Bahrain - Demographics

Capital - Manama

Official languages - Arabic

Demonym - Bahraini

Government Constitutional Monarchy
- King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah
- Queen Sabika bint Ibrahim
- Prime Minister Khalifah ibn Sulman Al Khalifah

Independence
- From Portugal 1602
- From Persia 1783
- From United Kingdom December 16, 1971

Area
- Total 665 km2 (189th)
- 253 sq mi
- Water (%) 0

Population
- 2008 estimate 708,573 (154th)
- Density 1454/km2 (7th)
- 2,556/sq mi

Currency - Bahraini dinar (BHD)
Time zone - (UTC+3)
Drives on - the right
Internet TLD .bh
Calling code 973

The Kingdom of Bahrain

literally: Kingdom of the Two Seas - is an Arabic island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway, which officially opened on 25 November 1986. Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar / Bahrain Friendship Bridge will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world.

Bahrain is the Arabic term for "two seas", referring to the freshwater springs that are found within the salty seas surrounding it. Bahrain has been inhabited since ancient times. Its strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule and influence from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and the Arabs, under whom the island became Islamic. Bahrain may have been associated with Dilmun which is mentioned by Mesopotamian civilizations.

During its history it was called by different names such as Awal, then Mishmahig, when it was a part of the Persian Empire. From the 3rd to 6th century BC, Bahrain was included in Persian Empire by Achaemenians, an Iranian dynasty. From the 3rd century BC to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, Bahrain was controlled by two other Iranian dynasties of Parthians and Sassanids. By about 250 BC, the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under its control and extended its influence as far as Oman. Because they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route, the Parthians established garrisons in the southern coast of Persian Gulf.

In the 3rd century AD, the Sasanids succeeded the Parthians and held the area until the rise of Islam four centuries later. Ardashir, the first ruler of the Iranian Sassanian Dynasty marched forward on Oman and Bahrain, and defeated Sanatruq. At this time, Bahrain incorporated the southern Sassanid province covering the Persian Gulf's southern shore plus the archipelago of Bahrain. The southern province of the Sassanid empire was subdivided into the three districts of Haggar (now al-Hafuf province, Saudi Arabia), Batan Ardashir (now al-Qatif province, Saudi Arabia), and Mishmahig (Which in Middle-Persian/Pahlavi means "ewe-fish"). Until Bahrain adopted Islam in 629 AD, it was a center of Nestorian Christianity. Early Islamic sources describe it as being inhabited by members of the Abdul Qays, Tamim, and Bakr tribes, worshiping the idol Awal.

courtesy : wikipedia