#Bahrain officially the Kingdom of Bahrain is an island country situated in the #PersianGulf wedged between #Qatar and #SaudiArabia. A small #archipelago of 50 natural islands and 33 artificial islands, with Bahrain Island taking up 80% of the country’s landmass. Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway. The third-smallest nation in #Asia after #Maldives and #Singapore its capital and largest city are #Manama. Bahrain is famed for its #pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century ‘The site of Dilmun civilization, Bahrain has been ruled by the #Arabs, #Portuguese, and others.
Since 1783 it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family but in the 1800s, Bahrain became a protectorate of #UnitedKingdom before gaining independence in 1971. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared an Islamic constitutional monarchy in 2002. Although oil was discovered in Bahrain in the 1930s, it was relatively little compared to other Gulf states, and the wells are expected to be the first in the region to dry up. As such Bahrain has developed into the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf, thanks to decades of investing in the banking and tourism sectors with many of the world’s largest financial institutions having a presence in Manama.
A high-income economy, Bahrain is a member of the United Nations, Non-Aligned Movement, Arab League, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Gulf Cooperation Council, Bahrain which means ‘two seas’ taken to be the bay east and west of the main island. Bahrain was the 1st island where #Islam as a religion reached after #Arabianpeninsula. Bahrain developed very fast after the discovery of oil, though its economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing price of oil since 1985. In 2008, Bahrain was named the world’s fastest-growing financial center. About 92% of Bahrain is desert with periodic droughts and dust storms.
Environmental issues facing Bahrain include desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, coastal degradation resulting from oil spills and other discharges, and illegal land reclamation, which have considerably affected its economy. Well connected by air and sea with all major cities of the world, Bahrain is a major healthcare and education hub. It has steadily diversified its #economy into #finance and #tourism. As a result of which the nation has seen an influx of #migrant workers especially from #India, #Srilanka, #Nepal, and #Bangladesh who form the majority of the population of the country. though #humanrights are still an issue the country has made progress.
The country is a major #sports hub with #football, #atheleticas, #horseracing, #formula1#BahrainGrandPrix being major draws for #sportlovers and #tourist. Bahrain draws a large number of # tourists who come to shop for #pearls and other items. There are a few #shoppingmalls that sell a variety of branded products. A visit to the local souq (sook) is a must for visitors. to traditional artifacts. As with other countries of #MiddleEast, there are numerous #skyscrappers in the capital of Manama that house offices of numerous MNCs.
There are a few hotels that provide budget, mid-range, and luxurious accommodation. #Alcohol sale is permitted but only for people above 21 years and only from #restaurants, clubs, and hotels. Restaurants in Bahrain offer local food to Indian #cusine in hotels. #Tourism in Bahrain is centered around a few major historical forts such as Abu Mahir Fort, Qala’at al-Bahrain Fort, Arad Fort, and Sheikh Salman bin Ahmad Al Fateh Fort. Bahrain also has a few #museums such as Al Oraifi Museum, Bahrain National Museum, Oil Museum, and Currency Museum. Also worth visiting are prehistoric burial grounds such as A’ali, the biggest prehistoric cemetery in the world as well as Al Hajar, Buri, Hamad Town, Jannusan, Sa’ar, Shakhoora, and Tylos. Overall Bahrain is worth visiting on a weekend visit.
