State of Bahrain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
State of Bahrain
دولة البحرين
Dawlat al-Baḥrayn |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971–2002 | |||||||||
Location of Bahrain
|
|||||||||
| Capital | Manama | ||||||||
| Common languages | Arabic | ||||||||
| Religion | Islam (official religion) | ||||||||
| Government | Unitary absolute monarchy | ||||||||
| Emir | |||||||||
|
• 1971–1999
|
Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa | ||||||||
|
• 1999–2002
|
Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa | ||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||
|
• 1971–2002
|
Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa | ||||||||
| Legislature | None (rule by decree) (until 1973 and after 1975) National Assembly (in 1973–1975) |
||||||||
| History | |||||||||
|
• Independence from the United Kingdom
|
15 August 1971 | ||||||||
|
• Admitted to the United Nations
|
21 September 1971 | ||||||||
| 14 February 2002 | |||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
|
• 1971
|
216,078 | ||||||||
|
• 2001
|
650,604 | ||||||||
| Currency | Bahraini dinar | ||||||||
| ISO 3166 code | BH | ||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Today part of | Bahrain | ||||||||
.svg)
The State of Bahrain (Arabic: دولة البحرين Dawlat al-Baḥrayn) was the official name for Bahrain from 1971 to 2002. It was a time of big changes for the country.
On August 15, 1971, Bahrain became fully independent from the United Kingdom. Soon after, it joined the United Nations and the Arab League.
The 1970s were a good time for Bahrain's economy because of the "oil boom." This meant oil prices were high, bringing a lot of money into the country. Even when oil prices dropped later, Bahrain was okay because it had started to make money in other ways. It even became a major financial center in the Middle East, taking over from Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.
In 1981, a group tried to take over the government. This attempt was stopped. Later, in December 1994, some young people threw stones at runners during a marathon. This led to clashes with the police and grew into wider public unrest.
A larger uprising happened between 1994 and 2000. Different groups of people worked together to ask for changes. About forty people died during this time. The uprising ended after Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa became the leader (Emir) of Bahrain in 1999.
Emir Hamad brought many important changes. He held elections for a parliament and gave women the right to vote. He also released people who had been held for political reasons. On February 14, 2002, Bahrain officially changed its name from the State of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain. This change was part of adopting a new plan for the country called the National Action Charter.
Bahrain's First Parliament
Based on its new constitution, Bahraini men voted for their first National Assembly in 1973. A constitution is a set of rules for how a country is governed.
The Assembly and the leader, Emir Isa ibn Salman al-Khalifa, often disagreed. They argued about foreign policy, the presence of the U.S. Navy, and the country's budget.
Their biggest disagreement was over a law called the State Security Law. This law would have allowed people to be arrested and held for up to three years without a trial. The Assembly refused to approve this law.
Because they couldn't agree, the country faced a public crisis. On August 25, 1975, the Emir dissolved the Assembly, meaning he ended it. He then approved the State Security Law himself, without the Assembly's vote. He also suspended parts of the constitution that gave power to the Assembly. In the same year, the Emir created the State Security Court, where decisions could not be appealed.
How the 1973 Constitution Was Made
The 1973 constitution was written soon after Bahrain became independent from Britain in 1971. In 1972, the ruler, Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, decided to elect a special group called a Constituent Assembly. This group was in charge of writing and approving the new constitution.
Only men who were born in Bahrain and were 20 years or older could vote for this assembly. The Constituent Assembly had 22 elected members. It also included 12 members from the Council of Ministers and 8 members chosen directly by the Emir Shaikh Isa.
The constitution they wrote created a single parliament called the National Assembly. It had 30 members who were elected, though only men could vote. It also included 14 government ministers who were automatically members. The Emir approved the constitution in December 1973.
Only one election was held under this 1973 Constitution. This was the Bahraini parliamentary election, 1973. However, Emir Shaikh Isa stopped using this constitution in 1975. From 1975 until 2002, Bahrain was governed under "emergency laws." These are special rules used when normal laws are suspended.
