Kingdom of Bahrain: Map & History
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in the eastern part of Arabian Peninsula in West Asia.
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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in the eastern part of Arabian Peninsula 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, centred 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 are Bahraini nationals, and 848,934 are expatriates. 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.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Bahrain
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Bahrain covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Bahrain's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Bahrain in Depth
History
Bahrain was home to Dilmun, an important Bronze Age trade centre linking Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Bahrain was later ruled by the Sumerians and Babylonians. From the 6th to 3rd century BC, Bahrain was part of the Achaemenid Empire. By about 250 BC, Parthia brought the Persian Gulf under its control and extended its influence as far as Oman. The Parthians established garrisons along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf to control trade routes.
During the classical era, Bahrain was referred to by the ancient Greeks as Tylos, the centre of pearl trading, when the Greek admiral Nearchus serving under Alexander landed on Bahrain.
Government and politics
Bahrain is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by King Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. King Hamad enjoys wide executive powers which include appointing the prime minister and his ministers, commanding the Bahrain Defence Force, chairing the Higher Judicial Council, appointing the parliament's upper house and dissolving its elected lower house. The head of government is the prime minister. In 2010, about half of the cabinet was composed of the Al Khalifa family.
Bahrain has a bicameral National Assembly (al-Majlis al-Watani) consisting of the Shura Council (Majlis Al-Shura) with 40 seats and the Council of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwab) with 40 seats. The forty members of the Shura are appointed by the king.
Economy
According to a January 2006 report by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Bahrain has the fastest-growing economy in the Arab world. Bahrain's economy is ranked the 55th freest in the 2025 Index of Economic Freedom and 4th out of 14 countries in the Middle East/North Africa region.
In 2008, Bahrain was named the world's fastest-growing financial centre by the City of London's Global Financial Centres Index. Bahrain's banking and financial services sector, particularly Muslim banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil. Petroleum production and processing is Bahrain's most exported product, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP.
Culture
Islam is the main religion, and Bahrainis are known for their tolerance towards the practice of other faiths. Intermarriages between Bahrainis and expatriates are not uncommon—there are many Filipino Bahrainis like Filipino child actress Mona Marbella Al-Alawi.
Rules regarding female attire are generally relaxed compared to regional neighbours; the traditional attire of women usually include the hijab or the abaya. Although the traditional male attire is the thobe, which also includes traditional headdresses such as the keffiyeh, ghutra and agal, Western clothing is common in the country.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Bahrain (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Bahrain: Key Facts
| Capital | Manama |
|---|---|
| Official language | Arabic |
| Form of government | constitutional monarchy |
| Currency | Bahraini dinar |
| Founded | 14 August 1971 |
Preceded by
- State of Bahrain
Facts from Wikidata Q398 (CC0).
Kingdom of Bahrain: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Bahrain exist?
The Kingdom of Bahrain is dated to 1973 CE – 2024 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain?
The capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain was Manama.
How large was the Kingdom of Bahrain at its peak?
At its peak in 2024 the Kingdom of Bahrain covered about 881 km².
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