Kuwait
The constitutional monarchy lies on the Arabian Peninsula.
The coast in the east of the country is 499 kilometers long and lies on the Persian Gulf. Kuwait borders on two countries. The border line with Saudi Arabia is 222 kilometers long. Kuwait borders Iraq in the north and west. The border is 240 kilometers long.
The capital is called Kuwait City. The head of state is Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jabir as-Sabah. The head of government is Sheikh Nasir al-Muhammed al-Ahme4d as-Sabah. 2,750,000 people live on 17,818 square kilometers. The population density is therefore 142 inhabitants per km².
The ad-Dibdiba desert makes up a large part of the country. The whole country is very flat, there are only a few increases on the Kuwait Bay. There are a few oases in the interior.
There are large oil fields south of the capital.
Nine islands belong to Kuwait. A 2,400 meter long bridge connects the largest island of Bubiyan with the mainland. The island was converted into a military base after 1991. Civilians are not allowed on the island. The remaining eight islands are called Auha, Qaruh, Umm al-Maradim, Warba, Failaka, Miskan, Kubbar and Umm al-Namil.
A planned city for 700,000 inhabitants is to be built 30 kilometers north of Kuwait City. The center of this city is said to be a more than 1 kilometer tall skyscraper, named Burj Mubarak al-Kabir. The city is expected to be completed by 2030. The maximum temperatures in summer are 50 degrees, but average 30 degrees. In winter it can get up to 25 degrees, but the average is 13 to 15 degrees. At night the temperature can drop below 0 degrees.
Kuwait has two universities, the first of which was founded in 1954. All children in Kuwait between the ages of 6 and 14 must go to school. Classes are free, as is the healthcare system, which is considered one of the best in the world.
Bahrain
According to best-medical-schools, the island state of Bahrain is the smallest state in the Near East. It consists of 33 islands located in the Persian Gulf. The main island of Bahrain has an area of 578 square kilometers. It is 48 kilometers long and 16 kilometers wide. The island is connected to Saudi Arabia by a 25-kilometer bridge.
The capital of the Kingdom of Bahrain is called Manama, 155,000 people live there.
The constitutional monarchy is headed by King Hamad ibn Isa Al Chalifa. The head of government is the Sheikh Chalifa ibn Salman Al Chalifa. The total area of the islands is 665 square kilometers. 1,046,814 people live in Bahrain, almost half of whom are foreigners. The population density is 1016 people per km².
Only the northern coast of the island of Bahrain can be used for agriculture. There are karst springs and artesian wells.
The largest islands in the kingdom are Sitra, Muharraq, Hawar and Umm Nasan. Most of the islands are very rocky, but do not protrude too far above sea level. The few animal species that are found in Bahrain are made up of mongoose, lizards, gerbils, and endangered gazelles and rabbits. From 1990 to 2000, the forest area experienced a percentage increase of almost 15 percent, which is the largest increase in the world.
The main religion in Bahrain is Islam. 81.2 percent follow this belief, there are nine percent Christians and 9.8 percent who run under others. Most of them are Hindus.
The official language is Arabic, but one also speaks Persian and Urdu. However, the commercial and educational language is English. 11 percent of men and 17 percent of women are illiterate. There is no compulsory school attendance yet, but is in preparation.
The largest cities in Bahrain are the capital Manama with 147 thousand inhabitants, al-Muharraq with 97 thousand inhabitants, ar-Rifa al-Gharbi with 94 thousand inhabitants, Madinat Hamad with 65 thousand inhabitants and Ali with 55 thousand inhabitants.