Geography

Bahrain (from the Arabic word for 'two seas') comprises an archipelago of thirty-three islands situated midway in the Arabian close to the shore of the Arabian Peninsula. The islands are about 24 kilometres from the east coast of Saudi Arabia and 28 kilometres from Qatar.

Considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the 'Cradle of Humanity' in the Middle East, Bahrain has a total area of 691 square kilometres, which is slightly larger than the Isle of Man. The largest island, accounting for 83% of the area, is Bahrain (aka Al Bahrayn), which has an extent of 572 square kilometres. From north to south, Bahrain is 48 kilometres long; at its widest point in the north, it is 16 kilometers from east to west.

As an archipelago, Bahrain does not share a land boundary with another country but does have a 161-kilometre (100 mi) coastline and claims a further 12 nautical miles (22 km) of territorial sea and a 24 nautical mile (44 km) contiguous zone.

Bahrain's natural resources include large quantities of oil and associated and non-associated natural gas as well as fish stocks, which is perhaps fortunate as arable land constitutes only 2.82%. Desert constitutes 92% of Bahrain and periodic droughts and dust storms are the main natural hazards for Bahrainis.

Topography

Around most of Bahrain is a relatively shallow inlet of the Persian Gulf known as the Gulf of Bahrain. The seabed adjacent to Bahrain is rocky and, mainly off the northern part of the island, covered by extensive coral reefs.

Most of the island is low-lying and barren desert. Outcroppings of limestone form low rolling hills, stubby cliffs and shallow ravines. The limestone is covered by various densities of saline sand, capable of supporting only the hardiest desert vegetation - chiefly thorn trees and scrub. There is a fertile strip 5 kilometres wide along the northern coast on which date, almond, fig, and pomegranate trees grow.

The interior contains an escarpment that rises to 134 metres, the highest point on the island, to form Jabal ad Dukhan (Mountain of Smoke), named for the mists that often wreathe the summit. Most of the country's oil wells are situated in the vicinity of Jabal ad Dukhan.

Islands

Manama (Al Manamah), the capital, is located on the northeastern tip of the island of Bahrain. The main port, Mina Salman, also is located on the island, as are the major petroleum refining facilities and commercial centres. Causeways and bridges connect Bahrain to adjacent islands and the mainland of Saudi Arabia. The oldest causeway, originally constructed in 1929, links Bahrain to Al Muharraq, the second largest island. Although the island is only 6 kilometres long, the country's second largest city, Al Muharraq, and the international airport are located there. A causeway also connects Al Muharraq to the tiny island of Jazirat al Azl, the site of a major ship-repair and dry-dock centre. South of Jazirat al Azl, the island of Sitrah, site of the oil export terminal, is linked to Bahrain by a bridge that spans the narrow channel separating the two islands. The causeway to the island of Umm an Nasan, off the west coast of Bahrain, continues on to the Saudi mainland town of Al Khubar. Umm an Nasan is the private property of the Emir and the site of his personal game preserve.

The other islands of significance include Nabi Salah, which is northwest of Sitrah; Jiddah, to the north of Umm an Nasan; and a group of islands, the largest of which is Hawar, near the coast of Qatar. Nabi Salah contains several freshwater springs that are used to irrigate the island's extensive date palm groves. The rocky islet of Jiddah formely housed the state prison but has now been converted to a holiday resort. Hawar and the fifteen small islands near it are the subject of a territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar. Hawar is 19 kilometres long and about 1.5 kilometres wide. The other islands are uninhabited and are nesting sites for a variety of migratory birds.

Environmental Issues

Environmental issues facing Bahrain include desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land and coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations. The agricultural and domestic sectors' over-utilisation of the Dammam aquifer, the principal aquifer in Bahrain, has led to its salinisation by adjacent brackish and saline water bodies.