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Marcia Thomas, age 13, of Twin Falls, Ids., for her question:

WHERE IS THE COUNTRY OF BAHRAIN?

Bahrain is an island country in the Persian Gulf in southwest Asia. It is made up of about 30 barren desert islands and has about the same area as the American city of Chicago. Bahrain, however, has been a major center of trade and communications in the Persian Gulf area for many centuries.

Until 1932 when oil was discoverd on the main island, also called Bahrain, the country remained rather underdeveloped. But today Bahrain has one of the highest standards of living of any nation in the gulf area.

Bahrain was a British protectorate from 1861 until 1971, when it gained independence.

The government of Bahrain is headed by a ruler called an emir. The emir appoints a Council of Ministers that actually runs the government. The council consists of 12 members plus a prime minister, who heads the group.

Municipal and rural councils head the government of local communities. The people elect most of the members of the local councils and the emir appoints the others.

Most of the 250,000 people of Bahrain live in cities and villages in the northern part of the island of Bahrain. Manama is the name of the capital which is also the nation's largest city and the chief commercial center.

Arabs make up about 90 percent of the population. The country also has large groups of Indians, Iranians and Pakistanis. Almost all the people are Muslims and Islam is the national religion.

Arabic is the official language of Bahrain. Many of the country's businessmen, however, also speak English and Persian. Newspapers and magazines are published in both Arabic and English.

Bahrain has one of the highest literacy rates in the Persian Gulf area.

Education in Bahrain is free, though not required, and most children go to school. The country has over 100 elementary and high schools, a nursing college, two teachers' colleges and a technological institute. The government provides free medical care.

Most of the country is made up of desert. The main island actually makes up almost the entire country. Other islands include Al Muharraq and Sitrah, which lie off the northeast coast of the chief island, Bahrain, and Umm Nasam, off the northwest coast. Bridges connect the principal islands.

Many fresh water springs provide lots of drinking water for the northern coast of the island of Bahrain. Farmers also use much of this spring water to irrigate their land. There isn't much rain each year. The rainfall averages about three inches a year, with most of it falling during the winter months.

The temperature often goes up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit between June and September. The rest of the year temperatures are mild, ranging from about 50 degrees to about 80 degrees.

 

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