ABSTRACT

Context The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago located in the Arabian Gulf between the Qatar Peninsula and Saudi Arabia. It covers an area of 676 km2 and has a population of 754,000 (Statistical Abstract 2006). Whilst it has a constitutional monarchy, Bahrain is an Islamic country, governed by Sharia law. Over 80 per cent of the population is Muslim but other faiths do co-exist in a spirit of mutual acceptance. The country’s official language is Arabic, and Bahrain is a member of the Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which consists of the six Arabian Gulf countries, the Kingdom of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain was a British Protectorate from the early nineteenth century until independence in 1972. Although small, its strategic geographical location at a trading crossroads brought cosmopolitan influences from passing traders. Since the discovery of oil in 1932, Bahrain has experienced rapid modernisation. The twentieth century saw periods of reform, with ethnic diversity growing in the population as a consequence of the influx of migrant workers, especially those from Asia and the Far East. More recent change in the socio-political direction of the country came with the succession of the current king in 1999, arguably the most influential being the move to ‘Kingdom’ status in 2002 and to political liberalisation with democratic elections to government positions. Significantly, women received voting rights for the first time in that year.