A group of 33 islands in the Persian Gulf (or the 'Arabian Gulf', as the Arabs call it), Bahrain is the name of the largest island of the bunch, most of which are tiny and uninhabited, apart from migratory birds visiting twice a year. It is linked to neighboring Saudi Arabia by a causeway and separated by a small strait from Qatar. The population, as in neighbouring Iran, is in large majority Shi'a Muslim. After World War II, Bahrain became the center for British administration of treaty obligations in the lower Persian Gulf. In 1968 when the British Government announced its decision (reaffirmed in March 1971) to end the treaty relationships with the Persian Gulf sheikdoms, Bahrain joined the other eight states (Qatar and the seven Trucial Sheikhdoms which are now called the United Arab Emirates) under British protection in an effort to form a union of Arab emirates. By mid-1971, however, the nine sheikhdoms still had not agreed on terms of union. Accordingly, Bahrain sought independence as a separate entity and became fully independent on August 15 1971 as the State of Bahrain.

.+ Hawar Island

.+ Manama