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bahrain:
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The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Middle Eastern archipelago in the Persian Gulf, tucked into a pocket of the sea flanked by
Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It's an oasis of liberalism – or at least western-friendly moderation –
among the Muslim countries of the region. It's popular with travelers for its authentic "Arabness" but without the strict application of Islamic law upon its non-Muslim minority. Case in point: alcohol is legal here. Although it has a heavily petroleum-based economy, its more relaxed culture has also made it a social and shopping mecca (so to speak), which has helped it develop a fairly cosmopolitan middle class not found in neighboring countries with just a rich elite and subsistence-level masses.
Bahrain is an archipelago of 36 islands located off the eastern coast
of Saudi Arabia. The four main islands are joined by causeways, and make up about
95% of the total land area.
In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to
secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during
the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained
its independence in 1971.
Bahrain's small size and central
location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing
act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves,
Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself
into an international banking center.
King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, after
coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations
with the Shia community. Shia discontent has resurfaced in recent years, however,
with opposition parties taking part in elections, street demonstrations, and low-level
violence. Wifaq, the largest Shia opposition movement, in late 2006 won a plurality
of seats in the elected half of the legislature.
There's so much more to learn... Check out our Facts For The Visitor or read up on our reviews of everything about Bahrain:
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