This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information.(January 2017) |
Demographics of Bahrain | |
---|---|
Population | 1,472,380 (2022 est.) |
Growth rate | 0.88% (2022 est.) |
Birth rate | 12.4 births/1,000 population |
Death rate | 2.82 deaths/1,000 population |
Life expectancy | 79.9 years |
• male | 77.63 years |
• female | 82.24 years |
Fertility rate | 1.67 |
Infant mortality rate | 10.19 deaths/1,000 live births |
Net migration rate | -0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure | |
0–14 years | 20.13% |
15–64 years | 76.71% |
65 and over | 3.16% |
Nationality | |
Nationality | Bahraini |
Major ethnic | Bahraini - 46% |
Language | |
Official | Arabic |
Spoken | Arabic (Bahraini, Bahrani), Farsi, English, Urdu |
The demographics of the population of Bahrain includes population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Most of the population of Bahrain is concentrated in the two principal cities, Manama and Al Muharraq.
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1950 | 116,000 | — |
1960 | 162,000 | +3.40% |
1970 | 212,000 | +2.73% |
1980 | 358,000 | +5.38% |
1990 | 493,000 | +3.25% |
2000 | 638,000 | +2.61% |
2010 | 1,262,000 | +7.06% |
2020 | 1,501,635 | +1.75% |
Source: [1] |
census year | Bahraini | non-Bahraini | total population | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | # | % | ||
1941 | 74,040 | 15,930 | 89,970 | ||
1950 | 91,179 | 18,471 | 109,650 | ||
1959 | 118,734 | 24,401 | 143,135 | ||
1965 | 143,814 | 38,389 | 182,203 | ||
1971 | 178,193 | 37,885 | 216,078 | ||
1981 | 238,420 | 112,378 | 350,798 | ||
1991 | 323,305 | 184,732 | 508,037 | ||
2001 | 405,667 | 244,937 | 650,604 | ||
2010 | 568,399 | 666,172 | 1,234,571 | ||
2020 | 712,362 | 789,273 | 1,501,635 |
[3] | Bahraini | Non-Bahraini | Total | % Non-Bahraini |
---|---|---|---|---|
2001 | 409,619 | 251,698 | 661,317 | |
2002 | 427,246 | 283,307 | 710,554 | |
2003 | 445,634 | 318,888 | 764,519 | |
2004 | 464,808 | 358,936 | 823,744 | |
2005 | 484,810 | 404,013 | 888,824 | |
2006 | 505,673 | 454,752 | 960,425 | |
2007 | 527,433 | 511,864 | 1,039,297 | |
2008 | 541,587 | 561,909 | 1,103,496 | |
2009 | 558,011 | 620,404 | 1,178,415 | |
2010 | 570,687 | 657,856 | 1,228,543 | |
2011 | 584,688 | 610,332 | 1,195,020 | |
2012 | 599,629 | 609,335 | 1,208,964 | |
2013 | 614,830 | 638,361 | 1,253,191 | |
2014 | 630,744 | 683,818 | 1,314,562 | |
2015 | 647,835 | 722,487 | 1,370,322 | |
2016 | 664,707 | 759,019 | 1,423,726 | |
2017 | 677,506 | 823,610 | 1,501,116 | |
2018 | 689,417 | 813,377 | 1,502,794 | |
2019 | 701,827 | 781,929 | 1,483,756 | |
2020 | 713,263 | 758,941 | 1,472,204 | |
2021 | 719,333 | 785,032 | 1,504,365 |
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 17.III.2020): [5] [6]
Age Group | Male | Female | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
# | % | |||
Total | 942,895 | 558,740 | 1,501,635 | |
0-4 | 52,591 | 51,012 | 103,603 | |
5-9 | 53,578 | 51,416 | 104,994 | |
10-14 | 47,812 | 45,864 | 93,676 | |
15-19 | 41,062 | 38,276 | 79,338 | |
20-24 | 60,706 | 40,725 | 101,431 | |
25-29 | 101,401 | 54,679 | 156,080 | |
30-34 | 154,215 | 57,757 | 211,972 | |
35-39 | 134,083 | 51,794 | 185,877 | |
40-44 | 95,104 | 44,385 | 139,489 | |
45-49 | 70,467 | 33,509 | 103,976 | |
50-54 | 49,621 | 27,786 | 77,407 | |
55-59 | 34,498 | 23,095 | 57,593 | |
60-64 | 22,418 | 16,353 | 38,771 | |
65-69 | 12,499 | 9,200 | 16,877 | |
70-74 | 6,184 | 5,177 | 11,361 | |
75-79 | 3,216 | 3,363 | 6,579 | |
80-84 | 2,002 | 2,452 | 4,454 | |
85+ | 1,438 | 1,897 | 3,335 | |
Age group | Male | Female | Total | |
0-14 | 153,981 | 148,292 | 302,273 | |
15-64 | 763,575 | 388,359 | 1,151,934 | |
65+ | 25,339 | 22,089 | 47,428 |
Period [7] | Live births per year | Deaths per year | Natural change per year | CBR* | CDR* | NC* | TFR* | IMR* |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950–1955 | 6,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 | 45.0 | 21.6 | 23.4 | 6.97 | 183 |
1955–1960 | 7,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 | 45.7 | 17.7 | 27.9 | 6.97 | 156 |
1960–1965 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 6,000 | 45.7 | 12.6 | 33.2 | 7.18 | 112 |
1965–1970 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 7,000 | 41.6 | 8.7 | 32.9 | 6.97 | 74 |
1970–1975 | 8,000 | 2,000 | 7,000 | 35.2 | 6.5 | 28.6 | 5.95 | 49 |
1975–1980 | 10,000 | 2,000 | 9,000 | 33.0 | 4.8 | 28.1 | 5.23 | 33 |
1980–1985 | 13,000 | 2,000 | 11,000 | 32.9 | 4.1 | 28.8 | 4.63 | 22 |
1985–1990 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 13,000 | 31.3 | 3.6 | 27.7 | 4.08 | 16 |
1990–1995 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 26.3 | 3.3 | 23.1 | 3.35 | 14 |
1995–2000 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 23.1 | 3.2 | 19.9 | 2.89 | 11 |
2000–2005 | 14,000 | 2,000 | 12,000 | 21.1 | 3.0 | 18.1 | 2.62 | 9 |
2005–2010 | 21,000 | 3,000 | 18,000 | 20.7 | 2.8 | 18.0 | 2.63 | 7 |
* CBR = crude birth rate (per 1000); CDR = crude death rate (per 1000); NC = natural change (per 1000); IMR = infant mortality rate per 1000 births; TFR = total fertility rate (number of children per woman) |
Birth registration of Bahrain is available from 1976, death registration started in 1990. Between 1976 and 2011 the number of baby births roughly doubled but the birth rate of babies decreased from 32 to 13 per 1,000. The death rate of Bahrain (1.9 per 1,000 human beings in 2011) is among the lowest in the world.
[8] [9] [10] | Average population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total Fertility Rate per woman |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1965 | 5,150 | |||||||
1966 | 4,860 | |||||||
1967 | 5,179 | |||||||
1968 | 5,274 | |||||||
1971 | 6,404 | |||||||
1972 | 7,274 | |||||||
1973 | 7,679 | |||||||
1974 | 7,612 | |||||||
1975 | 7,767 | |||||||
1976 | 282,000 | 8,984 | 31.8 | |||||
1977 | 302,000 | 9,058 | 872 | 8,186 | 30.0 | 2.9 | 27.1 | |
1978 | 322,000 | 9,398 | 1,002 | 8,396 | 29.2 | 3.1 | 26.1 | |
1979 | 341,000 | 9,664 | 1,037 | 8,627 | 28.3 | 3.0 | 25.3 | |
1980 | 358,000 | 10,140 | 1,085 | 9,055 | 28.3 | 3.0 | 25.3 | |
1981 | 372,000 | 10,300 | 1,065 | 9,235 | 27.7 | 2.9 | 24.8 | |
1982 | 384,000 | 11,037 | 1,119 | 9,918 | 28.8 | 2.9 | 25.9 | |
1983 | 394,000 | 11,431 | 1,064 | 10,367 | 29.0 | 2.7 | 26.3 | |
1984 | 405,000 | 11,519 | 1,303 | 10,216 | 28.5 | 3.2 | 25.3 | |
1985 | 417,000 | 12,314 | 1,212 | 11,102 | 29.5 | 2.9 | 26.6 | |
1986 | 431,000 | 12,893 | 1,423 | 11,470 | 29.9 | 3.3 | 26.6 | |
1987 | 446,000 | 12,699 | 1,584 | 11,115 | 28.5 | 3.6 | 24.9 | |
1988 | 462,000 | 12,555 | 1,523 | 11,032 | 27.2 | 3.3 | 23.9 | |
1989 | 478,000 | 13,611 | 1,551 | 12,060 | 28.5 | 3.2 | 25.3 | |
1990 | 493,000 | 13,370 | 1,552 | 11,818 | 27.1 | 3.1 | 24.0 | |
1991 | 503,052 | 13,229 | 1,744 | 11,485 | 26.1 | 3.4 | 22.7 | |
1992 | 516,458 | 13,874 | 1,760 | 12,114 | 26.7 | 3.4 | 23.3 | |
1993 | 530,225 | 14,191 | 1,714 | 12,477 | 26.7 | 3.2 | 23.5 | |
1994 | 544,366 | 13,766 | 1,695 | 12,071 | 25.2 | 3.1 | 22.1 | |
1995 | 558,879 | 13,481 | 1,910 | 11,571 | 24.1 | 3.4 | 20.7 | |
1996 | 573,792 | 13,123 | 1,780 | 11,343 | 22.8 | 3.1 | 19.7 | |
1997 | 589,115 | 13,382 | 1,822 | 11,560 | 22.6 | 3.1 | 19.5 | |
1998 | 604,842 | 13,381 | 1,997 | 11,384 | 21.9 | 3.3 | 18.6 | |
1999 | 620,989 | 14,280 | 1,920 | 12,360 | 22.8 | 3.1 | 19.7 | 2.9 |
2000 | 637,582 | 13,947 | 2,045 | 11,902 | 21.9 | 3.2 | 18.7 | 2.8 |
2001 | 661,317 | 13,468 | 1,979 | 11,489 | 21.0 | 3.1 | 17.9 | 2.6 |
2002 | 710,554 | 13,576 | 2,035 | 11,541 | 21.1 | 3.2 | 17.9 | 2.4 |
2003 | 764,519 | 14,560 | 2,114 | 12,446 | 22.5 | 3.3 | 19.2 | 2.4 |
2004 | 823,744 | 14,968 | 2,215 | 12,753 | 22.3 | 3.3 | 19.0 | 2.3 |
2005 | 888,824 | 15,198 | 2,222 | 12,976 | 21.0 | 3.1 | 17.9 | 2.1 |
2006 | 960,425 | 15,053 | 2,317 | 12,736 | 18.6 | 2.9 | 15.7 | 2.0 |
2007 | 1,039,297 | 16,062 | 2,270 | 13,792 | 17.4 | 2.5 | 14.9 | 1.964 |
2008 | 1,103,496 | 17,022 | 2,390 | 14,632 | 16.2 | 2.3 | 13.9 | 1.968 |
2009 | 1,178,415 | 17,841 | 2,387 | 15,454 | 15.1 | 2.0 | 13.1 | 1.951 |
2010 | 1,228,543 | 18,150 | 2,401 | 15,749 | 14.8 | 2.0 | 12.8 | 1.877 |
2011 | 1,195,020 | 17,573 | 2,528 | 15,045 | 14.7 | 2.1 | 12.6 | 1.967 |
2012 | 1,208,964 | 19,119 | 2,613 | 16,506 | 15.8 | 2.2 | 13.6 | 2.134 |
2013 | 1,253,191 | 19,995 | 2,588 | 17,407 | 16.0 | 2.1 | 13.9 | 2.157 |
2014 | 1,314,562 | 20,931 | 2,805 | 18,126 | 15.9 | 2.1 | 13.8 | 2.108 |
2015 | 1,370,322 | 20,983 | 2,787 | 18,196 | 15.3 | 2.1 | 13.2 | 2.093 |
2016 | 1,423,726 | 20,714 | 2,858 | 17,856 | 14.5 | 2.0 | 12.5 | 1.984 |
2017 | 1,501,116 | 20,581 | 2,902 | 17,679 | 13.7 | 1.9 | 11.8 | 1.945 |
2018 | 1,503,091 | 19,740 | 3,052 | 16,668 | 13.1 | 2.0 | 11.1 | 1.838 |
2019 | 1,483,756 | 18,611 | 3,010 | 15,601 | 12.5 | 2.0 | 10.5 | 1.744 |
2020 | 1,472,204 | 18,042 | 3,488 | 14,554 | 12.3 | 2.4 | 9.9 | 1.846 |
2021 | 1,504,365 | 17,805 | 4,601 | 13,204 | 11.8 | 3.1 | 8.7 | |
2022 | 1,524,693 | 17,801 | 3,521 | 14,280 | 11.7 | 2.3 | 9.4 | |
2023 | 1,577,059 | |||||||
2024 | 1,588,670 |
Period | Life expectancy in Years | Period | Life expectancy in Years |
---|---|---|---|
1950–1955 | 43.0 | 1985–1990 | 71.8 |
1955–1960 | 48.5 | 1990–1995 | 72.9 |
1960–1965 | 55.3 | 1995–2000 | 73.9 |
1965–1970 | 61.1 | 2000–2005 | 74.9 |
1970–1975 | 65.4 | 2005–2010 | 75.7 |
1975–1980 | 68.3 | 2010–2015 | 76.4 |
1980–1985 | 70.5 |
Source: UN World Population Prospects [11]
Regarding the ethnicity of Bahrainis, a Financial Times article published on 31 May 1983 found that "Bahrain is a polyglot state, both religiously and racially. Discounting temporary immigrants of the past ten years, there are at least eight or nine communities on the island". [13] Furthermore, sources claim that the government of Bahrain is said to have naturalised Sunnis from different countries to increase the Sunni population in comparison to the Indigenous Shias including people from India, Pakistan, Jordan, Yemen, Syria, Iraq and Egypt. [14] [15] These may be classified as:
Community | Description |
---|---|
Baharna/Bahranis | The indigenous inhabitants of Bahrain. The overwhelming majority are Shia. [13] |
Ajams (Iranic and Iranian roots) | Iranic; Lurs (Shia), Achomis (Sunni, Shia) , Baluchs (Sunnis), Turkic; Azeris, Qashqai... |
Bahraini Jews [13] | Jews have inhabited Bahrain for centuries. Most native Bahraini Jews are of Mesopotamian and Persian descent. |
Huwala Arabs | Sunni Arabs who re-migrated back from the southern coasts of Iran |
Tribal Arabs | Urbanized Sunni Bahrainis of Bedouin ancestry, such as the Utoob, Dawasir etc. [13] |
Najdis [13] | Non-tribal urban Sunni Arabs from Najd in central Arabia. [13] |
Afro-Arabs | Descendants of Africans, primarily from East Africa and of mostly Sunni faith |
Banyan (Bania) | Indians who traded with Bahrain and settled before the age of oil (formerly known as the Hunood or Banyan, Arabic : البونيان), of mostly Hindu faith. [13] |
Non-nationals make up more than half of the population of Bahrain, with immigrants making up about 52.6% of the overall population. [16] Of those, the vast majority come from South and Southeast Asia: according to various media reports and government statistics dated between 2005 and 2012 roughly 350,000 Indians, [17] 150,000 Bangladeshis, [18] 110,000 Pakistanis, [19] 40,000 Filipinos, [20] and 8,000 Indonesians. [21] In 2023, about 4,000 people from the United Kingdom live in Bahrain, [22] although some estimates are double this number. [23]
[5] | Population | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Bahraini | 712,362 | |
Other Arabs | 86,823 | |
African | 21,502 | |
North American | 16,415 | |
Asian | 650,996 | |
European | 11,750 | |
Others | 1,787 | |
total | 1,501,635 |
The following is a firm containing estimates from countries' embassies: [24]
Nationality | Population | % of population | Year of data |
---|---|---|---|
Bahrain | 633,784 | 45.4% | 2015 |
India | 350,000 | 25.0% | 2015 |
Bangladesh | 110,000 | 7.88% | 2015 |
Pakistan | 100,000 | 7.16% | 2015 |
Philippines | 50,000-60,000 | 4.30% | 2015 |
Egypt | 22,000 | 1.57% | 2015 |
Sri Lanka | 20,000 | 1.43% | 2015 |
Nepal | 20,000 | 1.43% | 2015 |
Indonesia | 10,000 | 0.71% | 2015 |
UK | 9,000 | 0.64% | 2013 |
USA | 8,200 | 0.58% | 2014 |
Iran | 5,000-7,000 | 0.50% | 2015 |
Jordan | 6,000-7,000 | 0.50% | 2015 |
Sudan | 6,000 | 0.43% | 2015 |
Saudi Arabia | 5,000 | 0.35% | 2015 |
Morocco | 4,750 | 0.34% | 2015 |
Thailand | 4,000 | 0.28% | 2015 |
Iraq | 3,500 | 0.25% | 2015 |
New Zealand | 2,500 | 0.17% | 2015 |
Turkey | 2,000 | 0.14% | 2015 |
Tunisia | 1,500 | 0.10% | 2015 |
China | 1,000 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Ukraine | 400 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Malaysia | 400 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Poland | 350 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Libya | 300-350 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Italy | 350 | <0.1% | 2013 |
Russia | 300 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Germany | 300 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Japan | 260 | <0.1% | 2015 |
South Korea | 220 | <0.1% | 2013 |
Cyprus | 200 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Ireland | 157 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Denmark | 150 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Switzerland | 122 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Venezuela | 100 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Uganda | 100 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Cameroon | 50-100 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Sweden | 83 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Kazakhstan | 20 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Mongolia | 4 | <0.1% | 2015 |
Y-Chromosome DNA (Y-DNA) represents the male lineage. In 2020, a study was made on 562 unrelated Bahraini males. [25] Paternal population structure within Bahrain was investigated using the 27 Y-STRs (short tandem repeats) in the Yfiler Plus kit to generate haplotypes from 562 unrelated Bahraini males, sub-divided into four geographical regions—Northern, Capital, Southern and Muharraq. [25]
Haplogroup prediction indicated diverse origins of the population with a predominance of haplogroups J2 and J1, but also haplogroups such as B2 and E1b1a likely originating in Africa, and H, L and R2 likely indicative of migration from South Asia. [25] Haplogroup frequencies differed significantly between regions, with J2 significantly more common in the Northern region compared with the Southern, possibly due to differential settlement by Baharna, Ajams and Arabs. [25]
Haplogroup prediction suggests that haplogroup J2 is the most common in the Bahraini population (It is thought that J-M172 may have originated in the Caucasus, Anatolia or Western Iran) encompassing 27.6% of the sample, followed by J1 (23.0%), E1b1b (8.9%), E1b1a (8.6%) and R1a (8.4%), with other predicted haplogroups (G, T, L, R1b, Q, R2, B2, E2, H and C) occurring at progressively lower frequencies. [25]
Haplogroup J1 is most frequent in the Southern Governorate (27%) where the highest proportion of Arabs live, and in the Muharraq Governorate (27%) where many migrant Huwala Arabs resettled, and it declines to its lowest frequency in the Northern and Capital Governorates (21% and 19%). [25]
By contrast, the Northern and Capital Governorates where the Baharna and Ajam are most represented show higher frequencies of haplogroup J2 (34% and 31%) than in Muharraq and the Southern Governorate (both 17%). [25]
[5] | Men | Women | Total | Bahraini | Non-Bahraini |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Muslims | 674,329 | 437,204 | 1,111,533 | 710,067 | 401,466 |
Others | 268,566 | 121,536 | 390,102 | 2,295 | 387,807 |
Total | 942,895 | 558,740 | 1,501,635 | 712,362 | 789,273 |
Muslim % | 74.0% | 99.7% | 50.9% | ||
Islam is the official religion forming 74% of the population. [5] Current census data does not differentiate between the other religions in Bahrain, but in 2022, the country was approximately 12% [26] Christian and had about 40 [26] [27] Jewish citizens.
According to the website of Ministry of Information Affairs, 74% of the population are Muslim, with Christians being the second largest religious group, forming 10.2% of the population, Jews making up 0.21%. The percentage of local Bahraini Christians, Jews, Hindus and Baha’is is collectively 0.2%. [28] [5]
Bahraini citizens of Muslim faith belong to the Shi'a and Sunni branches of Islam. The last official census (1941) to include sectarian identification reported 52% (88,298 citizens) as Shia and 48% as Sunni of the Muslim population. [29] [13] Unofficial sources, such as the Library of Congress Country Studies, [30] and The New York Times , [31] estimate sectarian identification to be approximately 45% Sunni and 55% Shia. An official Bahraini document revealed that 51% of the country's citizens are Sunnis, while the Shiite population has declined to 49% of the Muslim population. [32]
Foreigners, overwhelmingly from South Asia and other Arab countries, constituted 52.6% of the population in 2020. [5] Of these, 50.9% are Muslim and 49.1% are non-Muslim, [5] including Christians (primarily: Catholic, Protestant, Syriac Orthodox, and Mar Thoma from South India), Hindus, Buddhists, Baháʼís, and Sikhs.
The Iraqi people are people originating from the country of Iraq.
Demographic features of the population of Yemen include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
Islam is the state religion in Bahrain. Due to an influx of immigrants and guest workers from India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, the overall percentage of Muslims has declined since the late 20th century. Bahrain's 2010 census indicated that 90.2% of the population was Muslim. The last official census (1941) to include sectarian identification reported 55% as Shia and 45 per cent as Sunni of the Muslim population.
The Bahārna, are an ethnoreligious group of Shia Muslim Arabs indigenous to the historical region of Bahrain. They are generally regarded to be the original inhabitants of Eastern Arabia. They inhabited the area even before the arrival of the Banu Utbah in the 18th century which the Bahraini royal family descends from. Most Bahraini citizens are Baharna. Regions with most of the population are in Eastern Arabia, with significant populations in Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Khoramshahr, Hormozgan province of Iran.
Bahrani Arabic is a variety of Arabic spoken by the Baharna in Eastern Arabia and Oman. In Bahrain, the dialect is primarily spoken in Shia villages and some parts of Manama. In Saudi Arabia, the dialect is spoken in the governorate of Qatif. In Oman, it is spoken in the governorates of Al Dhahirah and Al Batinah.
The National Justice Movement, also known as the al-Adala Society, is a secular and Arab nationalist political party in Bahrain.
The culture of Bahrain is part of the historical region of Eastern Arabia. Thus, Bahrain's culture is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in the Arabian Gulf region. Bahrain is known for its cosmopolitanism, Bahraini citizens are very ethnically diverse. Though the state religion is Islam, the country is tolerant towards other religions: Catholic and Orthodox churches, Hindu temples as well as a (now-defunct) Jewish synagogue are present on the island.
The Ajam of Bahrain, or Bahraini Iranians, are a collection of ethnic groups in Bahrain composed of Bahraini citizens of Iranic ancestries and Iranian background.
Islam is divided into two major sects, Sunni and Shia Islam, each with its own sub-sects. Large numbers of Shia Arab Muslims live in some Arab countries including Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, the UAE, and Qatar.
Bahrain is a nation in the Persian Gulf, in a strategical position in relation to the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq and Oman.
Lebanon is an eastern Mediterranean country that has the most religiously diverse society within the Middle East, recognizing 18 religious sects. The recognized religions are Islam, Druze, Christianity and Judaism.
Islam is the official religion in Kuwait, and the majority of the citizen population is Muslim.
Arad is a town in Bahrain, located on Muharraq Island. It was originally a small farming village inhabited by Baharna Shia, but later expanded to include new middle-class housing, which brought with it a large Sunni population.
Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island which makes up around 83 percent of the country's landmass. Bahrain is situated between Qatar and the northeastern coast of Saudi Arabia, to which it is connected by the King Fahd Causeway. The population of Bahrain is 1,501,635 as of 14 May 2023, based on elaborations of the United Nations data, of whom 712,362 are Bahraini nationals. Bahrain spans some 760 square kilometres (290 sq mi), and is the third-smallest nation in Asia after the Maldives and Singapore. The capital and largest city is Manama.
There is an ongoing conflict between Muslims of different sects, most commonly Shias and Sunnis, although the fighting extends to smaller, more specific branches within these sects, as well as Sufism. It has been documented as having gone on from Islam's beginnings up until contemporary times.
Mohamed Yousif Rashid Albuflasa is a Bahraini poet, writer, former independent candidate for the Bahraini Parliament in the 2010 Parliamentary elections and a member of the Bahraini youth parliament. He belongs to the Albuflasa Bedouin clan. Formerly a Bahrain Defence Force officer, he is now employed at the court of Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Lebanese Sunni Muslims refers to Lebanese people who are adherents of the Sunni branch of Islam in Lebanon, which is one of the largest denomination in Lebanon tied with Shias. Sunni Islam in Lebanon has a history of more than a millennium. According to a CIA 2018 study, Lebanese Sunni Muslims constitute an estimated 30.6% of Lebanon's population.
Anti-Shi'ism is hatred of, prejudice against, discrimination against, persecution of, and violence against Shia Muslims because of their religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural heritage. The term was first used by Shia Rights Watch in 2011, but it has been used in informal research and written in scholarly articles for decades.
Shias in Bahrain were estimated to be approximately 55% of Bahraini citizens in 1979. A source from 2011 placed the estimate of Shiites in Bahrain somewhere near 60% of the Muslim population. This number is no longer accurate due to the increasing rates of naturalization of Sunni migrants in Bahrain. Most major mosques in the country were Shia, however, the ruling family practices Sunni Islam. According to the Washington Institute, the views of Shia and Sunni leaders in Bahrain are similar to their Arab neighboring countries.
Bahraini Gulf Arabic is a Gulf Arabic dialect spoken in Bahrain. It is spoken by Bahraini Sunnis and is a dialect which is most similar to the dialect spoken in Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook (2025 ed.). CIA. (Archived 2006 edition.)