Bahrain is an independent nation in Western Asia. With the capital city of Manama, Bahrain 2020 population is estimated at 1,701,586 according to countryaah. The area that today constitutes Bahrain is believed to have been populated as early as 2500 years before Christ. During the course of history, many people have claimed the kingdom. During the 18th century, the current ruling family, Al Khalifa, took power, but the country came under British protection in the 19th century. Bahrain became the first in the region to extract oil in the 1930s.
Archaeological finds show that the area that today constitutes Bahrain has been inhabited for a very long time. Here, the trading town of Dilmun, the Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian scriptures, was about 2500 BC. It is mentioned in wedge writings and is believed to have built its wealth on vegetable cultivation and trade between Mesopotamia (the land between the rivers, present-day Iraq) and the Indus Valley. Archaeological excavations have been carried out in several places in Bahrain, where among other things, foundations of houses, tombs / burial mounds and cult sites have been found. The findings are interpreted, among other things, as the worldview of the time reminded of the religion of ancient Egypt, with a focus on life after that. Qal’at al-Bahrain, the capital of the Dilmun civilization, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. For Bahrain political system, please check carswers.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Comprehensive guide to and popular abbreviations of Bahrain, covering history, economy, and social conditions.
Later, Bahrain became part of the Persian Empire for hundreds of years, and is governed by several different Persian dynasties.
The country was Islamized early in the history of Islam, which dates back to the 600s, according to Western times. Bahrain was built under Arab caliphate until the 11th century. Arab seafarers also dominated trade with Asia during the Middle Ages, and Bahrain was known for its pearl fishing.
As interest from Portugal grew, not least for spice trade with Southeast Asia, Bahrain came under Portuguese rule in the 16th century. But Persian influence remained strong, and during the Safavid dynasty, the Portuguese were forced away from almost all their strongholds in the Persian Gulf. Portugal also soon weakened as a major power, and Britain took over as the dominant long-distance stakeholder in Asia.
In 1782, the Bahrain Islands were conquered by a Bedouin tribe from the Arabian mainland. That brought the current ruling family of Al Khalifa to power.
British patronage
During the 19th century, both Persia and the Ottoman Empire (Turkey) claimed Bahrain, which sought support from the British. A protection treaty was signed in 1861 against the country pledging to renounce war, piracy and slave trade.
Unlike other emirates protected by the United Kingdom, an active opposition to the growing British influence arose quite early in Bahrain. After World War II strikes and protests against the British occurred.
At the same time, the emir’s British advisers pushed for the development towards a modern welfare state, which was made possible by the use of oil money. By 1932, oil had begun to be extracted in Bahrain.
2010
October
al-Wifaq wins parliamentary elections
October 23
In the elections to the parliament’s lower house, al-Wifaq is the largest with 18 of the 40 seats. For several months before the elections, Shiite groups have been protesting and many criticisms of regime critics have been made.
April
Field Cheats Report
After two years of investigation, a parliamentary group presents a report on state land that has been privatized, without any purchase price being registered. Mark is worth twice as much as Bahrain’s GDP has been transferred, in many cases to members of the royal family. The land issue is sensitive in the small country.
