The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of low lying island located in the Arabian Gulf of the eastern shore of Saudi Arabia. Frequently called the Pearl of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain has a history of more than 5,000 years of civilisation, from the mists of time to a vibrant present under a stable and prosperous government. Bahrain is the site of immortal Dilmun, religious centre to Summerians, Babylonians and Assyrians, as dramatic excavations prove. Subsequent visitors include Greeks from the time of Alexander the Great, Portuguese, Omanis and the English. Marvellous old sites and buildings compete with modern office buildings and colourful traditional markets.The climate is hot in summer and mild in winter. From November to April is very pleasant, with temperatures from 15 to 24 degrees centigrade. Temperatures are coolest between December and March when northerly winds prevail. From July to September temperatures average 36 degrees centigrade with high humidity.
Population
650604 (2001 est.)
Area
711.9 sq.km
Ethnicity/ Race
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Major Languages
Arabic (official), English, Farsi and Urdu
Religion
Islam 85%, other faiths including Hinduism, Parseeism, Judaism, Buddisim and Christianity.
Capital City
Al Manamah
Major Cities
Al Muharraq
Currency
Bahraini Dinar(BD) = 1000 fils = $ 2.666 (approx.)
Bahrain’s flag will be hoisted at the South Pole on December 16 by a Bahraini team to mark the Kingdom’s National Day.
The five-member team will leave on December 13 from Ushuaia, Argentina, for the 10-day voyage on board Professor Multanovskiy vessel, the head of the media committee of the team, Yasser Al Darweesh said.
The team, who will register the Kingdom’s name among the list of 45 countries that had reached the area and hoisted flags, will also take with them a number of Delmon seals.
A number of scientific and cultural activities such as workshops and seminars will also be attended by the team, said Al Darweesh.
The team, headed by Abdulwahab Al Asoomi, will also sign a number of scientific and cultural exchange agreements with scientific institutions and stations set up at the South Pole.
A monument in the image of Bab Al Bahrain highlighting the Kingdom’s civilisation will also be set up by the team which comprises Faraj Al Qasami, Adnan Al Jabir, Shaikh Ibrahim bin Hamad bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa and Saleh Falah.
Two other members, Yasser Al Darweesh and Waleed Al Qasmi, will be stationed in Bahrain for constant contact to receive news from the team round the clock.
The team will leave on the voyage which will take around 50 days from November 28 and is expected to return on January 8.
The 233-foot, 2,142-tonne Professor Multanovskiy was built in Finland during the 1980s for the former Soviet Union’s programme of polar and oceanographic research.
Refurbished in 1997, the ship is equipped with sophisticated navigational and radio communications facilities and has Russian officers and crew as well as a team of expedition staff and expert lecturers.
The ship also has three rugged and versatile Zodiac landing craft, used for going ashore at remote beaches as well as making cruises among icebergs, along coastlines and among the sea ice.
Speculation over the existence of a “southern land” was not confirmed until the early 1820s when British and American commercial operators and British and Russian national expeditions began exploring the Antarctic peninsula region and other areas south of the Antarctic Circle. Not until 1840 was it established that Antarctica was indeed a continent and not just a group of islands.
Several exploration “firsts” were achieved in the early 20th century. Following World War II, there was an upsurge in scientific research on the continent. A number of countries have set up year-round research stations on Antarctica.
In order to form a legal framework for the activities of nations on the continent, an Antarctic Treaty was negotiated that neither denies nor gives recognition to existing territorial claims; signed in 1959. It took effect 1961.
