Irrigated land: 10 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: periodic droughts; dust storms
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; no natural fresh water resources so that groundwater and sea water are the only sources for all water needs
Environment - international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified : none of the selected agreements
Geography - note: close to primary Middle Eastern petroleum sources; strategic location in Persian Gulf which much of Western world's petroleum must transit to reach open ocean
@Bahrain:People
Population: 603,318 (July 1997 est.) note: includes 221,182 non-nationals (July 1997 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 31% (male 94,330; female 91,532) 15-64 years: 66% (male 240,496; female 160,662) 65 years and over : 3% (male 8,375; female 7,923) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.18% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 23.01 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)