Location Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia

Geographic coordinates 26 00 N, 50 33 E

Map references Middle East

Area
total: 620 sq km
land: 620 sq km
water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries 0 km

Coastline 161 km

Maritime claims
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers

Terrain mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m

Natural resources oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish

Land use
arable land: 1%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 0%
other: 92% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 10 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards periodic droughts; dust storms

Environment - current issues desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land, periods of drought, and dust storms; 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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean

NOTE: The information regarding Bahrain on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bahrain Geography 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bahrain Geography 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.