Compare Bahrain (2004) - Iceland (2004)

Compare Bahrain (2004) z Iceland (2004)

	Bahrain (2004)	Iceland (2004)

Administrative divisions	12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah note: all municipalities administered from Manama	8 regions; Austurland, Hofudhborgarsvaedhi, Nordhurland Eystra, Nordhurland Vestra, Sudhurland, Sudhurnes, Vestfirdhir, Vesturland
Age structure	0-14 years: 28.4% (male 97,179; female 95,043) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 271,015; female 192,342) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 11,426; female 10,881) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 22.5% (male 33,522; female 32,489) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 98,091; female 95,450) 65 years and over: 11.7% (male 15,552; female 18,862) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish	potatoes, green vegetables, mutton, dairy products, fish
Airports	4 (2003 est.)	100 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 over 3,047 m: 2 1524 to 2437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 5 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 93 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 29 under 914 m: 61 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 665 sq km land: 665 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 103,000 sq km land: 100,250 sq km water: 2,750 sq km
Area - comparative	3.5 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Kentucky
Background	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. The new amir, installed in 1999, has pushed economic and political reforms and has worked to improve relations with the Shi'a community. In February 2001, Bahraini voters approved a referendum on the National Action Charter - the centerpiece of the amir's political liberalization program. In February 2002, Amir HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa proclaimed himself king. In October 2002, Bahrainis elected members of the lower house of Bahrain's reconstituted bicameral legislature, the National Assembly.	Settled by Norwegian and Celtic (Scottish and Irish) immigrants during the late 9th and 10th centuries A.D., Iceland boasts the world's oldest functioning legislative assembly, the Althing, established in 930. Independent for over 300 years, Iceland was subsequently ruled by Norway and Denmark. Fallout from the Askja volcano of 1875 devastated the Icelandic economy and caused widespread famine. Over the next quarter century, 20% of the island's population emigrated, mostly to Canada and the US. Limited home rule from Denmark was granted in 1874 and complete independence attained in 1944. Literacy, longevity, income, and social cohesion are first-rate by world standards.
Birth rate	18.54 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	13.83 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $2.981 billion expenditures: $3.019 billion, including capital expenditures of $700 million (2003 est.)	revenues: $4.205 billion expenditures: $4.405 billion, including capital expenditures of $467 million (2003)
Capital	Manama	Reykjavik
Climate	arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers	temperate; moderated by North Atlantic Current; mild, windy winters; damp, cool summers
Coastline	161 km	4,988 km
Constitution	adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary)	16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain conventional short form: Bahrain local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn local short form: Al Bahrayn former: Dilmun	conventional long form: Republic of Iceland conventional short form: Iceland local long form: Lydhveldidh Island local short form: Island
Currency	Bahraini dinar (BHD)	Icelandic krona (ISK)
Death rate	4.03 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	6.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$4.682 billion (2003)	$2.6 billion (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US	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] 1725-6242 (consular)	chief of mission: Ambassador James I. GADSDEN embassy: Laufasvegur 21, 101 Reykjavik mailing address: US Embassy, PSC 1003, Box 40, FPO AE 09728-0340 telephone: [354] 562-9100 FAX: [354] 562-9118
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador KHALIFA bin ALI bin Rashid Al Khalifa chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 342-1111 FAX: [1] (202) 362-2192 consulate(s) general: New York	chief of mission: Ambassador Helgi AGUSTSSON chancery: Suite 1200, 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1704 telephone: [1] (202) 265-6653 FAX: [1] (202) 265-6656 consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	none	Rockall continental shelf dispute involving Denmark, Iceland, and the UK (Ireland and the UK have signed a boundary agreement in the Rockall area) remains dormant; dispute with Denmark over the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary within 200 nm; disputes with Denmark, the UK, and Ireland over the Faroe Islands continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm
Economic aid - donor	-	NA
Economic aid - recipient	$150 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from each of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait (2002)	-
Economy - overview	In well-to-do Bahrain, petroleum production and refining account for about 60% of 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. Bahrain is dependent on Saudi Arabia for oil granted as aid. A large share of exports consist 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.	Iceland's Scandinavian-type economy is basically capitalistic, yet with an extensive welfare system (including generous housing subsidies), low unemployment, and remarkably even distribution of income. In the absence of other natural resources (except for abundant geothermal power), the economy depends heavily on the fishing industry, which provides 70% of export earnings and employs 12% of the work force. The economy remains sensitive to declining fish stocks as well as to fluctuations in world prices for its main exports: fish and fish products, aluminum, and ferrosilicon. Government policies include reducing the budget and current account deficits, limiting foreign borrowing, containing inflation, revising agricultural and fishing policies, diversifying the economy, and privatizing state-owned industries. The government remains opposed to EU membership, primarily because of Icelanders' concern about losing control over their fishing resources. Iceland's economy has been diversifying into manufacturing and service industries in the last decade, and new developments in software production, biotechnology, and financial services are taking place. The tourism sector is also expanding, with the recent trends in ecotourism and whale watching. Growth had been remarkably steady in 1996-2001 at 3%-5%, but could not be sustained in 2002 in an environment of global recession. Growth resumed in 2003, and inflation dropped back from 5% to 2%.
Electricity - consumption	5.819 billion kWh (2001)	7.341 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	6.257 billion kWh (2001)	7.894 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Hvannadalshnukur 2,119 m (at Vatnajokull glacier)
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	water pollution from fertilizer runoff; inadequate wastewater treatment
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	party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Kyoto Protocol, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Transboundary Air Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Ethnic groups	Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%	homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%
Exchange rates	Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2003), 0.376 (2002), 0.376 (2001), 0.376 (2000), 0.376 (1999)	Icelandic kronur per US dollar - 76.709 (2003), 91.6617 (2002), 97.4246 (2001), 78.6159 (2000), 72.3353 (1999)
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 NA 1971) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Halldor ASGRIMSSON (since 15 September 2004); note - Former Prime Minister David ODDSSON switched positions with former Foreign Minister Halldor ASGRIMMSON cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister and approved by Parliament elections: president, which is largely a ceremonial post, elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON wins with 85.6% of the vote, Baldur AGUSTSSON 12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%
Exports	NA (2001)	0 bbl/day (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles	fish and fish products 70%, animal products, aluminum, diatomite, ferrosilicon
Exports - partners	US 3.5%, India 3.3%, South Korea 2.2% (2003)	Germany 17.4%, UK 17.4%, Netherlands 11.2%, US 9.8%, Spain 6.3%, Denmark 5%, Norway 4.5%, France 4% (2003)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	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	blue with a red cross outlined in white extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $11.29 billion (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $8.678 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 0.7% industry: 42.1% services: 57.2% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 9.2% (includes fishing 12%) industry: 26.7% services: 64.2% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $16,900 (2003 est.)	purchasing power parity - $30,900 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.9% (2003 est.)	2.6% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates	26 00 N, 50 33 E	65 00 N, 18 00 W
Geography - note	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	strategic location between Greenland and Europe; westernmost European country; Reykjavik is the northernmost national capital in the world; more land covered by glaciers than in all of continental Europe
Heliports	1 (2003 est.)	-
Highways	total: 3,261 km paved: 2,531 km unpaved: 730 km (2000)	total: 12,955 km paved/oiled gravel: 3,863 km unpaved: 9,092 km (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	NA (2001)	15,470 bbl/day (2001)
Imports - commodities	crude oil, machinery, chemicals	machinery and equipment, petroleum products; foodstuffs, textiles
Imports - partners	Saudi Arabia 30.7%, US 11.4%, Japan 7.8%, UK 5.7%, Germany 5.4% (2003)	Germany 11.8%, Denmark 8%, US 7.5%, UK 7.5%, Norway 7%, Sweden 6.5%, Netherlands 6.2%, Italy 4.7% (2003)
Independence	15 August 1971 (from UK)	1 December 1918 (became a sovereign state under the Danish Crown); 17 June 1944 (from Denmark)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2000 est.)	8.1% (2003 est.)
Industries	petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, offshore banking, ship repairing; tourism	fish processing; aluminum smelting, ferrosilicon production, geothermal power; tourism
Infant mortality rate	total: 17.91 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 14.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 3.31 deaths/1,000 live births male: 3.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-0.2% (2003 est.)	2.1% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, ESCWA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO	Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	50 sq km (1998 est.)	NA sq km
Judicial branch	High Civil Appeals Court	Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)
Labor force	350,000 note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003 est.)	160,000 (2003)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry, commerce, and services 79%, government 20% (1997 est.)	agriculture 5.1%, fishing and fish processing 11.8%, manufacturing 12.9%, construction 10.7%, services 59.5% (1999)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 2.82% permanent crops: 5.63% other: 91.55% (2001)	arable land: 0.07% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.93% (2001)
Languages	Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu	Icelandic, English, Nordic languages, German widely spoken
Legal system	based on Islamic law and English common law	civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 NA 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10 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	unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party 33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31.0%, Progressive Party 17.7%, Left-Green Alliance 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party - Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 73.98 years male: 71.52 years female: 76.51 years (2004 est.)	total population: 80.18 years male: 78.18 years female: 82.27 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 89.1% male: 91.9% female: 85% (2003 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.9% (1997 est.) male: NA female: NA
Location	Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia	Northern Europe, island between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the UK
Map references	Middle East	Arctic Region
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine	total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 219,083 GRT/312,638 DWT by type: bulk 3, container 2, petroleum tanker 1 foreign-owned: Hong Kong 1, Kuwait 1 registered in other countries: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 4,341 GRT/6,019 DWT by type: petroleum tanker 1 registered in other countries: 26 (2004 est.)
Military - note	-	defense is provided by the US-manned Icelandic Defense Force (IDF) headquartered at Keflavik
Military branches	Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Navy, Air Force, National Guard	no regular armed forces; Police, Coast Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$618.1 million (2003)	0
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	7.5% (2003)	-
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 221,661 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 75,568 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 121,484 (2004 est.)	males age 15-49: 66,503 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 6,396 (2004 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	Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Nationality	noun: Bahraini(s) adjective: Bahraini	noun: Icelander(s) adjective: Icelandic
Natural hazards	periodic droughts; dust storms	earthquakes and volcanic activity
Natural resources	oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls	fish, hydropower, geothermal power, diatomite
Net migration rate	1.05 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	2.38 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	gas 20 km; oil 53 km (2004)	-
Political parties and leaders	political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed	Independence Party or IP [David ODDSSON]; Left-Green Alliance or LGP [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA [Ossur SKARPHEDINSSON]
Political pressure groups and leaders	Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active	NA
Population	677,886 note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)	293,966 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA
Population growth rate	1.56% (2004 est.)	0.97% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	Manama, Mina' Salman, Sitrah	Akureyri, Hornafjordhur, Isafjordhur, Keflavik, Raufarhofn, Reykjavik, Seydhisfjordhur, Straumsvik, Vesttmannaeyjar
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 3, FM about 70 (including repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998)
Religions	Shi'a Muslim 70%, Sunni Muslim 30%	Evangelical Lutheran 87.1%, other Protestant 4.1%, Roman Catholic 1.7%, other 7.1% (2002)
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.41 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	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 - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat (1997)	general assessment: extensive domestic service domestic: the trunk network consists of coaxial and fiber-optic cables and microwave radio relay links international: country code - 354; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Iceland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden)
Telephones - main lines in use	185,800 (2003)	190,700 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	443,100 (2003)	279,100 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	4 (1997)	14 (plus 156 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment	mostly plateau interspersed with mountain peaks, icefields; coast deeply indented by bays and fiords
Total fertility rate	2.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)	1.93 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	15% (1998 est.)	3.4% (2003 est.)

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