Wikijunior:Asia/Bahrain

Bahrain

Bahrain (Arabic: البحرين‎ al-Baḥrayn "Two Seas"), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is widely believed to be the site of the ancient kingdom of Dilmun, a commercial centre that traded with ancient Sumer. The name Bahrain is from the Arabic term al-baḥrayn, meaning “two seas.” This is thought to refer to the two different water sources on the island: the inland spring waters and the saltwater coasts. It may also refer to the two coasts of the island: the north coast facing off to the Persian coast, and the south coast across the water from Saudi Arabia.

The Bahrain currency is Bahraini Dinar.

Where is Bahrain?

Bahrain is a small island country in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain is neighboring to the west of The United Arab Emirates and to the east of Qatar. It is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway.

It has a total area of 760 square kilometers, and is made up of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 man-made islands. Bahrain Island, the largest island in the country, makes up about 83 percent of the country's landmass.

The capital city of Bahrain is Manama. It is the largest city in the country and is located on the northeastern coast of Bahrain Island.

How many people live in Bahrain?

According to official census in 2010, there are about 1.23 million people lives there. The population is made up from about 568,000 were Bahraini national and 666,000 non Bahraini nationals.

What are the most common languages in Bahrain?

The most common language of Bahrain is Modern Standard Arabic, a modernized form of classical Arabic. It is used in schools, for official purposes and for written communication within the Arabic-speaking international community. English is widely used, however, and is a compulsory second language at all schools. Persian is also common, although it is spoken mostly in the home. A number of other languages are spoken among expatriates in Bahrain, including Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog.

What is the most common religion in Bahrain?

Overall, 70.2% population is predominately Muslim and includes both the Sunni and the Shīʿite sects, with the latter in the majority. The ruling family and many of the wealthier and more influential Bahrainis are Sunni.

What is the sport of Bahrain?

Horse Racing in Bahrain

Horse racing is a national pastime sports in Bahrain as horses have always been part of Bahraini culture.

There are more than 20 types of Arabian horses are bred on the islands, and races are held weekly on Bahrain island’s large racecourse which consists of two grass tracks measuring about 2,400 meters with a straight of 1200 meters and one sand track. The racecourse can seats some 10,000 spectators. and have stables for 300 horses.

Horse racing is a competitive equestrian sport racing where the two or more horses ridden by jockeys are put for race in the determined amount of laps of a race courses. The horse which that could finish a certain amount of laps in racing tracks in shortest amount of time are considered the top of the game.

What are some important sites?

Tree of Life in Bahrain

Tree of Life - It is a 500 year old major tree standing alone on the 25 foot high sand hills located 2 kms away from Jebel-al.

This particular tree notably has several low hanging branches that spread out in all directions. It is located in the midst of the desert without any source of water has made this tree a notable point of interest .

The local inhabitants believe with heart and soul that the tree’s longevity is granted by Enki, the mythical God of water, and that it marks the location of the Garden of Eden.

However, the botanists suspects that its roots go very deep and wide to get water from the reserves of sweet springs kilometers away to sustain itself.

Sea Tower of Qal'at al-Bahrain

Qal'at al-Bahrain - An ancient forts that sits atop an artificial hill and was the capital of the Dilmun culture. It is also an recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site, as it is one of the best preserved sites of the ancient Dilmun heritage. It's archaeological site comprising four main elements:
(a) Archaeological tell (an artificial hill formed over time by successive occupations) of over 16 hectares, immediately adjacent to the northern coast of Bahrain
(b) Sea tower about 1600m North-West of the tell
(c) Sea channel of just under 16 hectares through the reef near the sea tower
(d) Palm-groves.

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