conventional long form: Kingdom of Bahrain
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun, State of Bahrain
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative Divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asamah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern), Wasat (Central)
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National Holidays: 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
Constitution: adopted 14 February 2002; amended 2012
Legal System: mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years
Executive Branch:
-chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
-head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 -March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa
-cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
-elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative Branch:
-bicameral National Assembly consists of the Shura Council or Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)
-elections: Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 30 October 2010 (next election to be held in fall 2014); byelections to fill 18 vacated seats held in two rounds on 24 September and 1 October 2011
-election results: Council of Representatives (2010) - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Wifaq (Shia) 18, Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 3, Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 2, independents 17; Council of Representatives byelection for 18 seats vacated by Wifaq (2011) - seats by society - independent Sunni 8, independent Shia 8, other 2; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties
Judicial Branch:
-highest court(s): Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of a president and 6 members)
-note - the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into the civil law and sharia law courts
-judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation and Constitutional Court judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure
-subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; higher and lower shariah courts, and the High Shariah Court of Appeal
Representation in U.S.:
-chief of mission: Ambassador Shaikh ABDULLA Mohamed Rashed Al Khalifa (since 26 November 2013)
-chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Representation from the U.S.:
-chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. KRAJESKI (since 26 October 2011)
-embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
Flag: red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
-note: until 2002 the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag
National anthem: "Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain)
conventional short form: Bahrain
local long form: Mamlakat al Bahrayn
local short form: Al Bahrayn
former: Dilmun, State of Bahrain
Government Type: Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Manama
Administrative Divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asamah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern), Wasat (Central)
Independence: 15 August 1971 (from UK)
National Holidays: 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
Constitution: adopted 14 February 2002; amended 2012
Legal System: mixed legal system of Islamic law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
Suffrage: 20 years of age; universal; note - Bahraini Cabinet in May 2011 endorsed a draft law lowering eligibility to 18 years
Executive Branch:
-chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969)
-head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al-Khalifa (since 1971); First Deputy Prime Minister SALMAN bin Hamad Al Khalifa (since 11 -March 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers ALI bin Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, Jawad bin Salim al-ARAIDH, KHALID bin Abdallah Al Khalifa, MUHAMMAD bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa
-cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch
-elections: the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative Branch:
-bicameral National Assembly consists of the Shura Council or Consultative Council (40 members appointed by the King) and the Council of Representatives or Chamber of Deputies (40 seats; members directly elected to serve four-year terms)
-elections: Council of Representatives - last held in two rounds on 23 and 30 October 2010 (next election to be held in fall 2014); byelections to fill 18 vacated seats held in two rounds on 24 September and 1 October 2011
-election results: Council of Representatives (2010) - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - Wifaq (Shia) 18, Asalah (Sunni Salafi) 3, Minbar (Sunni Muslim Brotherhood) 2, independents 17; Council of Representatives byelection for 18 seats vacated by Wifaq (2011) - seats by society - independent Sunni 8, independent Shia 8, other 2; note - Bahrain has societies rather than parties
Judicial Branch:
-highest court(s): Court of Cassation (consists of a chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of a president and 6 members)
-note - the judiciary of Bahrain is divided into the civil law and sharia law courts
-judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation and Constitutional Court judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure
-subordinate courts: High Court of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; higher and lower shariah courts, and the High Shariah Court of Appeal
Representation in U.S.:
-chief of mission: Ambassador Shaikh ABDULLA Mohamed Rashed Al Khalifa (since 26 November 2013)
-chancery: 3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Representation from the U.S.:
-chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas C. KRAJESKI (since 26 October 2011)
-embassy: Building #979, Road 3119 (next to Al-Ahli Sports Club), Block 331, Zinj District, Manama
Flag: red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam
-note: until 2002 the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag
National anthem: "Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain)