Bahrain Petroleum Company
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATEBACKGROUND NOTES: KUWAIT, NOVEMBER 1994PUBLSIHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFIARS November 1994 Official Name: State of Kuwait PROFILE Geography Area: 17,820 sq. km. (about 6,880 sq. mi.); slightly smaller than New Jersey. Cities: Capital-Kuwait (pop. about 700,000). Other towns-Ahmadi, Jahra, Fahaheel. Terrain: Flat to slightly undulating desert plain. Climate: Intensely hot and dry in summers; short, cool winters with limited rain. People Nationality: Noun and adjective-Kuwaiti(s). Population (1993): 1.8 million, including non-Kuwaiti citizens. Annual growth rate (including immigration): 8.7%. Ethnic groups: Arab 84%, South Asian, Iranian, Southeast Asian. Religion: Islam 85% (Kuwaiti citizens are 100% Muslim). Languages: Arabic (official); English widely spoken. Education (free through high school): Years compulsory--8. Literacy--male 78%, female 69% over age of 15. Health: Infant mortality rate--13 deaths/1,0 ... [Read More]
Kuwait (08/04)
The KPC, an integrated international oil company, is the parent company of the government's operations in the petroleum sector, and includes Kuwait Oil Company, which produced oil and gas; Kuwait National Petroleum Co., refining and domestic sales; Petrochemical Industries Co., producing ammonia and urea; Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Co., with several concessions in developing countries; Kuwait Oil Tanker Co.; and Santa Fe International Corp. The latter, purchased outright in 1982, gives KPC a worldwide presence in the petroleum industry. ... [Read More]
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE BACKGROUND NOTES: QatarApril 1992Official Name: State of QatarPROFILEGeographyArea: 11,437 sq. km. (4,427 sq. mi.); about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Cities: Capital--Doha (pop. 300,000). Other cities--Umm Said, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Ruwais. Terrain: Mostly desert, flat, and barren. Climate: Hot and dry.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Qatari(s). Population: 400,000. Ethnic groups: Arab 55%, South Asian 33%, Iranian 6%. Religion: Islam 95%. Languages: Arabic (official), English. Education: Years compulsory--ages 6-16. Attendance--98%. Literacy--65%. Life expectancy--58 yrs. Work force (primarily foreign): Industry, services, and commerce--70%, Government--20%, Agriculture--10%.GovernmentType: Traditional emirate. Independence: September 3, 1971. Constitution: None; the 1970 Basic Law serves as a constitution.Branches: Executive--Council of Ministers (cabinet). Legislative--Advisory Council (has assumed only ... [Read More]
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Qatar, November 1997Released by the Bureau of Near Eastern AffairsOfficial Name: State of QatarPROFILEGeographyArea: 11,437 sq. km. (4,427 sq. mi.); about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. Cities: Capital--Doha 313,600 (1992). Other Cities--Umm Said, Al-Khor, Dukhan, Ruwais.Terrain: Mostly desert, flat, barren.Climate: Hot and dry, sultry in summer.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Qatari(s).Population: 550,000 (est.) 80% foreign workers.Population Growth Rate (1996 est): 2.39%.Ethnic Groups: Arab 40%, Pakistani 18%, Indian 18%, Iranian 10%, other 14%.Religion: Islam (state religion, claimed by virtually all of the indigenous population).Languages: Arabic (official); English (widely spoken).Literacy: 79.4%--total population, 79.2%--male, 79.9%--female.Education: Compulsory--ages 6-16. Attendance--98%.Health: Infant Mortality Rate--20.4 deaths/1,000 live births. Life Expectancy At Birth--73.03 y ... [Read More]
Bahrain
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTSSection 1 Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From: a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life There were no reports of arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life committed by the Government or its agents. On April 27, the High Civil Court ordered the Ministry of Interior to pay BD 40,000 ($106,100) to the family of the 21-year old Bahraini man killed in a demonstration in April 2002. b. Disappearance There were no reports of politically motivated disappearances. c. Torture and Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment The Constitution prohibits torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. During protests on May 21, two civilians were injured by rubber bullets fired by the police. On October 28, rubber bullets or tear gas canisters fired by the police injured two protest ... [Read More]
Qatar (11/04)
In 1935, a 75-year oil concession was granted to Qatar Petroleum Company, a subsidiary of the Iraq Petroleum Company, which was owned by Anglo-Dutch, French, and U.S. interests. High-quality oil was discovered in 1940 at Dukhan, on the western side of the Qatari Peninsula. Exploitation was delayed by World War II, and oil exports did not begin until 1949. ... Natural resources: Petroleum, natural gas, fish. ... Qatar's economy was in a downturn from in the mid-1990s. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries' quotas on crude oil production, the lower price for oil, and the generally unpromising outlook on international markets reduced oil earnings. In turn, the Qatari Government's spending plans had to be cut to match lower income. The resulting recessionary local business climate caused many firms to lay off expatriate staff. With the economy recovering in the late 1990s, expatriate populations, particularly from Egypt and South Asia, have grown again. ... [Read More]
Background Notes Archive - Near East and North Africa
U.S. Department of StateBackground Notes: Bahrain, October 1996Bureau of Public AffairsOfficial Name: State of BahrainPROFILEGeographyArea: 693 sq. km. (268 sq. mi.); about four times the size of Washington, DC. Bahrain is an archipelago consisting of 33 islands, only six of them inhabited.Cities: Capital--Manama (pop. 145,000--1993 est.). Other city--Al Muharraq (81,000--1993 est.).Terrain: Low interior plateau and hill on main island.Climate: Hot and humid from May-September, temperate from October-April.PeopleNationality: Noun and adjective--Bahraini(s).Population (1996 est.): 586,000; 66% indigenous.Ethnic groups: Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%.Religions: Shi'a and Sunni Muslim.Languages: Arabic (official), English, Farsi, Urdu.Education: Attendance--73%. Literacy (1990 est.)--77% (male 82%, female 69%).Work force (1987 est.): 197,000 (about 44% indigenous, 56% expatriate). Industry and commerce--74%. Services--19%. Agriculture--4%. Government--3% ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Much of Bahrain’s current prosperity can be traced to the discovery of oil in 1932, the first find on the Arab side of the Gulf. Bahrain does not have large oil or gas reserves, and has sought to transform its economy from one dominated by petroleum and petrochemicals to a services-based economy. Bahrain is a regional banking center and is boosting its health, education and tourism sectors. It is also a major producer of aluminum. Bilateral trade between the U.S. and Bahrain exceeds 800 million dollars annually. There are over 100 American firms operating in Bahrain and represent the financial, petroleum, transportation, industrial and computing sectors among others. The American Mission Hospital was established in Bahrain over 100 years ago as the first medical institution on the island and is the oldest continuous link between Bahrain and the U.S. ... [Read More]
Background Notes: Bahrain
Background Notes: BahrainPA/PCSource: Office of Public Communication, Bureau of Public AffairsDate: Nov 28, 199111/28/91Category: Country DataRegion: MidEast/North AfricaCountry: BahrainSubject: Military Affairs, Cultural Exchange, Travel, History, International Organizations, Trade/Economics[TEXT]Official Name: State of BahrainPROFILEGeographyArea: 693 sq. km. (268 sq. mi.); about four times the size ofWashington, DC. Bahrain is an archipelago consisting of 33 islands,only 5 of them inhabited. Cities: Capital--Manama (pop. 122,000--1985 est.). Other city--Al Muharraq. ... [Read More]
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