December 16: National Day in Bahrain
Prayer Idea
Pray for the people and government of Bahrain.
Map by Peter Hermes Furian / Shutterstock.com.
History Note
Bahrain is an island nation in the Persian Gulf. It consists of one main island and about 30 smaller islands. The name comes from the Arabic term al-baḥrayn, which means “two seas.”
The islands have been inhabited for thousands of years. Burial mounds likely date to the Sumerian period in the 3rd millennium BC. It has long been a trading center, with connections to the Indus Valley, Persian, Greek, and Roman empires.
Muslims incorporated Bahrain into their caliphates starting in the 7th century AD. The Portuguese controlled the islands in the 1500s and the Persians in the 1600s and 1700s. Members of the Khalifa family have ruled the islands since 1783.
The government of Britain tried to exercise control of Bahrain starting in the 1800s. It persuaded the local leaders to stop engaging in war, piracy, and slavery in exchange for providing defense to the islands. Britain withdrew all troops in 1968. Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who ruled Bahrain from 1961 to 1999, declared full independence from Britain in 1971.
Bahrain celebrates December 16 as its National Day. This was the date of the coronation of Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in 1961. The country became a constitutional monarchy in 2002.
Bahrain has a population of 1.5 million. About 40% are immigrants from Asia who work mainly in construction and service industries. Arabic is the official language, with English, Farsi, and Urdu being common. About 75% of Bahrainis are Muslim. Though Islam is the state religion, the country allows some freedom of religious practice. It has some Christians, Jews, Hindus, and Baha’is.
People celebrate National Day in Bahrain in 2018. Photo by Satheesh Cholakkal / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
This is a music video for the Arabic song “Bahrain, Oh Sun of the Day.”
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
