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Friday, November 15, 2024
Bahrain Government
| BAHRAIN GOVERNMENT | |||||||||||
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| Country name: |
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| Government type: | Unitary parliamentary costitutional monarchy | ||||||||||
| Capital: | Manama | ||||||||||
| Administrative divisions: | 12 municipalities (manatiq, singular - mintaqah); Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah, Al Mintaqah al Wusta, Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah, Al Muharraq, Ar Rifa' wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah, Jidd Hafs, Madinat Hamad, Madinat 'Isa, Juzur Hawar, Sitrah note: all municipalities administered from Manama | ||||||||||
| Independence: | 15 August 1971 (from UK) | ||||||||||
| National holiday: | National Day: 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 is the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 is the date of independence from British protection | ||||||||||
| Constitution: | adopted late December 2000; Bahrani voters approved on 13-14 February 2001 a referendum on legislative changes (revised constitution calls for a partially elected legislature, a constitutional monarchy, and an independent judiciary) | ||||||||||
| Legal system: | based on Islamic law and English common law | ||||||||||
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal | ||||||||||
| Executive branch: | chief of state: King HAMAD bin Isa Al Khalifa (since 6 March 1999); Heir Apparent Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad (son of the monarch, born 21 October 1969) head of government: Prime Minister KHALIFA bin Salman Al Khalifa (since NA 1971) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch | ||||||||||
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of Shura Council (40 members appointed by the King) and House of Deputies (40 members directly elected to serve four-year terms) elections: House of Deputies - last held 31 October 2002 (next election to be held NA 2006) election results: House of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - independents 21, Sunni Islamists 9, other 10 note: first elections since 7 December 1973; unicameral National Assembly dissolved 26 August 1975; National Action Charter created bicameral legislature on 23 December 2000; approved by referendum 14 February 2001; first legislative session of Parliament held on 25 December 2002 | ||||||||||
| Judicial branch: | High Civil Appeals Court | ||||||||||
| Political parties and leaders: | political parties prohibited but politically oriented societies are allowed | ||||||||||
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Shi'a activists fomented unrest sporadically in 1994-97, demanding the return of an elected National Assembly and an end to unemployment; several small, clandestine leftist and Islamic fundamentalist groups are active | ||||||||||
| Flag description: | red, the traditional color for flags of Persian Gulf states, with a white serrated band (five white points) on the hoist side; the five points represent the five pillars of Islam | ||||||||||
