Bahrain - Revision history

RobSmith at 21:55, July 24, 2026

2026-07-24T21:55:25Z

RobSmith: /* Foreign Relations */

2026-06-29T01:10:29Z

Foreign Relations

RobSmith: /* Military */

2026-06-29T01:10:00Z

Military

RobSmith: /* Nilitary */

2026-06-29T01:07:42Z

Nilitary

Telling: /* References */

2026-05-08T22:50:18Z

References

RobSmith: /* Defense */

2026-04-24T03:13:06Z

Defense

DavidB4-bot: /* Government and Political Conditions */Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: Council → council

2020-12-12T22:27:17Z

Government and Political Conditions: Spelling, grammar, and general cleanup, typos fixed: Council → council

United States at 20:53, November 29, 2020

2020-11-29T20:53:56Z

RamK: update

2019-10-19T18:41:51Z

update

DavidB4-bot: /* Bahrain Protests 2011 */HTTP --> HTTPS

2018-09-09T07:28:20Z

Bahrain Protests 2011: HTTP --> HTTPS

@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 |tld            =
 }}
-The '''Kingdom of Bahrain''' (commonly called '''Bahrain''') is an [[island]] nation in the [[Persian Gulf]]. The capital of Bahrain is [[Manama]].
+The '''Kingdom of Bahrain''' (commonly called '''Bahrain''') is an [[island]] state in the [[Persian Gulf]]. The capital of Bahrain is [[Manama]]. It is formerly the home of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.
 ==Geography==

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 ===Foreign Relations===
 Since achieving independence in 1971, Bahrain has pursued a policy of close consultation with neighboring states. Bahrain became a member of the United Nations and the Arab League in 1971. In 1981 it joined its five neighbors—Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, the U.A.E. and Qatar—to form the strategic Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Bahrain has complied with GCC efforts steps to coordinate economic development and defense and security planning. In December 1994, for example, Bahrain concurred with the GCC decision to drop secondary and tertiary boycotts against Israel. Bahrain also responded positively to Kuwait's request to deploy the GCC collective defense force, "Peninsula Shield," during the buildup and execution of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2003.
+[[File:Heaviest damage was recorded at US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.jpg|300px|tight|thumb|During the 2026 [[Iran war]], the [[US Navy]]'s Headquarters for the 5th Fleet was destroyed.]]
 In addition to maintaining strong relations with its largest financial backers, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the U.A.E., Bahrain has worked to improve its relations with Qatar and has proper, but not warm, relations with Iran. Bahrain-Iran relations have been strained since the discovery in 1981 of an Iran-sponsored coup plot in Bahrain. Bahraini suspicions of the Iranian role in local unrest in the mid-1990s remain. On March 16, 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced its judgment on the long-standing maritime delimitation and territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar. The binding judgment awarded sovereignty over the Hawar Islands and Qit'at Jaradah to Bahrain and sovereignty over Zubarah (part of the Qatar Peninsula), Janan Island and Fasht ad Dibal to Qatar. The peaceful settlement of this dispute has allowed for renewed co-operation, including plans to construct a causeway between the two countries.

@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 ==Military==
-[[File:Heaviest damage was recorded at US Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.jpg|300px|tight|thumb|During the 2026 [[Iran war]], the [[US Navy]]'s Headquarters for the 5th Fleet was destroyed.]]
 The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) numbers about 12,000 personnel and consists of army, navy, air force, air defense, and royal guard units. The public security forces and the coast guard are separate from the BDF and report to the Ministry of the Interior. Bahrain also has a national guard that consists of about 1,200 personnel. Bahrain's defense spending since 1999 has been steady. The government spends around $630 million annually on the military, about 20% of current expenditures. The parliamentary process has produced spirited debate over government spending, particularly defense spending, but no actual reductions.

@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 Bahrain's strategic partnership with the U.S. has intensified since 1991. Bahraini pilots flew strikes in Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War, and the country was used as a base for military operations in the Gulf. Bahrain also provided logistical and basing support to international Maritime Interdiction efforts to enforce UN sanctions and prevent illegal smuggling of oil from Iraq in the 1990s. Bahrain also provided extensive basing and overflight clearances for a multitude of U.S. aircraft operating in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Bahrain also deployed forces in support of Coalition operations during both OEF and OIF. Bahrain has delivered humanitarian support and technical training to support the reconstruction of the Iraqi banking sector, and has offered support for each stage of Iraq's political transformation. Bahrain has also cooperated effectively on criminal investigation issues in support of the campaign on terrorism; the Bahrain Monetary Agency (which became the Central Bank of Bahrain in September 2006) moved quickly to restrict terrorists' ability to transfer funds through Bahrain's financial system. In October 2006, Bahrain joined the U.S. and 23 other countries in a Proliferation Security Initiative interdiction exercise in the Persian Gulf.
-==Nilitary==
+==Military==
 The Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) numbers about 12,000 personnel and consists of army, navy, air force, air defense, and royal guard units. The public security forces and the coast guard are separate from the BDF and report to the Ministry of the Interior. Bahrain also has a national guard that consists of about 1,200 personnel. Bahrain's defense spending since 1999 has been steady. The government spends around $630 million annually on the military, about 20% of current expenditures. The parliamentary process has produced spirited debate over government spending, particularly defense spending, but no actual reductions.
@@ Line 80: / Line 81: @@
 Military exercises are conducted on a regular basis to increase the BDF's readiness and improve coordination with the U.S. and other GCC forces. The BDF also sends personnel to the United States for military training. This training includes courses from graduate level professional military education down to entry level technical training.
-Naval Support Activity Bahrain (also known as NSA Bahrain or Juffair Naval Base) in Manama — Headquarters of the [[US Navy]]’s Fifth Fleet. It oversees naval operations across the [[Persian Gulf]], [[Red Sea]], [[Arabian Sea]], and parts of the [[Indian Ocean]]. This is the primary U.S. naval hub in the region.
+Naval Support Activity Bahrain (also known as NSA Bahrain or Juffair Naval Base) in Manama — Headquarters of the [[US Navy]]’s Fifth Fleet. It oversaw naval operations across the [[Persian Gulf]], [[Red Sea]], [[Arabian Sea]], and parts of the [[Indian Ocean]]. This was the primary U.S. naval hub in the region.
 ==Economy==

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:50, May 8, 2026
Line 150:		Line 150:
	[[Category:Muslim-Majority Countries]]		[[Category:Muslim-Majority Countries]]
	[[Category:Islands]]		[[Category:Islands]]
		+	[[Category:Gulf Arabs]]

@@ Line 53: / Line 53: @@
 On February 14, 2002, one year after the referendum endorsing his National Action Charter, Shaikh Hamad pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and changed his status from Amir to King. He simultaneously announced that the first municipal elections since 1957 would be held in May 2002, and that a bicameral parliament, with a representative lower house, would be reconstituted with parliamentary elections in October 2002. As part of these constitutional reforms, the government also created an independent financial watchdog empowered to investigate cases of embezzlement and violations of state expenditure in July 2002.
-Turnout for the May 2002 municipal elections was 51%, with female voters making up 52% percent of voters. Turnout for the 2002 parliamentary elections—the first in almost three decades—was 53% in the first round and 43% in the second round, despite the fact that four political societies, including the largest Shi'a society, organized a boycott to protest constitutional provisions enacted by the King that gave the appointed upper chamber of parliament voting rights equal to the elected lower chamber. The new parliament held its first joint sitting in December 2002. Bahrain held its second set of parliamentary and municipal elections in November and December 2006. All registered political societies participated in the elections and a Shia society, Al Wifaq, now represents the largest single bloc inside the Council of Representatives. Thirty-two of the Council's 40 members represent Sunni and Shia Islamist societies. One woman, Lateefah Al-Qauod, ran uncontested and became the first woman elected to parliament in Bahrain.
+Turnout for the May 2002 municipal elections was 51%, with female voters making up 52% percent of voters. Turnout for the 2002 parliamentary elections—the first in almost three decades—was 53% in the first round and 43% in the second round, despite the fact that four political societies, including the largest Shi'a society, organized a boycott to protest constitutional provisions enacted by the King that gave the appointed upper chamber of parliament voting rights equal to the elected lower chamber. The new parliament held its first joint sitting in December 2002. Bahrain held its second set of parliamentary and municipal elections in November and December 2006. All registered political societies participated in the elections and a Shia society, Al Wifaq, now represents the largest single bloc inside the Council of Representatives. Thirty-two of the council's 40 members represent Sunni and Shia Islamist societies. One woman, Lateefah Al-Qauod, ran uncontested and became the first woman elected to parliament in Bahrain.
 Bahrain has a complex system of courts, based on diverse legal sources, including Sunni and Shi'a Sharia (religious law), tribal law, and other civil codes and regulations created with the help of British advisers in the early 20th century. In 2001, Shaikh Hamad created the Supreme Judicial Council to regulate these courts and separate the administrative and judicial branches of government.

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 |pm-raw	        =
 |area	        =253 sq mi
-|pop	        =708,573 (2007)
+|pop	        =1,700,000 (2020)
 |pop-basis	=
 |gdp	        =

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 ===Principal Government Officials===
-*King—Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
+*King—[[Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa]]
-*Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force—Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
+*Crown Prince and Commander in Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force—Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
-*Prime Minister—Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa
+*Prime Minister—[[Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa]]
-*Deputy Premier—Jawed bin Salem Al Arrayed
+*Chairman of the Consultative Council—Ali Bin Saleh Al-Saleh
-*Deputy Premier—Shaikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa
+*Secretary-General of the Consultative Council—Abdul Jalil Ibrahim Al-Tarif
-*Deputy Premier—Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa
+*Speaker of the Council of Representatives—Fawzia Zainal
-*Foreign Minister—Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa
+*Secretary-General of the Council of Representatives—Abdullah bin Khalaf Al Dosari
 ===Foreign Relations===

@@ Line 134: / Line 134: @@
 <blockquote>
 In April 2011, two months after the eruption of mass protests in Bahrain, the kingdom has largely silenced the opposition, jailing hundreds of activists in a crackdown that has left the [[Obama]] administration vulnerable to charges that it is upholding democratic values in the [[Middle East]] selectively.
-[http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-bahrain-stifles-protest-movement-uss-muted-objections-draw-criticism/2011/04/14/AFziTofD_story.html?hpid=z2]
+[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/as-bahrain-stifles-protest-movement-uss-muted-objections-draw-criticism/2011/04/14/AFziTofD_story.html?hpid=z2]
 </blockquote>