Bahrain consists of 33 islands in the Arabian Gulf, connected to Saudi Arabia through the King Fahd Causeway. Its area is about 760 sq km. Check out Bahrain photos to view its beautiful beaches, as well as the historical, traditional and modern structures.

The official name of Bahrain is the "Kingdom of Bahrain", meaning the Kingdom of the Two Seas. The name is spelled in Arabic as Mamlakat al-Bahrayn or al-Bahrayn.

Manama is the capital of Bahrain. Other Bahrain cities include Muharraq, Riffa, Hamad Town, Sitra, Budaiya and Jidhafs. The largest islands are Bahrain Island, Hawar Island, Muharraq Island, Umm an-Naasan and Sitrah.

Bahrain's economy is based mainly on the oil and natural gas sector. Major industries in Bahrain include aluminum, fishing and pearls.

Bahrain is also the main business and banking center in the Arabian Gulf and a main centre for Islamic banking and finance. Bahrain financial services are of high levels worldwide.

Bahrain attracts lots of visitors each year, who come for business, sports, shopping, and tourism.

Bahrain has several World Heritage sites, cultural, historic and natural sites, including the ancient Castle and harbour of Bahrain, Dilmun temple and Al-Areen wildlife park. Modern architecture includes Bahrain World Trade Center, Bahrain Financial Harbour, Al-Fateh Mosque and the Museum of Pearl Diving.

Bahrain's estimated population is 1.2 millions (over 30% of the population are non-nationals). The main spoken languages are Arabic and English, as well as Farsi and Urdu.