THE ISLAND OF PEARLS

Bahrain is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. Bahrain is believed to be the site of the ancient land of the Dilmun civilization. In Arabic, Bahrain is the dual form of bahr ("sea"), so al-Bahrayn means "the Two Seas". Manama is the capital of Bahrain. Saudi Arabia lies to the west of Bahrain and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. Iran lies 200 km to the north of Bahrain, across the Gulf. The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar and become the world's longest marine causeway. The population in 2010 stood at 1,234,571, including 666,172 non-nationals.

Bahrain is mainly known as the ‘Island of Pearls’ as pearl diving is one of the occupation of the people of Bahrain. Other than pearl diving, oil (Oil was discovered in Bahrain in 1932) and fish are the main attraction of Bahrain. The country's capital, Manama, is home to many large financial structures, including the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbor. The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit. The island is home to forts including Qalat Al Bahrain which has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The Bahrain National Museum has artefacts from the country's history dating back to the island's first human inhabitants some 9000 years ago. Bird watching, scuba diving and horse riding are popular tourist activities in Bahrain.

An island so beautiful and serene has been torn apart by the Arab uprisings which started on 14 February 2011 in Bahrain. One of the main attractions in Bahrain was the Pearl Roundabout which was the biggest roundabout in Bahrain. But it was demolished as a result of the Arab uprisings.

In spite of all that, Bahrain is still a tourist-attraction island and the best time to visit Bahrain is between March and October. The best places to visit is the King Fahad Causeway, The tree of life, Grand prix, Al Areen wildlife sanctuary, Bahrain city centre, etc.

Shyamili James

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