The Government of Bahrain - The World Countries

Bahrain - Government

Based on the etymolgy of Bahrain, it was the name means "the two seas" in Arabic and refers to the water bodies surrounding the archipelago. The Government system in this country is the constitutional monarchy type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 4 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Asimah (Capital), Janubiyah (Southern), Muharraq, Shamaliyah (Northern)

National symbols

A red field surmounted by a white serrated band with five white points; national colors: red, white.

The flag

The National flag of Bahrain has 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.

note: until 2002, the flag had eight white points, but this was reduced to five to avoid confusion with the Qatari flag

The National Anthem

Title	"Bahrainona" (Our Bahrain)
Lyric/music	unknown

note: adopted 1971; although Mohamed Sudqi AYYASH wrote the original lyrics, they were changed in 2002 following the transformation of Bahrain from an emirate to a kingdom

More about the government of Bahrain

Constitution
Date of Independence	15 August 1971 (from the UK)
National holiday	National Day, 16 December (1971); note - 15 August 1971 was the date of independence from the UK, 16 December 1971 was the date of independence from British protection
Legal system	mixed legal system of Islamic (sharia) law, English common law, Egyptian civil, criminal, and commercial codes; customary law
International law organization participation	has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
History	Previous 1973; latest adopted 14 February 2002, entry into force 14 February 2002
Amendments	Proposed by the king or by at least 15 members of either chamber of the National Assembly followed by submission to an Assembly committee for review and, if approved, submitted to the government for restatement as drafts; passage requires a two-thirds majority vote by the membership of both chambers and validation by the king; constitutional articles on the state religion (Islam), state language (Arabic), and the monarchy and "inherited rule" cannot be amended; amended 2012, 2017
Citizenship
Citizenship by birth	no
Citizenship by descent only	the father must be a citizen of Bahrain
Dual citizenship recognized	no
Residency requirement for naturalization	25 years; 15 years for Arab nationals
Executive Branch
Chief of state	King HAMAD bin Isa Al-Khalifa (since 6 March 1999)
Head of government	Prime Minister Crown Prince SALMAN bin Hamad Al-Khalifa (since 11 November 2020)
Cabinet	Cabinet appointed by the monarch
Elections/appointments	the monarchy is hereditary; prime minister appointed by the monarch
Legislative branch
Description	Bicameral National Assembly consists of: Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (40 seats; members appointed by the king) Council of Representatives or Majlis al-Nuwab (40 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed; members serve 4-year renewable terms)
Elections	Consultative Council - last appointments on 30 November 2022 (next appointments in 2026) Council of Representatives - first round for 6 members held on 12 November 2022; second round for remaining 34 members held on 19 November 2022 (next to be held in November 2026)
Election results	Consultative Council - all members appointed; composition - men 30, women 10, percentage women 25% Council of Representatives - percent of vote by society - NA; seats by society - NA; composition - men 32, women 8, percentage women 20%; total National Assembly percentage women 23%
Judicial branch
Highest court(s)	Court of Cassation (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Supreme Court of Appeal (consists of the chairman and 3 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the president and 6 members); High Sharia Court of Appeal (court sittings include the president and at least one judge)
Judge selection and term of office	Court of Cassation judges appointed by royal decree and serve for a specified tenure; Constitutional Court president and members appointed by the Higher Judicial Council, a body chaired by the monarch and includes judges from the Court of Cassation, sharia law courts, and Civil High Courts of Appeal; members serve 9-year terms; High Sharia Court of Appeal member appointments by royal decree for a specified tenure
Subordinate courts	Civil High Courts of Appeal; middle and lower civil courts; High Sharia Court of Appeal; Senior Sharia Court; Administrative Courts of Appeal; military courts
Diplomatic representation in the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Abdulla bin Rashed AL KHALIFA (since 21 July 2017)
Chancery	3502 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008
Telephone	[1] (202) 342-1111
FAX	[1] (202) 362-2192
Email address and website	[email protected] https://www.mofa.gov.bh/Default.aspx?language=en-US&tabid=7702
Consulate(s) general	New York
Diplomatic representation from the US
Chief of mission	Ambassador Steven C. BONDY (since 9 February 2022)
Embassy	Building 979, Road 3119, Block 331, Zinj District, P.O. Box 26431, Manama
Mailing address	6210 Manama Place, Washington DC 20521-6210
Telephone	[973] 17-242700
FAX	[973] 17-272594
Email address and website	[email protected] https://bh.usembassy.gov/
National heritage
Total World Heritage Sites	3 (all cultural)
Selected World Heritage Site locales	Dilmun Burial Mounds; Qal'at al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbor and Capital of Dilmun; Bahrain Pearling Path