World Factbook
Bahrain
Mamlakat al Bahrayn
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Flag
description: red, with a white serrated band of five white points on the left side meaning: red is the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam history: until 2002, the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag
Capital
name
Manama
etymology
name derives from the Arabic word al-manama , meaning "place of rest" or "place of dreams"
time difference
UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
geographic coordinates
26 14 N, 50 34 E
Suffrage
20 years of age; universal
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
Constitution
history
previous 1973; latest adopted 14 February 2002, entry into force 14 February 2002
amendment process
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
Country name
former
Dilmun, Tylos, Awal, Mishmahig, Bahrayn, State of Bahrain
etymology
the name means "the two seas" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies on each side of the archipelago
local long form
Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form
Al Bahrayn
conventional long form
Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form
Bahrain
Independence
15 August 1971 (from the UK)
Legal system
mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
Government type
constitutional monarchy
Judicial branch
note
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; the Courts are supervised by the Supreme Judicial Council.
highest court(s)
Court of Cassation (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); 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)
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
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 appointments by royal decree for a specified tenure
Executive branch
cabinet
Cabinet appointed by the monarch
chief of state
King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999)
head of government
Prime Minister Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020)
election/appointment process
the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
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
National color(s)
red, white
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites
3 (all cultural)
selected World Heritage Site locales
Dilmun Burial Mounds; Qal'at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbor and Capital of Dilmun; Bahrain Pearling Path
Political parties
note: political parties are prohibited, but political societies were legalized under a July 2005 law
Legislative branch
legislature name
National Assembly (Al-Majlis Al-Watani)
legislative structure
bicameral
National anthem(s)
title
"Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain)
history
adopted 1971; Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, but they were changed in 2002 after Bahrain became a kingdom
lyrics/music
unknown
National symbol(s)
a white serrated band with five white points on top of a red field
Administrative divisions
4 governorates ( muhafazat , singular - muhafazah ); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern)
Legislative branch - lower chamber
chamber name
Council of Representatives (Majlis Al-Nuwab)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
40 (all directly elected)
electoral system
plurality/majority
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
11/12/2022 to 11/19/2022
expected date of next election
November 2026
percentage of women in chamber
20%
Legislative branch - upper chamber
chamber name
Shura Council (Majlis Al-Shura)
term in office
4 years
number of seats
40 (all appointed)
scope of elections
full renewal
most recent election date
11/27/2022
expected date of next election
November 2026
percentage of women in chamber
25%
Diplomatic representation in the US
FAX
[1] (202) 362-2192
chancery
3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone
[1] (202) 342-1111
chief of mission
Ambassador Abdulla bin Rashed AL KHALIFA (since 21 July 2017)
consulate(s) general
New York
email address and website
ambsecretary@bahrainembassy.org https://www.mofa.gov.bh/Default.aspx?language=en-US&tabid=7702
Diplomatic representation from the US
FAX
[973] 17-272594
embassy
Building 979, Road 3119, Block 331, Zinj District, P.O. Box 26431, Manama
telephone
[973] 17-242700
mailing address
6210 Manama Place, Washington DC 20521-6210
chief of mission
Ambassador-designate Stephanie HALLETT (since 19 December 2025); Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth A. LITCHFIELD
email address and website
ManamaConsular@state.gov https://bh.usembassy.gov/
International organization participation
ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, CAEU, CICA, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt