Inhabited Since Ancient Times, Bahrain Occupies A Strategic Location In The Persian Gulf. It Is The Best Natural Port Between The Mouth Of The Tigris, Euphrates Rivers And Oman, A Source Of Copper In Ancient Times. Bahrain May Have Been Associated With The Dilmun Civilisation, An Important Bronze Age Trade Centre Linking Mesopotamia And The Indus Valley.

Inspired By The Regional Arab Spring, Bahrain's Shia Majority Started Large Protests Against Its Sunni Rulers In Early 2011.:162–3 The Government Initially Allowed Protests Following A Pre-Dawn Raid On Protesters Camped In Pearl Roundabout

The Spring Season In March Is Warm And Pleasant With Occasional Thunderstorms. The Frequent Winds From The Northwest Are Cold In Winter And Spring And Hot In Summer. Southeasterly Winds, Usually Hot And Damp, Spring Up Between July And October; Hot And Dry South Winds Prevail In Spring And Early Summer

The Period Between 1975 And 1999 Known As The "State Security Law Era", Saw Wide Range Of Human Rights Violations Including Arbitrary Arrests, Detention Without Trial, Torture And Forced Exile.

Women's Political Rights In Bahrain Saw An Important Step Forward When Women Were Granted The Right To Vote And Stand In National Elections For The First Time In The 2002 Election.However, No Women Were Elected To Office In That Year's Polls. Instead, Shī'a And Sunnī Islamists Dominated The Election, Collectively Winning A Majority Of Seats

Bahrain Established Bilateral Relations With 190 Countries Worldwide.As Of 2012, Bahrain Maintains A Network Of 25 Embassies, 3 Consulates And 4 Permanent Missions To The Arab League, United Nations And European Union Respectively.

The Kingdom Has A Small But Well Equipped Military Called The Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), Numbering Around 13,000 Personnel

According To A January 2006 Report By The United Nations Economic And Social Commission For Western Asia, Bahrain Has The Fastest Growing Economy In The Arab World

As A Tourist Destination, Bahrain Received Over Eight Million Visitors In 2008 Though The Exact Number Varies Yearly.

Bahraini People Are Ethnically Diverse. There Are At Least 8-9 Different Ethnic Groups Of Bahraini Citizens. Shia Bahraini Citizens Are Divided Into Two Main Ethnic Groups: Bahrani And Ajam. Most Shia Bahrainis Are Ethnic Baharna. The Baharna Are Descendants Of The Original Pre-Islamic Inhabitants Of Bahrain..

The State Religion Of Bahrain Is Islam And Most Bahraini Citizens Are Muslim. There Are No Official Figures For The Proportion Of Shia And Sunni Among The Muslims Of Bahrain, But Approximately 66-70% Percent Of Bahraini Muslims Are Shias

Arabic Is The Official Language Of Bahrain, Though English Is Widely Used.Bahrani Arabic Is The Most Widely Spoken Dialect Of The Arabic Language, Though This Differs Slightly From Standard Arabic

The Modern Art Movement In The Country Officially Emerged In The 1950s, Culminating In The Establishment Of An Art Society. Expressionism And Surrealism, As Well As Calligraphic Art Are The Popular Forms Of Art In The Country

Literature Retains A Strong Tradition In The Country; Most Traditional Writers And Poets Write In The Classical Arabic Style. In Recent Years, The Number Of Younger Poets Influenced By Western Literature Are Rising, Most Writing In Free Verse And Often Including Political Or Personal Content

The Music Style In Bahrain Is Similar To That Of Its Neighbours. The Khaliji Style Of Music, Which Is Folk Music, Is Popular In The Country. The Sawt Style Of Music, Which Involves A Complex Form Of Urban Music, Performed By An Oud (Plucked Lute), A Violin And Mirwas (A Drum), Is Also Popular In Bahrain