|
Country
|
Belgium | 
Bahrain |
|
Leader
|
King: Albert II
|
King: Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah
|
|
Population
|
10,444,268
| 1,281,332
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
79.780 years
| 78.430 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Brussels
| Manama
|
|
Largest city
|
| Brussels (population: 1,019,020) | Manama (population: 147,074) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.948
| 0.902
|
| GDP per capita |
$38,100 US
| $28,200 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99%
| 86.5%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
7.3
| 5.4
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
36.2%
| 13.8%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
| NA
|
| Unemployment Rate |
7.600%
| 15.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
| constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
| 15 August 1971 (from UK)
|
| Religions |
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
| Muslim (Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian 9%, other 9.8% (2001 census)
|
| Languages |
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
| Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs
| petroleum and petroleum products, aluminum, textiles
|
| External Debt |
$1,399,000,000,000 $
| $25,270,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6802 (2008), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
| Bahraini dinars (BHD) per US dollar - 0.376 (2008 est.), 0.376 (2007), 0.376 (2006), 0.376 (2005), 0.376 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.300%
| 4.500%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
2
| 1
|
| Location |
Western Europe, bordering the North Sea, between France and the Netherlands
| Middle East, archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia
|
| Area |
30,528 km sq
| 760 km sq
|
| Coastline |
67 km
| 161 km
|
| Climate |
temperate; mild winters, cool summers; rainy, humid, cloudy
| arid; mild, pleasant winters; very hot, humid summers
|
|
|
|
