President:King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifah
Total area:665 sq km
Language:Arabic
Population (2010est):738,004
Capital and largest city:Al-Manámah, 527,000
Official religion:Islam
Monetary unit:Bahrain dinar

Geography

Bahrain, which means “two seas,” is an archipelago in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The islands for the most part are level expanses of sand and rock. A causeway connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
Government

Constitutional monarchy.
History
Known in ancient times as Dilmun, Bahrain was an important center of trade by the 3rd millennium B.C.  The islands were ruled by the Persians in the 4th century A.D. , and then by Arabs until 1541, when the Portuguese invaded them. Persia again claimed Bahrain in 1602. In 1783 Ahmad ibn al-Khalifah took over, and the al-Khalifahs remain the ruling family today. Bahrain became a British protectorate in 1820. It did not gain full independence until Aug. 14, 1971