The 2005 CIA World Factbook. United States. Central Intelligence Agency

3%, US 2.9%, UAE 2.2% (2004)

      Imports:

       $5.87 billion (2004 est.)

      Imports - commodities:

       crude oil, machinery, chemicals

      Imports - partners:

       Saudi Arabia 32.4%, Japan 7.3%, Germany 6.1%, US 5.6%, UK 5.4%,

       France 4.8% (2004)

      Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

       $2.141 billion (2004 est.)

      Debt - external:

       $6.215 billion (2004 est.)

      Economic aid - recipient:

       $150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of

       Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)

      Currency (code):

       Bahraini dinar (BHD)

      Currency code:

       BHD

      Exchange rates:

       Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376

       (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000)

      Fiscal year:

       calendar year

      Communications Bahrain

      Telephones - main lines in use:

       185,800 (2003)

      Telephones - mobile cellular:

       443,100 (2003)

      Telephone system:

       general assessment: modern system

       domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network

       with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones

       international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and

       UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to

       Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat

       (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)

      Radio broadcast stations:

       AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)

      Radios:

       338,000 (1997)

      Television broadcast stations:

       4 (1997)

      Televisions:

       275,000 (1997)

      Internet country code:

       .bh

      Internet hosts:

       1,334 (2003)

      Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

       1 (2000)

      Internet users:

       195,700 (2003)

      Transportation Bahrain

      Highways: total: 3,459 km paved: 2,653 km unpaved: 806 km (2002)

      Pipelines:

       gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)

      Ports and harbors:

       Mina' Salman, Sitrah

      Merchant marine:

       total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT

       by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 2, container 2, petroleum tanker 1

       foreign-owned: 2 (Kuwait 2) (2005)

      Airports:

       4 (2004 est.)

      Airports - with paved runways: total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

      Airports - with unpaved runways:

       total: 1

       1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)

      Heliports:

       1 (2004 est.)

      Military Bahrain

      Military branches:

       Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense),

       Navy, Air Force, National Guard

      Military service age and obligation:

       18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

      Manpower available for military service:

       males age 18–49: 202,126 (2005 est.)

      Manpower fit for military service:

       males age 18–49: 161,372 (2005 est.)

      Manpower reaching military service age annually:

       males: 6,013 (2005 est.)

      Military expenditures - dollar figure:

       $628.9 million (2004)

      Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

       6.3% (2004)

      Transnational Issues Bahrain

      Disputes - international: none

      This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

      ======================================================================

      @Baker Island

      Introduction Baker Island

      Background:

       The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano

       deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second

       half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at

       colonization was begun on this island - as well as on nearby Howland

       Island - but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned.

       Presently the island is a National Wildlife Refuge run by the US

       Department of the Interior; a day beacon is situated near the middle

       of the west coast.

      Geography Baker Island

      Location:

       Oceania, atoll in the North Pacific Ocean, about half way between

       Hawaii and Australia

      Geographic coordinates:

       0 13 N, 176 31 W

      Map references:

       Oceania

      Area:

       total: 1.4 sq km

       land: 1.4 sq km

       water: 0 sq km

      Area - comparative:

       about 2.5 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC

      Land boundaries:

       0 km

      Coastline:

       4.8 km

      Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

      Climate:

       equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun

      Terrain:

       low, nearly level coral island surrounded by a narrow fringing reef

      Elevation extremes:

       lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

       highest point: unnamed location 8 m

      Natural resources:

       guano (deposits worked until 1891), terrestrial and aquatic wildlife

      Land use: arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)

      Irrigated