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: 665 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 665 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
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined

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, pearls

Land use
arable land: 5%
permanent crops: 4%
other: 91% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 50 sq km (1998 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; lack of freshwater resources, groundwater and seawater 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, Wetlands
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 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bahrain Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bahrain Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.