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Compare Bahrain (2008) - Eritrea (2007)

Compare Bahrain (2008) z Eritrea (2007)

 Bahrain (2008)Eritrea (2007)
 BahrainEritrea
Administrative divisions 5 governorates; Asamah, Janubiyah, Muharraq, Shamaliyah, Wasat


note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor
6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
Age structure 0-14 years: 26.9% (male 96,217/female 94,275)


15-64 years: 69.5% (male 284,662/female 207,555)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 13,451/female 12,413) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 43.5% (male 1,073,404/female 1,060,674)


15-64 years: 52.9% (male 1,286,613/female 1,310,294)


65 years and over: 3.6% (male 85,052/female 90,548) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruit, vegetables; poultry, dairy products; shrimp, fish sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Airports 3 (2007) 18 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


over 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
total: 4


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 14


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 665 sq km


land: 665 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 121,320 sq km


land: 121,320 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Pennsylvania
Background In 1783, 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. King HAMAD bin Isa al-Khalifa, after coming to power in 1999, pushed economic and political reforms to improve relations with the Shi'a community and Shi'a political societies participated in 2006 parliamentary and municipal elections. Al Wifaq, the largest Shi'a political society, won the largest number of seats in the elected chamber of the legislature. However, Shi'a discontent has resurfaced in recent years with street demonstrations and occasional low-level violence. Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002. However, both parties have been unable to reach agreement on implementing the decision. In November 2006, the international commission informed Eritrea and Ethiopia they had one year to demarcate the border or the border demarcation would be based on coordinates.
Birth rate 17.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 33.97 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $6.048 billion


expenditures: $5.082 billion (2007 est.)
revenues: $234.6 million


expenditures: $424.7 million (2006 est.)
Capital name: Manama


geographic coordinates: 26 14 N, 50 34 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Asmara (Asmera)


geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 56 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
Coastline 161 km 2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km)
Constitution adopted 14 February 2002 a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
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: State of Eritrea


conventional short form: Eritrea


local long form: Hagere Ertra


local short form: Ertra


former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Death rate 4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 9.36 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $7.692 billion (31 December 2007 est.) $311 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador J. Adam ERELI


embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama


mailing address: PSC 451, Box 660, FPO AE 09834-5100; international mail: American Embassy, Box 26431, Manama


telephone: [973] 1724-2700


FAX: [973] 1727-0547
chief of mission: Ambassador Ronald MCMULLEN


embassy: 179 Ala Street, Asmara


mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara


telephone: [291] (1) 120004


FAX: [291] (1) 127584
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador GHIRMAI Ghebremariam


chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991


FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304


consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
Disputes - international none Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision but, neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting eastern Sudanese rebel groups
Economic aid - recipient $103.9 million; note - $50 million annually since 1992 from the UAE and Kuwait (2004) $355.2 million (2005)
Economy - overview With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Gulf. Petroleum production and refining account for over 60% of Bahrain's export receipts, over 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP (exclusive of allied industries), underpinning Bahrain's strong economic growth in recent years. Aluminum is Bahrain's second major export after oil. Other major segments of Bahrain's economy are the financial and construction sectors. Bahrain is focused on Islamic banking and is competing on an international scale with Malaysia as a worldwide banking center. Bahrain is actively pursuing the diversification and privatization of its economy to reduce the country's dependence on oil. As part of this effort, in August 2006 Bahrain and the US implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. Continued strong growth hinges on Bahrain's ability to acquire new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of oil and underground water resources are long-term economic problems. Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country, accentuated by the recent implementation of restrictive economic policies. Eritrea has a command economy under the control of the sole political party, the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. In January 2005, the government essentially banned all imports. The government strictly controls the use of foreign currency, limiting access and availability. Few private enterprises remain in Eritrea. Eritrea's economy is heavily dependent on taxes paid by members of the diaspora. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military continue to interfere with agricultural production, and Eritrea's recent harvests have not been able to meet the food needs of the country. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and more importantly, on the government's willingness to support a true market economy.
Electricity - consumption 7.614 billion kWh (2005) 228 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2005) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 8.187 billion kWh (2005) 274 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal ad Dukhan 122 m
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m


highest point: Soira 3,018 m
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 deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Bahraini 62.4%, non-Bahraini 37.6% (2001 census) Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%
Exchange rates Bahraini dinars per US dollar - 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004), 0.376 (2003) nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 15.4 (2006), 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002)


note: the official exchange rate is 15 nakfa to the dollar
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
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly


head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993)


cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); the most recent and only election held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)


election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%, other 5%
Exports 235,500 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners Saudi Arabia 3.2%, US 3%, Japan 2.3% (2006) Italy 26.7%, France 13.8%, Australia 8.2%, Sudan 7.9%, US 7.8%, China 6.2%, Saudi Arabia 5.5%, Jordan 5.2% (2006)
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 red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 0.3%


industry: 43.6%


services: 56% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 21.9%


industry: 22.6%


services: 55.5% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6.6% (2007 est.) 2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 26 00 N, 50 33 E 15 00 N, 39 00 E
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 geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
Heliports 1 (2007) 1 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports 216,300 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities crude oil, machinery, chemicals machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods
Imports - partners Saudi Arabia 37.2%, Japan 6.8%, US 6.2%, UK 6.1%, Germany 6%, UAE 4.2% (2006) Italy 15.8%, Saudi Arabia 15.7%, China 15.6%, Netherlands 6.7%, Turkey 6.2%, Germany 5.3% (2006)
Independence 15 August 1971 (from UK) 24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
Industrial production growth rate 5.5% (2007 est.) NA%
Industries petroleum processing and refining, aluminum smelting, iron pelletization, fertilizers, Islamic and offshore banking, insurance, ship repairing, tourism food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, light manufacturing, salt, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 16.18 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 18.89 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 13.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 45.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 51.05 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 39.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3.5% (2007 est.) 15% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO
Irrigated land 40 sq km (2003) 210 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch High Civil Appeals Court High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts
Labor force 363,000


note: 44% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2007 est.)
NA
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 1%


industry: 79%


services: 20% (1997 est.)
agriculture: 80%


industry and services: 20% (2004 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,626 km


border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Land use arable land: 2.82%


permanent crops: 5.63%


other: 91.55% (2005)
arable land: 4.78%


permanent crops: 0.03%


other: 95.19% (2005)
Languages Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Legal system based on Islamic law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; government also issues unilateral proclamations setting laws and policies; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Islamic law; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral legislature consists of the Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)


elections: Council of Representatives - last held November-December 2006 (next election to be held in 2010)


election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - al Wifaq (Shia) 17, al Asala (Sunni Salafi) 5, al Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 7, independents 11; note - seats by party as of February 2007 - al Wifaq 17, al Asala 8, al Minbar 7, al Mustaqbal (Moderate Sunni pro-government) 4, unassociated independents (all Sunni) 3, independent affiliated with al Wifaq (Sunni oppositionist) 1
unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, which had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
Life expectancy at birth total population: 74.68 years


male: 72.18 years


female: 77.25 years (2007 est.)
total population: 59.55 years


male: 57.88 years


female: 61.28 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 86.5%


male: 88.6%


female: 83.6% (2001 census)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 58.6%


male: 69.9%


female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
Location Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references Middle East Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


continental shelf: extending to boundaries to be determined
territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 220,264 GRT/314,289 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 3 (Kuwait 3) (2007)
total: 5 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,529 GRT/15,023 DWT


by type: cargo 2, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2007)
Military branches Bahrain Defense Forces (BDF): Ground Force (includes Air Defense), Naval Force, Air Force, National Guard Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 4.5% (2006) 6.3% (2006 est.)
National holiday National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
Nationality noun: Bahraini(s)


adjective: Bahraini
noun: Eritrean(s)


adjective: Eritrean
Natural hazards periodic droughts; dust storms frequent droughts; locust swarms
Natural resources oil, associated and nonassociated natural gas, fish, pearls gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Net migration rate 0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 20 km; oil 52 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders political parties prohibited but political societies were legalized per a July 2005 law People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ [ISAIAS Afworki] (the only party recognized by the government); note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it
Political pressure groups and leaders Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97 and have recently engaged in protests with occasional low-level violence; protests related to a host of issues, including the 2002 constitution, elections, unemployment, and release of detainees; Sunni Islamist legislators support a greater role for Shari'a in daily life; several small leftist and other groups are active Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]; Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) [HAGOS, Mesfin]
Population 708,573


note: includes 235,108 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
4,906,585 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 50% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate 1.392% (2007 est.) 2.461% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Railways - total: 306 km


narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2006)
Religions Muslim (Shi'a and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census) Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
Sex ratio at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.021 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.372 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.084 male(s)/female


total population: 1.255 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.982 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.939 male(s)/female


total population: 0.993 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 20 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; landing point for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) submarine cable network that provides links to Asia, Middle East, Europe, and US; tropospheric scatter to Qatar and UAE; microwave radio relay to Saudi Arabia; satellite earth stations - 1 (2007)
general assessment: inadequate


domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)


international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Telephones - main lines in use 193,300 (2006) 37,700 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 898,900 (2006) 62,000 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 4 (1997) 2 (2006)
Terrain mostly low desert plain rising gently to low central escarpment dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Total fertility rate 2.57 children born/woman (2007 est.) 4.96 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 15% (2005 est.) NA%
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