BAHRAIN
Location:
Bahrain is an archipelago in the central Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia
and Qatar. Its total area is 620 square kilometres.
Population:
585,683 (July, 1994 estimate)
Languages:
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Government:
Bahrain's government is that of a traditional monarchy.
Legal System:
The Bahraini legal system is based on Islamic law and English common law.
Telecommunications:
Bahrain has a modern telecommunication system with excellent international
connections. It has tropospheric scatter to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates,
microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia, and submarine cable to Qatar, the
United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. It also has satellite earth stations:
one Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT, one Indian Ocean INTELSAT and one
ARABSAT.
Economy:
Petroleum production and processing account for about 80% of export receipts, 60% of
government revenues and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the
changing fortunes of oil since 1985. Bahrain has become a major offshore financial
centre for the oil-rich Middle East. Bahrain, with its highly developed communication
and transport facilities, is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the
Gulf. Future prospects are good, with private enterprise the main driving force.
Industries:
The main industries in Bahrain are petroleum processing and refining, aluminum
smelting, offshore banking and ship repairing.
Currency:
1 Bahraini dinar (BD) = 1,000 fils
Exchange Rates:
Bahraini dinars (BD) per US$1 - 0.3760 (fixed rate)
Related sites:
Bahrain
Bahrain Hotels
Bahrain: The Pearl Of The Gulf
State Of Bahrain
To the Offshore World home page.
To the Offshore Financial Centres page.