Bahrain Overview
OVERVIEW The Kingdom of Bahrain, the smallest and least wealthy of the Gulf Cooperation Council states, is an archipelago nation located in the Persian Gulf off the north central coast of Saudi Arabia. The nation consists of one main island and 32 smaller territories, some under dispute with Qatar. The Sunni Al Khalifa dynasty has ruled Bahrain since 1783. A 1971 agreement with the U.S. authorizes Washington to lease naval and military bases in Bahrain. The U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet,...