BAHRAIN, FLAG OF

national flag consisting of a red field (background) with a white, usually serrated strip at the hoist. The flag's width-to-length ratio is 3 to 5. The southern coast of the Persian Gulf was characterized by extensive warfare and piracy for many centuries. In 1820 the British were finally successful in enforcing peace on the local Arab states. The General Treaty of Peace signed at that time provided that those territories on friendly terms with the United Kingdom should include a white border on the plain red flags they previously had flown. Some countries, including Bahrain, reduced the white border to a narrow hoist strip of white. Red was chosen because it was the traditional colour of the Kharijite sect of Islam, which controlled that part of the Arabian Peninsula; white was a good contrasting colour. It is not known exactly when the current flag of Bahrain was established. Recognition was given to this flag in 1933 under the influence of the British adviser Charles Belgrave. The flag had been in use long before that, however. After the British began to withdraw from the Middle East, Bahrain was recognized as an independent state on August 15, 1971, and the current flag law became effective August 19, 1972. Today the flag may have the dividing line between the white and red either as a straight line or as a serrated line, although the latter is the most common. Whitney Smith History This discussion focuses on Bahrain since the 19th century. For a treatment of earlier periods and of the country in its regional context, see Arabia, history of. Bahrain has been inhabited since prehistoric times, and several thousand burial mounds in the northern part of the main island probably date from the Sumerian period of the 3rd millennium BC. It was the seat of ancient Dilmun (Telmun), a prosperous trading centre linking Sumeria with the Indus Valley about 2000 BC. The archipelago was mentioned by Persian, Greek, and Roman geographers and historians. It has been Arab and Muslim since the Muslim conquest of the 7th century AD, though it was ruled by the Portuguese from 1521 to 1602 and by the Persians from 1602 to 1783. Since 1783 it has been ruled by sheikhs of the Khalifah family, which originated in the Al-Hasa province of Arabia. The British protectorate Several times during the 19th century the British intervened to suppress war and piracy and to prevent the establishment of Egyptian, Persian, German, or Russian spheres of influence. The first Bahraini-British treaty was signed in 1820, although the country's British-protected status dates from 1861, with the completion of a treaty by which the sheikh agreed to refrain from the prosecution of war, piracy, or slavery. Thus Britain assumed responsibility for the defense of Bahrain and for the conduct of its relations with other major powers. In 1947 this protection briefly became the responsibility of the government of British India, which had both commercial and strategic interests in the Persian Gulf, but it reverted to Britain following India's independence. Until 1970 the government of Iran periodically advanced claims to sovereignty over Bahrain, but these were repudiated. Britain's decision to withdraw all of its forces from the gulf in 1968 led Sheikh 'Isa ibn Sulman al-Khalifah to proclaim Bahrain's independence in August 1971. A treaty of friendship was signed with the United Kingdom, terminating Bahrain's status as a British protectorate, and Sheikh 'Isa was designated the emir. Bahrain then became a member of the United Nations and the Arab League. The economy Though it was the first emirate to discover oil (1932), Bahrain will most likely be the first to exhaust its reserves. Consequently, Bahrain has developed one of the most diversified economies in the Persian Gulf region. Bahrain's economic activity, like that of other Arab states in the Persian Gulf, has largely centred on the production of crude oil and natural gas and on refining petroleum products, making the country sensitive to fluctuations in the world oil market. Bahrain has built on its long tradition of shipping and commerce, however, and has been more successful than some other states in the gulf in developing manufacturing and commercial and financial services. The non-oil sector includes petrochemicals, ship repair, aluminum refining, and light manufacturing. The government-owned Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA), the largest aluminum smelter in the region, together with Bahrain Petroleum Corporation, have been profitable, but this has provided less incentive for privatization. Bahrain has remained the most important commercial and financial centre in the gulf, while tourism has been one of the country's fastest growing industries. Agriculture and fishing Less than 3 percent of Bahrain is arable, and agriculture contributes less than 1 percent of gross national product. The majority of Bahrain's food is imported, but agricultural production meets some local needs, including a large portion of vegetables and dairy products. Tomatoes, dates, bananas, citrus fruits, mangoes, pomegranates, and alfalfa (lucerne) are among the main crops. Cattle breeding and poultry farming are also encouraged by the government, while camels and horses are bred for racing. The increasingly polluted waters of the gulf, mainly due to spillages from Kuwaiti oil installations during the Persian Gulf War, have killed off economically valuable marine life (notably shrimp) that were important to the fishing industry. Fisheries have remained largely unexploited despite some government attempts to privatize and modernize the industry. The land Relief The state consists of two separate groups of islands. The island of Bahrain, which at 225 square miles (580 square km) accounts for seven-eighths of the country's total land area, is surrounded by smaller islands. Two of theseAl-Muharraq and Sitrah, both to the northeastare joined to Bahrain Island by causeways that have facilitated residential and industrial development; other islands in the group are Nabi Salih, Al-Muhammadiyah (Umm As-Sabban), Umm An-Na'san (linked by the King Fahd Causeway), and Jiddah. The second group consists of the Hawar Islands, which are also claimed by and situated near the coast of Qatar, about 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Bahrain Island; small and rocky, they are inhabited by only a few fishermen and quarry workers. While the small islands in both groups are rocky and low-lying, rising only a few feet above sea level, the main island is more varied in appearance. Geologically the island consists of gently folded layers of sedimentary rocks: limestones, sandstones, and marls (loose clay, sand, or silt) formed during the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods (from about 144 to 1.6 million years ago). The central region is rocky and barren, rising to 440 feet (134 metres) above sea level at Ad-Dukhan Hill, the country's highest point. The southern and western lowlands consist of a bleak sandy plain with some salt marshes, while the northern and northwestern coasts afford a striking contrast, forming a narrow belt of date palms and vegetable gardens irrigated from prolific springs and wells that tap artesian water. The source of this water is precipitation on the western mountains of Saudi Arabia. The abundance of fresh water has provided Bahrain with fertile land, from which it gained importance historically as a harbour and trading centre in the Persian Gulf. Economic developments and population growth have outstripped the available artesian water in the country, and some three-fifths of the water used now comes from seawater desalinization plants powered by natural gas. Climate Summer in Bahrain is unpleasant, as high temperatures frequently coincide with high humidity. Midday temperatures from May to October exceed 90 F (32 C), often reaching 95 F (35 C) or higher; summer nights are sultry and humid. Winters are cooler and more pleasant, with mean temperatures from December to March dipping to 70 F (21 C). Rainfall is confined to the winter months and averages only 3 inches (75 mm) per year, but this may vary from almost nothing to double this amount. On average, rain falls only about 10 days a year. Sunshine is abundant year-round. The predominant wind is the damp, northwesterly /a>shamal; the qaws, a hot, dry, and dusty south wind, is less frequent and brings sand, dust, and low humidity. The people Nearly five-sevenths of the population is Arab, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but some are Palestinians, Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than one-third of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign. Life expectancy and the birth rate are both high, and about a third of the population is under the age of 15. The population is more than four-fifths Muslim and includes both the Sunnite and Shi'ite sects, with the latter in the majority. The ruling family and many of the wealthier and more influential Bahrainis are Sunnite, and this difference has been an underlying cause of local tension, particularly during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s and in the 1990s. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, but English is widely used. Farsi is also common, although it is mostly spoken in the home.