HISTORY WAVE

Population 2017 157,826,578

GDP per capita 2017 (PPI, US$)... 4,200

GDP 2017 (PPI, US$ billions) 261.4

Unemployment 2017 4%

   

Total Area 148,460 sq km

Urban Population 36.6%

Life expectancy at birth (years) 73.4

Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births) 31.7

Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 27.2%

History

The area that came to be Bangladesh was ruled by Buddhist kings for 400 hundred years until being conquered by the Muslims about 1200 A.D. In the 16th century it was absorbed into the Moghul Empire and by 1642 the British had arrived in the form of the British East India Company. One hundred years later, the area was entirely under British rule. In 1947, India achieved independence with Hindu (West) Bengal assigned to India and the East (Muslim) area given to Pakistan. Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Eastern Bengal claimed its own independence with civil war ensuing. An astounding 10 million refugees fled to India. Since independence, Bangladesh has remained one of the world's poorest nations, marked by instability in every realm along with a tendency to be in the path of natural disasters.

Population 2017 1,410,942

GDP per capita 2017 (PPI, US$)... 48,500

GDP 2017 (PPI, US$ billions) 70.44

Unemployment 2017 3.8%

   

Total Area 760 sq km

Urban Population 89.3%

Life expectancy at birth (years) 79

Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births) 8.9

Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) 4.3%

For thousands of years, the area of Bahrain has been on the trade route between India and Arabia. Though the Portuguese managed to gain control of the area in the 16th century, the Persians ousted them in the 17th century. A century later, Bahrain was a sheikhdom of the Ottoman Empire and by 1861, it was a British protectorate. It took over another 100 years for the country to achieve independence. At present, the United States maintains a base here that played an important role during the Gulf War of 1991. Though there has been unrest in the country, reflecting its high unemployment, repressive government, and the vast gap between rich and poor, the family-run government has maintained control with Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa succeeding his father, the founding emir, in 1999.

Government

Government type:

constitutional monarchy

Capital:

name: Manama

Administrative divisions:

4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern)

note: each governorate administered by an appointed governor

Independence:

15 August 1971 (from the UK)

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

Constitution:

history: adopted 14 February 2002

amendments: proposed by the king or by at least 15 members of either chamber of the National Assembly followed by submission to an Assembly committee for review and, if approved, submitted to the government for restatement as drafts; passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both chambers and validation by the king; constitutional articles on the state religion (Islam), state language (Arabic), and the monarchy and “inherited rule” cannot be amended; amended 2012, 2017 (2017)

Legal system:

mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law

International law organization participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship:

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Bahrain

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals

Suffrage:

20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years

Executive branch:

chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)

head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa (since September 2005), Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 11 December 2006), KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa (since November 2010)

cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch

elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

description: bicameral National Assembly consists of:

elections: Consultative Council or Majlis al Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king)

Council of Representatives or Majlis al Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms)

note: Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 29 November 2014 (next to be held in late 2018)

election results: Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Islamic Al-Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 2, National Islamic Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 1, independent 37; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): Court of Cassation or Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal (court sittings include the president and at least one judge); appeals beyond the High Sharia Court of Appeal are heard by the Supreme Court of Appeal

note: the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into civil law courts and sharia law courts; sharia courts(involving personal status and family law) are further divided into Sunni Muslim and Shia Muslim

judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointment and tenure NA

subordinate courts: Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court; Administrative Courts of Appeal; military courts

Political parties and leaders:

note: political parties are prohibited, but political societies were legalized under a July 2005 law

Arab Islamic Center Society [Mohd SANAD]

Constitutional Gathering Society [Khalid AL-KALBAN]

Islamic Asalah (al-Asalah) [Abd al-Halim MURAD]

Islamic Saff Society [Abdullah Khalil BU GHAMAR]

Islamic Shura Society

Movement of National Justice Society [Muhi al-Din KHAN]

National Action Charter Society [Muhammad AL-BUAYNAYN]

National Democratic Assembly [Hasan AL-ALI]

National Dialogue Society [Hamad Rashid Al NUAIMI]

National Islamic Minbar [Ali AHMAD]

National Progressive Tribune [Khalil YOUSIF]

National Unity Gathering [Abdullatif AL-MAHMOOD]

Unitary National Democratic Assemblage [Hasan AL-MARZOOQ]

ECONOMICS
Oil and natural gas play a dominant role in Bahrain’s economy. Despite the Government’s past efforts to diversify the economy, oil still comprises 85% of Bahraini budget revenues. In the last few years lower world energy prices have generated sizable budget deficits - about 10% of GDP in 2017 alone. Bahrain has few options for covering these deficits, with low foreign assets and fewer oil resources compared to its GCC neighbors. The three major US credit agencies downgraded Bahrain’s sovereign debt rating to “junk” status in 2016, citing persistently low oil prices and the government’s high debt levels. Nevertheless, Bahrain was able to raise about $4 billion by issuing foreign currency denominated debt in 2017.
Other major economic activities are production of aluminum - Bahrain's second biggest export after oil and gas –finance, and construction. Bahrain continues to seek new natural gas supplies as feedstock to support its expanding petrochemical and aluminum industries. In April 2018 Bahrain announced it had found a significant oil field off the country’s west coast, but is still assessing how much of the oil can be extracted profitably.

In addition to addressing its current fiscal woes, Bahraini authorities face the long-term challenge of boosting Bahrain’s regional competitiveness — especially regarding industry, finance, and tourism — and reconciling revenue constraints with popular pressure to maintain generous state subsidies and a large public sector. Since 2015, the government lifted subsidies on meat, diesel, kerosene, and gasoline and has begun to phase in higher prices for electricity and water. As part of its diversification plans, Bahrain implemented a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US in August 2006, the first FTA between the US and a Gulf state. It plans to introduce a Value Added Tax (VAT) by the end of 2018.

 
People
The majority of the people of Bahrain are natives of Bahrain. There are however large migrant communities, including 13% of the population that is Asian and 10% that comes from other Arab lands. Most of the people of Bahrain are Sh'ia Muslims. Approximately 25% are Sunni Muslims.


BAHRAIN National Air Transport System
number of registered air carriers: 6
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 42
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 5,313,756
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 240,107,004 mt-km (2015)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:
A9C (2016)
Airports:
4 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 184
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 4
over 3,047 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2017)
Heliports:
1 (2013)
Pipelines:
gas 20 km; oil 54 km (2013)
Roadways:
total: 4,122 km
paved: 3,392 km
unpaved: 730 km (2010)
country comparison to the world: 156
Merchant marine:
total: 260
by type: container ship 3, general cargo 11, oil tanker 4, other 242 (2017)
country comparison to the world: 60
Ports and terminals:
major seaport(s): Mina' Salman, Sitrah

Population 2017                                                             329,988

GDP per capita 2017 (PPI, US$)...                                     31,200

GDP 2017 (PPI, US$ billions)                                             11.6

Unemployment 2017                                                     10%

   

Total Area                                                                    13,880 sq km

Urban Population                                                            83.3%

Life expectancy at birth (years)                                    72.8

Mortality rate, (per 1,000 live births)                            11.3

Illiteracy (% of population age 15+)                            1%

History

In 1492, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the Western Hemisphere in The Bahamas. Spanish slave traders later captured native Lucayan Indians to work in gold mines in Hispaniola, and within 25 years, all Lucayans perished. In 1647, a group of English and Bermudan religious refugees, the Eleutheran Adventurers, founded the first permanent European settlement in The Bahamas and gave Eleuthera Island its name. Similar groups of settlers formed governments in The Bahamas until the islands became a British Crown Colony in 1717.

Population mid-2006 ................................ 7,961,619

GDP per capita 2006 (Purchase Parity method, US$)........... 7,300

GNP 2006 (Atlas method, US$ billions)................ 14.5

Unemployment.....................................................................1.2%

Average annual growth 1991-97

Population (%) ....... .8

Labor force (%) ....... 1.6

Total Area...................................................................33,346 sq. mi.

Poverty (% of population below national poverty line)...... 68

Urban population (% of total population) ............................... 56

Life expectancy at birth (years)..................................................... 71

Infant mortality (per 1,000 live births)........................................ 20

Child malnutrition (% of children under 5) ..............................10

Illiteracy (% of population age 15+) ............................................. 3

HISTORY

This ancient region has been occupied by a variety of peoples including the indigenous nomadic Azeris, as well as Persians, Muslims, Arabs, Turks, Mongols, and Russians. Because of its geographic location, the capital Baku has been important in controlling the Caspian Sea. Though the Persians, Ottomans, and Russians wrestled with each other for hegemony over the area during the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the Russians who eventually gained the upper hand through the Treaty of Turkmenchai (1828), which gave them the northern part of the land. Persia got the southern half. The Russians transformed Azerbaijan into an industrial center. It also became a revolutionary center. Though the first republic established in 1918 was overthrown in 1920 by the Soviet Red Army, a separate Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic did come into being. During the period under Soviet domination, the country underwent industrial growth, collectivization of agriculture, and religious persecution. In 1988, Azerbaijan went to war against neighboring Armenia over the Naborno-Karabakh region (ethnically Armenian, but within Azerbaijan territory). The ensuing hostilities continue. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan has had difficulties with issues of democracy as it tried to hold free and honest elections in 1995 and 1998. Charges of vote-rigging persist and officials sent to monitor the elections of 1998 charged that there were serious irregularities in the process.

Capital:

name: Baku (Baki, Baky)

geographic coordinates: 40 23 N, 49 52 E

time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions:

66 rayons (rayonlar; rayon - singular), 11 cities (saharlar; sahar - singular);

rayons: Abseron, Agcabadi, Agdam, Agdas, Agstafa, Agsu, Astara, Babak, Balakan, Barda, Beylaqan, Bilasuvar, Cabrayil, Calilabad, Culfa, Daskasan, Fuzuli, Gadabay, Goranboy, Goycay, Goygol, Haciqabul, Imisli, Ismayilli, Kalbacar, Kangarli, Kurdamir, Lacin, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Neftcala, Oguz, Ordubad, Qabala, Qax, Qazax, Qobustan, Quba, Qubadli, Qusar, Saatli, Sabirabad, Sabran, Sadarak, Sahbuz, Saki, Salyan, Samaxi, Samkir, Samux, Sarur, Siyazan, Susa, Tartar, Tovuz, Ucar, Xacmaz, Xizi, Xocali, Xocavand, Yardimli, Yevlax, Zangilan, Zaqatala, Zardab

cities: Baku, Ganca, Lankaran, Mingacevir, Naftalan, Naxcivan (Nakhichevan), Saki, Sirvan, Sumqayit, Xankandi, Yevlax

Independence:

30 August 1991 (declared from the Soviet Union); 18 October 1991 (adopted by the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan)

National holiday:

Republic Day (founding of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan), 28 May (1918)

Constitution:

history: several previous; latest adopted 12 November 1995

amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by at least 63 members of the National Assembly; passage requires at least 95 votes of Assembly members in two separate readings of the draft amendment six months apart and requires presidential approval after each of the two Assembly votes, followed by presidential signature; constitutional articles on the authority, sovereignty, and unity of the people cannot be amended; amended 2002, 2009, 2016 (2017)

Legal system:

civil law system

International law organization participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship:

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent: yes

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Ilham ALIYEV (since 31 October 2003); First Vice President Mehriban ALIYEVA (since 21 February 2017)

head of government: Prime Minister Novruz MAMMADOV (since 21 April 2018); First Deputy Prime Minister Yaqub EYYUBOV (since June 2006)

cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly

elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 7-year term (eligible for unlimited terms); election last held on 11 April 2018 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president and confirmed by the National Assembly; note - a constitutional amendment approved in a September 2016 referendum expanded presidential terms from 5 to 7 years; a separate constitutional amendment approved in the same referendum also introduced the post of first vice-president and additional vice-presidents, who are directly appointed by the president

election results: Ilham ALIYEV reelected president in first round; percent of vote - Ilham ALIYEV (YAP) 86%, Zahid ORUJ (independent) 3.1%, other 10.9%

note: OSCE observers noted shortcomings in the election, including a restrictive political environment, limits on fundamental freedoms, a lack of genuine competition, and ballot box stuffing

Legislative branch:

description: unicameral National Assembly or Milli Mejlis (125 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections: last held on 1 November 2015 (next to be held in November 2020)

election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - YAP 69, CSP 2, AVP 1, Civil Unity 1, CUP 1, Democratic Enlightenment 1, Democratic Reforms 1, Great Undertaking Party 1, National Renaissance Party 1, Social Democratic Party 1, Social Prosperity Party 1, Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front 1, independent 43, invalid 1

Judicial branch:

highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of the chairman, vice chairman, and 23 judges in plenum sessions and organized into civil, economic affairs, criminal, and rights violations chambers); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges)

judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis; judges appointed for 10 years; Constitutional Court chairman and deputy chairman appointed by the president; other court judges nominated by the president and appointed by the Milli Majlis to serve single 15-year terms

subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal (replaced the Economic Court in 2002); district and municipal courts;

Political parties and leaders:

Civil Solidarity Party or CSP [Sabir RUSTAMKHANLI]

Civil Unity Party or CUP [Sabir HAJIYEV]

Democratic Enlightenment [Elshan MUSAYEV]

Democratic Reforms Party [Asim MOLLAZADE]

Great Undertaking [Fazil MUSTAFA]

Musavat [Arif HAJILI]

Popular Front Party [Ali KARIMLI]

Motherland Party or AVP [Fazail AGAMALI]

National Renaissance Party

Social Democratic Party [Ayaz MUTALIBOV]

Social Prosperity Party [Khanhusein KAZIMLI]

Unity Party [Tahir KARIMLI]

Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party [Gudrat HASANGULIYEV]

Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party or YAP [President Ilham ALIYEV]

People

The overwhelming majority of Azerbaijans population are of Azeri ethinic group and Muslim. The population lives in the major cities and in the fertile agricultural regions. The estimated population in 2017 was 9,961,396. The age expectancy is slightly above 63 years, and almost .79 percent of infants die at birth.

AZERBAIJAN National Air Transport System

number of registered air carriers: 2

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 35

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,803,112

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 41,954,600 mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix:

4K (2016)

Airports:

37 (2013)

country comparison to the world: 108

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 30

over 3,047 m: 5

2,438 to 3,047 m: 5

1,524 to 2,437 m: 13

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 3 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 7

under 914 m: 7 (2013)

Heliports:

1 (2012)

Pipelines:

condensate 89 km; gas 3,890 km; oil 2,446 km (2013)

Railways:

total: 2,944.3 km

broad gauge: 2,944.3 km 1.520-m gauge (approx. 1,767 km electrified) (2017)

country comparison to the world: 62

Roadways:

total: 52,942 km

paved: 26,789 km

unpaved: 26,153 km (2006)

country comparison to the world: 76

Merchant marine:

total: 311

by type: general cargo 48, oil tanker 48, other 215 (2017)

country comparison to the world: 50

Ports and terminals:

major seaport(s): Baku (Baki) located on the Caspian Sea

Tourism

Tourism has become an important industry for Azerbaijan. In 2017 2,690,000 tourist visited the country. Tourism grew by 20 over the year before. The largest number of tourist to the country come from Russia(31%) , Georgia(19%), Iran (13%).