Bahrain or Bahrein, officially Kingdom of Bahrain, constitutional monarchy (1999 est. pop. 666,400), 266 sq mi (689 sq km), an archipelago in the Persian Gulf between the Qatar Peninsula and Saudi Arabia. The two main islands are Bahrain (the largest) and Al Muharraq, which are linked to each other and Saudi Arabia by causeway. The capital and chief port is Al Manamah. Flat and sandy, with a few low hills, Bahrain has a hot, humid climate. The economy has been based on oil, and oil revenues have financed modernization projects, particularly in health and education. Oil reserves are expected to be exhausted in the near future, however, and other industries such as shipyards and aluminum smelting have been established. Bahrain is an important financial center and the site of a major U.S. navy base. The majority of the population are Muslim Arab Bahrainis, but other Arabs and Iranians, Indians, and other Asians make up over 35% of the inhabitants. About 75% of the population are Shiite Muslims; most of the rest are Sunnis. Arabic is the official language, but English, Farsi, and Urdu are also spoken

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