Compare Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) - Bahrain (2006)

Compare Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) z Bahrain (2006)

	Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008)	Bahrain (2006)

Administrative divisions	-	5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 27.4% (male 96,567/female 94,650) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 280,272/female 202,451) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 12,753/female 11,892) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish
Airports	-	3 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island	total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC	3.5 times the size of Washington, DC
Background	These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.	In 1782, the Al Khalifa family captured Bahrain from the Persians. In order to secure these holdings, it entered into a series of treaties with the UK during the 19th century that made Bahrain a British protectorate. The archipelago attained its independence in 1971. Bahrain's small size and central location among Persian Gulf countries require it to play a delicate balancing act in foreign affairs among its larger neighbors. Facing declining oil reserves, Bahrain has turned to petroleum processing and refining and has transformed itself into an international banking center. Sheikh HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa, who came to power in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shia community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of Sheikh HAMAD's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Sheikh HAMAD pronounced Bahrain a constitutional monarchy and changed his status from amir to king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.
Birth rate	-	17.8 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $4.662 billion expenditures: $3.447 billion; including capital expenditures of $700 million (2005 est.)
Capital	-	name: Manama geographic coordinates: 26 13 N, 50 35 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
Coastline	74.1 km	161 km
Constitution	-	new constitution 14 February 2002
Country name	conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun
Death rate	-	4.14 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	-	$6.814 billion (2005 est.)
Dependency status	territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (territory of Australia)	chief of mission: Ambassador William T. MONROE embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama mailing address: American Embassy Manama, PSC 451, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama telephone: [973] 1724-2700 FAX: [973] 1727-0547
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of Australia)	chief of mission: Ambassador Nasir bin Muhammad al-BALUSHI chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to these islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches	none
Economic aid - recipient	-	$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from the UAE and Kuwait (2002)
Economy - overview	no economic activity	Petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from refining imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems. In 2005 Bahrain and the US ratified a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state.
Electricity - consumption	-	6.83 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	-	7.345 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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
Ethnic groups	-	Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census)
Exchange rates	-	Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman al-Khalifa (since 1971); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak al-Khalifa, Jawad al-ARAIDH cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Exports	-	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	-	petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
Exports - partners	-	Saudi Arabia 3.3%, US 2.6%, UAE 2.3% (2005)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	the flag of Australia is used	red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 0.5% industry: 38.7% services: 60.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	5.9% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	12 14 S, 123 05 E	26 00 N, 50 33 E
Geography - note	Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983	close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf, through which much of the Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
Heliports	-	1 (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	-	crude oil, machinery, chemicals
Imports - partners	-	Saudi Arabia 36.4%, Japan 6.6%, Germany 6.4%, US 5.4%, UK 5%, UAE 4.1% (2005)
Independence	-	15 August 1971 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-	2% (2000 est.)
Industries	-	petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, offshore banking, ship repairing, tourism
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 16.8 deaths/1,000 live births male: 19.65 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	2.7% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	-	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	0 sq km	40 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	-	High Civil Appeals Court
Labor force	-	380,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: 1% industry: 79% services: 20% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)	arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2005)
Languages	-	Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
Legal system	the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply	based on Islamic law and English common law
Legislative branch	-	bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held in September 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Sunni Islamists 12, Shia grouping 7, other groupings and independents 21 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 74.45 years male: 71.97 years female: 77 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island	Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Middle East
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
Merchant marine	-	total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 235,449 GRT/339,728 DWT by type: bulk carrier 4, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force	-
Military branches	-	Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$627.7 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	4.9% (2005 est.)
National holiday	-	National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection
Nationality	-	noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini
Natural hazards	surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards	periodic droughts; dust storms
Natural resources	fish	oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls
Net migration rate	-	0.82 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
People - note	the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem	-
Pipelines	-	gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	-	political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests and marches, demanding that more power be vested in the elected Council of Representatives and that the government do more to decrease unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island	698,585 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	1.45% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)
Religions	-	Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.38 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.07 male(s)/female total population: 1.26 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	-	general assessment: modern system domestic: modern fiber-optic integrated services; digital network with rapidly growing use of mobile cellular telephones international: country code - 973; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; submarine cable to Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (1997)
Telephones - main lines in use	-	196,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	748,700 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	-	4 (1997)
Terrain	low with sand and coral	mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment
Total fertility rate	-	2.6 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	15% (2005 est.)

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