Panamanian and Cypriot registry (1996 est.)

      Airports: 54 (1996 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways: total : 47 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 17 (1996 est.)

      Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (1996 est.)

      Military

      Military branches: Royal Bahamas Defense Force (Coast Guard only),

       Royal Bahamas Police Force

      Military manpower - availability: males age 15–49: NA

      Military manpower - fit for military service: males : NA

      Military expenditures - dollar figure: $20 million (FY95/96)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 3.8% (FY95/96)

      Transnational Issues

      Disputes - international: none

      Illicit drugs: transshipment point for cocaine and marijuana bound for US and Europe; banking industry vulnerable to money-laundering ______________________________________________________________________

      BAHRAIN

      @Bahrain: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 : 620 sq km land: 620 sq km water: 0 sq km

      Area - comparative: 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

      Land boundaries: 0 km

      Coastline: 161 km

      Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined territorial sea: 12 nm

      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

      Natural resources: oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

      Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 0% other: 92% (1993 est.)

      Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)

      Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms

      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

      Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements

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

      @Bahrain:People

      Population: 603,318 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 221,182 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)

      Age structure: 0–14 years: 31% (male 94,330; female 91,532) 15–64 years: 66% (male 240,496; female 160,662) 65 years and over : 3% (male 8,375; female 7,923) (July 1997 est.)

      Population growth rate: 2.18% (1997 est.)

      Birth rate: 23.01 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

      Death rate: 3.27 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

      Net migration rate: 2.07 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

      Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years : 1.03 male(s)/female 15–64 years: 1.5 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.06 male(s)/female total population: 1.32 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

      Infant mortality rate: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

      Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.63 years male: 72.1 years female : 77.24 years (1997 est.)

      Total fertility rate: 3.04 children born/woman (1997 est.)

      Nationality: noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini

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

      Religions: Shi'a Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim 25%

      Languages: Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu

      Literacy: definition : age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.2% male: 89.1% female: 79.4% (1995 est.)

      @Bahrain:Government

      Country name: conventional long form : State of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Dawlat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn

      Data code: BA

      Government type: traditional monarchy

      National capital: Manama

      Administrative divisions: 12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa'wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah note : all municipalities administered from Manama

      Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)

      National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December (1971)

      Constitution: 26 May 1973, effective 6 December 1973

      Legal system: based on Islamic law and English common law

      Suffrage: none

      Executive branch: chief of state : Amir ISA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 2 November 1961); Heir Apparent HAMAD bin Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa (son of the Amir, born 28 January 1949) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since 19 January 1970) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the amir elections: none; the amir is a traditional Arab monarch; prime minister appointed by the amir

      Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly was dissolved 26 August 1975 and legislative powers were assumed by the Cabinet; appointed Advisory Council established 16 December 1992

      Judicial