Bahrain, meaning 'two seas', is a constitutional monarchy covering an archipelago of 33 islands near the western shores of the Persian Gulf, with Manama as its capital.
Its 2010 population has been estimated between 807,000 (United Nations) and 1.2 million (Bahraini Census).
Bahrain's major language is Arabic and its main religion is Islam. Tensions between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have at various times spilled over into civil unrest. Shi'ites have only been represented in parliament since 2002.
The nation has been ruled by the al-Khalifa monarchy since 1783, when they expelled the Persians from the archipelago.
The al-Khalifa family signed a treaty with Britain in 1861, making Bahrain more or less a British protectorate until independence in 1971.
The current king is Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa. The crown prince is Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa and the Prime Minister is Khalifa ibn Salman al-Khalifa.
Bahrain was once rich in oil reserves but they have dwindled, leaving the country reliant petroleum processing as its economic mainstay.
It also exports aluminium and pearls, and earns tourism dollars from the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix.
