LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Bahrain: Saudi Arabia
built 630 days ago
The Kingdom of Bahrain [1] 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 ... 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.
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Bahrain is the first U.S. FTA partner on the Arabian Peninsula and the third FTA partner among Arab countries (Jordan and Morocco are the others). The United States is currently negotiating an FTA with the United Arab Emirates and completed negotiations with Oman on January 19, 2006. An FTA with Bahrain is an integral part of President Bush's initiative to advance economic reforms in the Middle East and to establish a Middle East Free Trade Agreement (MEFTA) by 2013.
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Frequently called the Pearl of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain has a history of more than 5,000 years of civilization which has contributed to the modern and traditional blend of Bahraini culture today. Historic and modern Bahrain blend well and the Kingdom remains an oasis of stability in the Middle East.
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Bahrain consists of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf). The islands are mostly desert, and most of the population lives in or near Manama, the capital. Since the 1930s the oil industry has replaced pearl diving, and Bahrain has become a financial and communications hub. It is connected to Saudi Arabia by the 26-kilometer (16 mile) King Fahd Causeway. Since independence from Britain in 1971, there has been conflict between the ruling Sunni tribe and the Shiite majority. A new constitution in 2002 provided for an elected parliament and gave women the right to vote and stand as candidates.
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The Kingdom of Bahrain consists of 33 islands situated in the Arabian Gulf between the Qatar peninsula and the east coast of Saudi Arabia. The archipelago has a total area of 707 sq. km about 48kms from north to south and 16kms from east to west. It was the first country in the Gulf to discover oil and since then, has used its oil revenues to build up an advanced infrastructure. Bahrain now has the fifth highest per capita income in the Middle East, the highest life expectancy in the Gulf and a very high rate of literacy. Despite the adverse effects of the 1990-91 Gulf crisis, Bahrain has retained its role as a major regional banking and financial centre, with particular emphasis on offshore banking activities. The causeway link with Saudi Arabia, opened in 1987, continues to benefit Bahrain's tourism and trade with its GCC neighbours.
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Bahrain entered recorded history about 5,000 years ago as a commercial trading center. Long under the influence of more powerful neighbors, it came under the domination of Iran in the 17th century. The al-Khalifa family, originating from the central Arabian Peninsula, established themselves as Bahrain’s rulers in 1783 and has ruled ever since. A series of treaties in the 19th century gave Britain control over Bahrain’s defense and foreign affairs. The British influence lasted until Bahrain became independent in 1971.
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