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There is no system to make sure these vulnerable migrant workers can actually recover both their passports and wages, let alone to punish the abusive employers.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="navbox" style="float: right; clear:right; border: 2px solid silver; margin: 0 0 .5em .5em; width: 200px;"> <div style="background-color: #e7ece6; font-size: 15px; text-align: center; padding: .3em;"><b>Bahrain</b> <b></b></div> <center><a href="/wiki/File:Flag_of_Bahrain.svg" class="image"><img alt="Flag of Bahrain.svg" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Flag_of_Bahrain.svg/250px-Flag_of_Bahrain.svg.png" decoding="async" width="195" height="117" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Flag_of_Bahrain.svg/330px-Flag_of_Bahrain.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Flag_of_Bahrain.svg/500px-Flag_of_Bahrain.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1000" data-file-height="600" /></a></center> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>Demographics</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by population" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by population">Population</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>1,343,000 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by GDP (nominal)" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by GDP (nominal)">GDP (million)</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>33,862 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)_per_capita" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita">GDP p/cap.</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>24,281 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by life expectancy" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by life expectancy">Life expectancy</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>77 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:List of countries by Human Development Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: List of countries by Human Development Index">Development Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>0.815 </td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>Government</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Democracy Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Democracy Index">Democracy Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>2.87 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption_Perceptions_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Corruption Perceptions Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Corruption Perceptions Index">Corruption Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>48 </td></tr></tbody></table> <table style="width: 200px;"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" style="text-align: center; background-color: #e8e7f2;"><b>More</b> </th></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_Index" class="extiw" title="wp:Education Index" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Education Index">Education Index</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>0.714 </td></tr> <tr> <td><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Importance_of_religion_by_country" class="extiw" title="wp:Importance of religion by country" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Importance of religion by country">Religiosity</span></a>:<sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup> </td> <td>95.5 </td></tr></tbody></table> </div> <p>The <b>Kingdom of Bahrain</b> is a tiny island nation in the Persian Gulf wedged between the coasts of <a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> and <a href="/wiki/Qatar" title="Qatar">Qatar</a>. Bahrain is a majority-<a href="/wiki/Muslim" class="mw-redirect" title="Muslim">Muslim</a> nation, but the population is divided between the <a href="/wiki/Sunni" title="Sunni">Sunni</a> and <a href="/wiki/Shia" class="mw-redirect" title="Shia">Shia</a> sects. While most of Bahrain's population, about 70%, are Shia, the royal family and most elites are Sunni.<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-2">[2]</a></sup> Wealth disparities between the two groups have driven unrest and protests, but the <a href="/wiki/Monarchy" title="Monarchy">monarchy</a> has only responded by becoming even more oppressive and <a href="/wiki/Autocrat" class="mw-redirect" title="Autocrat">autocratic</a> so far. </p><p>In ancient times, Bahrain was known for its pearl fisheries. After the rise of <a href="/wiki/Muhammad" title="Muhammad">Muhammad</a>, Bahrain was one of the world's first regions to convert to Islam. It was, however, an unruly province at first, and it got even more so when the radical Qarmatian sect seized control of it and used it as a base from which to attack and desecrate <a href="/wiki/Mecca" title="Mecca">Mecca</a>. After the Arabs regained control, Bahrain was ruled by the various Arab caliphates until <a href="/wiki/Portugal" title="Portugal">Portugal</a> seized it in 1521. In 1602, though, the Safavid Persian Empire conquered the island and successfully converted much of its population to Shia Islam. From there, successive tribal invasions and revolts made Bahrain effectively independent in 1783 under the Al Khalifa royal family, which has ruled the roost there ever since. Like the other Gulf States, Bahrain became a protectorate of the <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a> until it declared independence again in 1971. </p><p>The king rules as an absolute <a href="/wiki/Monarch" class="mw-redirect" title="Monarch">monarch</a> with control over the appointment of the Prime Minister (currently the King's uncle), his ministers, the judiciary, and the armed forces. Although Bahrain has some <a href="/wiki/Oil" title="Oil">oil</a> and <a href="/wiki/Natural_gas" title="Natural gas">natural gas</a> reserves, these are minor compared to other countries in the region. Since independence, there has been a focus on turning Bahrain into a regional financial center. </p><p>The desire to diversify away from reliance on hydrocarbons has also given rise to a rapidly expanding tourism sector. Bahrain is connected to <a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> by the 25 km King Fahd Causeway, and visitors from Saudi Arabia constitute a whopping 70% of all foreign arrivals.<sup id="cite_ref-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-3">[3]</a></sup> Why would so many fine upstanding (male) <a href="/wiki/Salafism" title="Salafism">Salafists</a> from the other end of the bridge wish to visit this tiny lump of rock and sand? <a href="/wiki/Hypocrisy" title="Hypocrisy">Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll, baby</a>! Bahrain has long had relaxed (by regional standards) laws on <a href="/wiki/Alcohol" title="Alcohol">alcohol</a> consumption, with most 4 and 5-star hotels having fully licensed bars. Despite some recent crackdowns, there is an <i>actual</i> nightlife scene. Hardly surprising then that Thursday evenings are very busy indeed (in one direction) on the causeway. This has given rise to Bahrain being termed the <i>brothel of the Gulf</i><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4">[4]</a></sup> and the 25 km connection to Saudi Arabia being nicknamed the <i>Johnny Walker Bridge</i>.<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5">[5]</a></sup> </p><p>Bahrain is also known for its high reliance on foreign guest workers, who routinely suffer mistreatment and are considered little more than <a href="/wiki/Slave" class="mw-redirect" title="Slave">slaves</a>. </p> <div id="toc" class="toc" role="navigation" aria-labelledby="mw-toc-heading"><input type="checkbox" role="button" id="toctogglecheckbox" class="toctogglecheckbox" style="display:none" /><div class="toctitle" lang="en" dir="ltr"><h2 id="mw-toc-heading">Contents</h2><span class="toctogglespan"><label class="toctogglelabel" for="toctogglecheckbox"></label></span></div> <ul> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="#Historical_overview"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Historical overview</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2"><a href="#Early_history"><span class="tocnumber">1.1</span> <span class="toctext">Early history</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3"><a href="#Islamic_conquest"><span class="tocnumber">1.2</span> <span class="toctext">Islamic conquest</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="#Qarmatian_society"><span class="tocnumber">1.3</span> <span class="toctext">Qarmatian society</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="#Portuguese_conquest_and_rule"><span class="tocnumber">1.4</span> <span class="toctext">Portuguese conquest and rule</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="#Safavid_rule"><span class="tocnumber">1.5</span> <span class="toctext">Safavid rule</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="#British_protectorate"><span class="tocnumber">1.6</span> <span class="toctext">British protectorate</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="#Independence_and_the_modern_era"><span class="tocnumber">1.7</span> <span class="toctext">Independence and the modern era</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-9"><a href="#Bahraini_uprising_of_2011"><span class="tocnumber">1.8</span> <span class="toctext">Bahraini uprising of 2011</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="#Human_rights"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Human rights</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-11"><a href="#Freedom_of_Expression.2C_Association.2C_and_Peaceful_Assembly"><span class="tocnumber">2.1</span> <span class="toctext">Freedom of Expression, Association, and Peaceful Assembly</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-12"><a href="#Torture.2C_violence.2C_and_mistreatment"><span class="tocnumber">2.2</span> <span class="toctext">Torture, violence, and mistreatment</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-13"><a href="#Religious_freedom"><span class="tocnumber">2.3</span> <span class="toctext">Religious freedom</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-14"><a href="#Women.27s_rights"><span class="tocnumber">2.4</span> <span class="toctext">Women's rights</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-15"><a href="#Foreign_relations"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">Foreign relations</span></a> <ul> <li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-16"><a href="#Relations_with_the_West"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">Relations with the West</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-17"><a href="#Gallery"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Gallery</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-18"><a href="#See_also"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">See also</span></a></li> <li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-19"><a href="#References"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Historical_overview">Historical overview</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Historical overview">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:277px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Dilmun_period_(3200-320_BC)_burial_chambers_at_Saar,_Bahrain.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG/330px-Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG" decoding="async" width="275" height="206" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG/500px-Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG/550px-Dilmun_period_%283200-320_BC%29_burial_chambers_at_Saar%2C_Bahrain.JPG 2x" data-file-width="640" data-file-height="480" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Dilmun_period_(3200-320_BC)_burial_chambers_at_Saar,_Bahrain.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Ruins of a Dilmun necropolis.</div></div></div> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_history">Early history</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Early history">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Bahraini civilization dates back to about the 3rd millennium BCE. The ancient Sumerians recorded the presence of a mysterious civilization on Bahrain island called "Dilmun", which was apparently a major trade hub between the Sumerians of Mesopotamia and the Indus River Valley Civilizations.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6">[6]</a></sup> Excavations of Dilmun sites are still ongoing, but apart from their location, existence, relative prosperity, and trade importance, not a whole lot is really known about them.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7">[7]</a></sup> However, modern historians know that the Dilmun were later conquered and ruled by the Akkadian Empire and then the Assyrian Empire.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8">[8]</a></sup> The Assyrians also started taking advantage of Bahrain's pearl-bearing mollusk population, and the island quickly became known throughout the ancient world for providing the world's best-quality pearls.<sup id="cite_ref-pearls_9-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pearls-9">[9]</a></sup> </p><p>From the 6th to the 3rd century BCE, the Bahrain region fell under Persian rule, first under the Achaemenid dynasty and then under the Parthian Empire.<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-10">[10]</a></sup> Despite being an occupied province, Bahrain still served as an essential commercial hub due to its geographical location. The Ancient Greeks, for their part, referred to Bahrain as <i>Tylos</i>, and several notable Greek thinkers like Strabo and Herodotus believed that the <a href="/wiki/Phoenicia" title="Phoenicia">Phoenicians</a> originated from this place.<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-11">[11]</a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/Roman_Empire" title="Roman Empire">Roman Empire</a> also knew about Bahrain. <a href="/wiki/Pliny_the_Elder" title="Pliny the Elder">Pliny the Elder</a> wrote in his <i>Historia Naturalis</i>, Book IX, ch. 35, that "the most perfect and exquisite (pearls) of all others... are gotten about Arabia, within the Persian Gulf."<sup id="cite_ref-pearls_9-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-pearls-9">[9]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Islamic_conquest">Islamic conquest</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Islamic conquest">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:227px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png/225px-Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png" decoding="async" width="225" height="134" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png/338px-Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png/450px-Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png 2x" data-file-width="706" data-file-height="422" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Muhammad_Bahrain_letter_facsimile.png" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Facsimile of a letter sent by Muhammad to local rulers in Bahrain.</div></div></div> <p>Bahrain was one of the first conquests of <a href="/wiki/Muhammad" title="Muhammad">Muhammad</a>'s expansionist phase; after the prophet came into power in Medina, he ordered a surprise attack on the Banu Saleem tribe, who were supposedly preparing to invade Medina from Bahrain.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-12">[12]</a></sup> During this point in time, Bahrain had already been exposed to <a href="/wiki/Christianity" title="Christianity">Christianity</a>. Due to its status as a trade hub, it was fairly cosmopolitan and diverse, with a good mix of Christians, <a href="/wiki/Jews" class="mw-redirect" title="Jews">Jews</a>, <a href="/wiki/Zoroastrian" class="mw-redirect" title="Zoroastrian">Zoroastrianism</a>, and Arab pagans.<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-14">[14]</a></sup> </p><p>After conquering the island, Muhammad sent his envoy Al-Ala al-Hadhrami to rule it and take responsibility for converting it to <a href="/wiki/Islam" title="Islam">Islam</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-15">[15]</a></sup> Despite initial success in conversion, Bahrain was one of the regions that revolted against caliphate rule after Muhammad's death. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Qarmatian_society">Qarmatian society</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Qarmatian society">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:227px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad,_AH_361.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg/225px-Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="111" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg/338px-Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg/450px-Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad%2C_AH_361.jpg 2x" data-file-width="800" data-file-height="393" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Qarmatian_dinar_of_al-Hasan_ibn_Ahmad,_AH_361.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Gold dinars minted by the Qarmatians.</div></div></div> <p>Bahrain became troublesome again after it got occupied by the world's first real <a href="/wiki/Communist" class="mw-redirect" title="Communist">communist</a> party. No, really. The Qarmatians, a radical <a href="/wiki/Shia" class="mw-redirect" title="Shia">Shia</a> <a href="/wiki/Cult" title="Cult">cult</a>/sect led by Abu Said al-Jannabi, seized control of Bahrain during their initial revolt and tried to establish a <a href="/wiki/Utopia" title="Utopia">utopian</a> society and ensured that all property was communally owned.<sup id="cite_ref-qarmatian_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-qarmatian-16">[16]</a></sup> Sure, they had about 30,000 slaves, but those slaves were owned by the community rather than a landowner. The Qarmatian state also dispensed loans to businesses or impoverished individuals without asking for interest, and grain could be processed in community-owned mills free of charge. This worked quite well as the Qarmatians paid for everything by <a href="/wiki/Tax" title="Tax">taxing</a> outside trade, and their <a href="/wiki/Economy" class="mw-redirect" title="Economy">economy</a> was strong enough to support a large army which they later put to use.<sup id="cite_ref-qarmatian_16-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-qarmatian-16">[16]</a></sup> </p><p>In terms of religion, however, they were an extremely radical sect. They rejected <a href="/wiki/Sharia" title="Sharia">sharia</a> law and considered the words of prophets like <a href="/wiki/Jesus" title="Jesus">Jesus</a>, <a href="/wiki/Moses" title="Moses">Moses</a>, and even Muhammad himself to be invalid.<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-17">[17]</a></sup> Instead, they believed that the <i>Mahdi,</i> a proposed messianic final prophet, would arrive to reinvent and purify the Islamic religion. That opposition to many traditional tenets of Islam explains their subsequent actions. </p><p>Everything went great until Abu Sa'id al-Jannabi died and was succeeded by his son Abu Tahir al-Jannabi in 923 CE. Abu Tahir was an <a href="/wiki/Imperialist" class="mw-redirect" title="Imperialist">imperialist</a> who started raiding the holdings of the Abbasid Caliphate, rampaging throughout <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a> between 927 and 928.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-18">[18]</a></sup> He almost destroyed Baghdad, the Abbasid capital, but couldn't breach the walls. </p><p>After that failure, Abu Tahir turned his attention to Arabia. In 930, Qarmati forces attacked the holy city of Mecca itself during Hajj season, massacring or enslaving tens of thousands of people.<sup id="cite_ref-qarmatian_16-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-qarmatian-16">[16]</a></sup> They dumped dead bodies into the <a href="/wiki/Holy_water" title="Holy water">holy water</a> of the Zam Zam Well and then absconded with the Black Stone from the Kaaba. The Qarmatians continued their rampage, so brutal and terrifying that Mecca and the Caliphate canceled the Hajj for about 8 years while the violence continued.<sup id="cite_ref-qarmatian_16-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-qarmatian-16">[16]</a></sup> The Qarmatians eventually fell apart due to doctrinal differences, and the movement's leaders ransomed the Black Stone back to the Abbasids. The movement met its final defeat in 976. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Portuguese_conquest_and_rule">Portuguese conquest and rule</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Portuguese conquest and rule">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:277px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg/275px-Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg" decoding="async" width="275" height="185" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg/413px-Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8f/Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg/550px-Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg 2x" data-file-width="734" data-file-height="493" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Bahrain_Fort_overview.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>The Qal'at al-Bahrain, built by Portuguese colonial forces.</div></div></div> <p>After the fall of the Qarmatians, Bahrain bounced between various inconsequential Arab states. The island eventually came under the rule of Hormuz, a Persian state based out of the island of the same name, which controls the entrance to the Persian Gulf. Around this time, Portuguese trade fleets began making inroads into the centuries-old Middle Eastern and African trade routes. It didn't take long for the Portuguese <a href="/wiki/Imperialist" class="mw-redirect" title="Imperialist">imperialists</a> to start coveting the wealth of those trade routes, and they decided that the best way to get in on the action was by conquest. Hormuz was one of their prime targets; not only was Hormuz island a strategic chokepoint on the entrance to the Persian Gulf, but they also controlled the vital trade hub of Bahrain.<sup id="cite_ref-19" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup> Skirmishes began as early as 1507. </p><p>By 1521, the Portuguese had penetrated the Gulf itself, and they turned their attention to conquering Bahrain. Their invasion went well, and they conquered the island and executed its local ruler.<sup id="cite_ref-bahhis_20-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahhis-20">[20]</a></sup> Once in charge, the Portuguese built the great Qal'at al-Bahrain, a fort standing on the site of what was once the capital of the Dilmun civilization.<sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-21">[21]</a></sup> Although the fort is the most visible legacy of Portuguese rule, it wasn't the only thing they did. The Portuguese were greedy and oppressive rulers, seizing Bahrain's wealth and trading goods for themselves. In 1602, the Portuguese decided to further strengthen their rule by executing Bahrain's richest merchants.<sup id="cite_ref-bahhis_20-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahhis-20">[20]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Safavid_rule">Safavid rule</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Safavid rule">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:152px;"><a href="/wiki/File:%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg/250px-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg" decoding="async" width="150" height="192" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg/330px-%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg 2x" data-file-width="355" data-file-height="455" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%87_%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B3_%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Abbas I, conqueror of Bahrain.</div></div></div> <p>The Portuguese had fucked up with those executions, and the entire population of Bahrain became pissed off about this. During the predictable uprising, Portugal also became embroiled in minor conflicts with other European powers in the region who were circling like vultures in Portugal's moment of weakness. In this atmosphere of conclusion, the Safavid dynasty of the Persian Empire won out. Shah Abbas I swept in like a smooth fucking criminal in late 1602 and landed troops on the island; he was met with open arms by a Bahraini population quite happy to see an end to Portuguese oppression.<sup id="cite_ref-bahhis_20-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahhis-20">[20]</a></sup> </p><p>Abbas and his successors knew that the Portuguese lost Bahrain by being terrible rulers. Although the Safavids weren't much nicer than the Portuguese, they knew better than to spark another uprising against them. Thus, the Persians ruled Bahrain by pumping in wealth and sponsoring trade. They also sent Shia Islamic priests to slowly win the population over to the Safavid state religion.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-22">[22]</a></sup> In time, this proved effective, and much of the Bahraini population now follow Shia Islam. </p><p>As a result of these policies, Bahrain enjoyed a period of prosperity and cultural development. However, local elites got more powerful, and Bahraini Shiites became increasingly independent from Safavid state authorities.<sup id="cite_ref-bahhis_20-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahhis-20">[20]</a></sup> Persian rule in Bahrain survived invasions from several different parties, including Oman and various Arab tribes. In 1783, however, the Persians were finally ousted by the Bani Utbah, an Arab tribal confederation that established rule over Bahrain and Qatar alongside much of eastern Arabia.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-23">[23]</a></sup> From this time forward, the Al Khalifa dynasty became the rulers in Bahrain.<sup id="cite_ref-24" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-24">[24]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="British_protectorate">British protectorate</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: British protectorate">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:277px;"><a href="/wiki/File:First_Oil_Well,_Bahrain.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/First_Oil_Well%2C_Bahrain.jpg/275px-First_Oil_Well%2C_Bahrain.jpg" decoding="async" width="275" height="182" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/41/First_Oil_Well%2C_Bahrain.jpg/413px-First_Oil_Well%2C_Bahrain.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/First_Oil_Well%2C_Bahrain.jpg 2x" data-file-width="530" data-file-height="351" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:First_Oil_Well,_Bahrain.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Bahrain's first oil well, 1931.</div></div></div> <p>While semi-independent under Arab rule, Bahrain suffered repeated invasions from other Arab tribes and by Oman. Once again, however, Bahrain had to deal with European encroachment. This time around, it was the <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a>. The British also wanted to run trade routes through the Persian Gulf, but their efforts were hampered because the Gulf was a hotbed of piracy. In 1820 and again in 1835, the British Empire used <a href="/wiki/Gunboat_diplomacy" title="Gunboat diplomacy">gunboat diplomacy</a> to force Bahrain and other Gulf states into signing treaties promising to help the British fight piracy.<sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-25">[25]</a></sup> For a time, the Arab rulers of Bahrain survived as an independent state by bouncing the various local empires off of each other; the Bahraini Arab rulers sought friendship and defense agreements with the British, Persian, and Ottoman Empires.<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-26">[26]</a></sup> </p><p>By 1868, though, Bahrain's internal politics were fractured by dynastic feuding. Sheikh Muhammad overthrew his predecessor and tried to protect his rule by signing an agreement with the British to turn Bahrain into a protectorate, which would obligate the British to protect him.<sup id="cite_ref-bempire_27-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bempire-27">[27]</a></sup> This didn't stop another Muhammad from overthrowing the Sheikh Muhammad, so the British completely lost their patience. They jailed and deported both Muhammads and installed their own puppet ruler to be in charge of Bahrain.<sup id="cite_ref-bempire_27-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bempire-27">[27]</a></sup> </p><p>Pearling had become less critical in the modern age, so the British primarily used Bahrain as a port. The Royal Navy eventually decided to base all of their Middle Eastern operations theatre out of Bahrain. However, things started to change in the early 1900s when British mineral explorations turned up the probability that Bahrain was sitting on a bunch of <a href="/wiki/Oil" title="Oil">oil</a>. By 1936 Bahrain was exporting oil, becoming an important strategic consideration for the British Empire's resource-gaining during <a href="/wiki/World_War_II" title="World War II">World War II</a>. Indeed, Fascist <a href="/wiki/Italy" title="Italy">Italy</a> tried unsuccessfully to bomb Bahrain in 1940.<sup id="cite_ref-bempire_27-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bempire-27">[27]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-28">[28]</a></sup> </p><p>After the war, anti-British sentiment began rising in Bahrain due to several causes: </p> <ol><li>The UK's protection of <a href="/wiki/Jews" class="mw-redirect" title="Jews">Jews</a> from anti-Jewish riots began across the Middle East due to the independence of <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a> and its subsequent defeat of a coalition of Arab states.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-29">[29]</a></sup></li> <li>The Suez debacle, in which the British government cooperated with Israel to attack free <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> over the Suez Canal.<sup id="cite_ref-bempire_27-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bempire-27">[27]</a></sup></li> <li>Pan-Arab nationalism made the British Empire's Arab subjects increasingly discontent at the idea of not being ruled by Arabs.</li></ol> <p>All of this culminated with the March Intifada in 1965. After the British authorities laid off many Bahraini oil workers, a weird alliance of leftists and nationalists began weeks of rioting.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-30">[30]</a></sup> This event finally convinced the British that Bahrain was more trouble than it was worth. </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Independence_and_the_modern_era">Independence and the modern era</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Independence and the modern era">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:277px;"><a href="/wiki/File:DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district,_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg/275px-DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg" decoding="async" width="275" height="183" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg/413px-DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg/550px-DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district%2C_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg 2x" data-file-width="2850" data-file-height="1900" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:DN-ST-91-09908_Shops_line_the_downtown_district,_called_the_Suic_in_Manama_1991.jpeg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Manama Souk in 1991.</div></div></div> <p>Bahrain became independent in 1971 after a referendum and the British withdrawal. Despite the anti-British sentiment, the breakup was fairly amicable, and Bahrain signed a treaty of friendship with its former colonizer.<sup id="cite_ref-bahisii_31-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahisii-31">[31]</a></sup> There definitely were a few problems, however. Since 1783, Bahrain had been ruled by the Al Khalifa dynasty, who were and are Sunni Muslims who don't get along well with Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority. That wasn't the end of Bahrain's Shia problems since the Shah of Iran officially claimed sovereignty over Bahrain and wouldn't rule out a violent solution.<sup id="cite_ref-bahisii_31-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahisii-31">[31]</a></sup> However, that problem changed after the Shah met his downfall during the Iranian Revolution. Specifically, the problem became much worse since Iran's government became radically Shia. In 1981, the Iranian-sponsored Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain tried unsuccessfully to launch a coup against the royal family and bomb its local US military bases.<sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-32">[32]</a></sup> That didn't pan out for them. </p><p>More unrest set in during the 1990s, as a strange alliance of hardcore Shia <a href="/wiki/Islamist" class="mw-redirect" title="Islamist">Islamists</a> and secular leftists and liberals joined forces to protest the oppressiveness of the royal family.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-33">[33]</a></sup> After 40 deaths during the rioting, stoning, and government crackdowns, the royal family finally caved and offered concessions, including releasing political prisoners and giving women the right to vote in parliamentary elections.<sup id="cite_ref-bahisii_31-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bahisii-31">[31]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Bahraini_uprising_of_2011">Bahraini uprising of 2011</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Bahraini uprising of 2011">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:252px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg/250px-Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg" decoding="async" width="250" height="140" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg/500px-Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg 1.5x" data-file-width="1277" data-file-height="713" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Abdulredha_Buhmaid_on_floor.jpeg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Bahraini protesters shot by security forces, February 2011</div></div></div> <p>As part of the wave of <a href="/wiki/Civil_disobedience" title="Civil disobedience">civil disobedience</a> in the wake of the <a href="/wiki/Arab_Spring" title="Arab Spring">Arab Spring</a>, Bahrain saw serious protests, the remnants of which continue until this day. Citizens demonstrated (most of whom were of the <a href="/wiki/Shi%27a" class="mw-redirect" title="Shi'a">Shi'a Muslim</a> majority) to achieve greater political freedom and equality (there is <s>almost</s> none), constitutional changes, and the release of arrested Shi'a men and boys. Finally, they called for an end to the monarchy of <a href="/wiki/Sunni" title="Sunni">Sunni Muslim</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Hamad" class="extiw" title="wp:King Hamad" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: King Hamad">King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa</span></a><sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup><sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-34">[34]</a></sup> (perhaps here they were overreaching just a bit). Protesters in the capital camped for days at the iconic Pearl Roundabout until the <a href="/wiki/Dictatorship" title="Dictatorship">dictatorship</a> sent for help from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Cooperation_Council" class="extiw" title="wp:Gulf Cooperation Council" rel="nofollow"><span style="color:#477979 !important;" title="Wikipedia: Gulf Cooperation Council">Gulf Cooperation Council</span></a><sup><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/12px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png" decoding="async" width="12" height="12" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/18px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5a/Wikipedia%27s_W.svg/24px-Wikipedia%27s_W.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="128" data-file-height="128" /></sup>. On 14 March 2011, 1,500 troops from Saudi Arabia and the <a href="/wiki/UAE" class="mw-redirect" title="UAE">UAE</a> arrived and, together with local forces, brutally crushed the uprising.<sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-35">[35]</a></sup> Dear old King Hamad declared <a href="/wiki/Martial_law" title="Martial law">martial law</a> and a 3-month state of emergency. The police carried out night raids in Shi'a neighborhoods and beatings at random checkpoints. There was a widespread organized denial of medical care for the injured.<sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-36">[36]</a></sup> </p><p>Since then, demonstrations have continued, with some drawing as many as 100,000 participants (some 15% of the native population). More than 80 citizens have been killed, five of them due to <a href="/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">torture</a> in police custody, and nearly 3,000 have been officially arrested.<sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-37">[37]</a></sup> The <a href="/wiki/UN" class="mw-redirect" title="UN">UN</a>-supported Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, commissioned by the King, confirmed the dictatorship's use of systematic torture and a whole slew of other <a href="/wiki/Human_rights" title="Human rights">human rights</a> violations. The commission also rejected the Bahraini government's claims that the protests were instigated and funded by Shi'a majority <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-38">[38]</a></sup> Although the commission report was lauded by some for its independence, there was also significant criticism of it for going easy on members of the Royal Family and not specifically naming officials responsible for the documented abuses.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-39">[39]</a></sup> The Bahraini government gave itself a target of implementing these recommendations by the end of February 2012.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-40">[40]</a></sup> </p><p>In 2015 <a href="/wiki/Amnesty_International" title="Amnesty International">Amnesty International</a> issued a major report which was very critical of the government, stating that torture, detentions, and excessive use of force against peaceful activists remained widespread in Bahrain. Despite the government <a href="/wiki/Bullshit" title="Bullshit">insisting</a> they had exceeded the provisions set out in the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-41">[41]</a></sup> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Human_rights">Human rights</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Human rights">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:302px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain,_May_2017.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg/300px-Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg" decoding="async" width="300" height="200" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg/450px-Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ee/Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg/600px-Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain%2C_May_2017.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1200" data-file-height="800" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Donald_Trump_meets_with_King_Hamed_bin_Issa_of_Bahrain,_May_2017.jpg" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman al-Khalifa with US President <a href="/wiki/Donald_Trump" title="Donald Trump">Donald Trump</a>.</div></div></div> <h3><span id="Freedom_of_Expression,_Association,_and_Peaceful_Assembly"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Freedom_of_Expression.2C_Association.2C_and_Peaceful_Assembly">Freedom of Expression, Association, and Peaceful Assembly</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Freedom of Expression, Association, and Peaceful Assembly">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <table style="margin: auto; border-collapse:collapse; border-style:none; background-color:transparent;" class="cquote"> <tbody><tr> <td><div style="padding:4px 50px;position:relative;"><span style="position:absolute;left:10px;top:-6px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">“</span><span style="position:absolute;right:10px;bottom:-20px;z-index:1;font-family:'Times New Roman',serif;font-weight:bold;color:#B2B7F2;font-size:36px">”</span>Nabeel Rajab’s conviction for his refusal to stay silent on the government’s rights abuses is further proof of the Bahrain authorities’ flagrant disregard for human rights.</div> </td></tr> <tr> <td style="padding:4px 10px 8px;font-size:smaller;line-height:1.6em;text-align:right;"><cite style="font-style:normal;position:relative;z-index:2">—Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch.<sup id="cite_ref-rajab_42-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rajab-42">[42]</a></sup></cite> </td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Bahrain repeatedly jails people for extended periods for speaking out against the government. Nabeel Rajab, head of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, is serving a five-year sentence upheld by Bahrain's highest court of appeals.<sup id="cite_ref-rajab_42-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rajab-42">[42]</a></sup> Why is he in jail? Because he tweeted about the use of <a href="/wiki/Torture" title="Torture">torture</a> in Bahraini prisons and then criticized Bahraini authorities' refusal to allow journalists and rights groups into the country.<sup id="cite_ref-rajab_42-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rajab-42">[42]</a></sup> Courts charged him with "insulting a statutory body", a crime in Bahrain. </p><p>Shaikh Ali Salman, formerly the leader of Bahrain's only opposition political party, is now serving a life sentence after being falsely convicted of espionage.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> They are just two of dozens of human rights advocates in prison for speaking out against the government. In May 2019, the Bahraini Interior Ministry declared that it would prosecute people who follow "inciting accounts" on <a href="/wiki/Twitter" title="Twitter">Twitter</a> or share their posts.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> </p><p>As of 2017, Bahrain no longer has any independent media sources because they shut down <i>Al Wasat</i>, the country's last remaining independent news outlet.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> Foreign journalists are repeatedly denied access to Bahrain. </p> <h3><span id="Torture,_violence,_and_mistreatment"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Torture.2C_violence.2C_and_mistreatment">Torture, violence, and mistreatment</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Torture, violence, and mistreatment">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <div class="thumb tright"><div class="thumbinner" style="width:302px;"><a href="/wiki/File:Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG/300px-Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG" decoding="async" width="300" height="201" class="thumbimage" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG/450px-Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/91/Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG/600px-Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG 2x" data-file-width="3872" data-file-height="2592" /></a> <div class="thumbcaption"><div class="magnify"><a href="/wiki/File:Sit-in_in_solidarity_with_Nabeel_Rajab.JPG" class="internal" title="Enlarge"></a></div>Sit-in to express solidarity with Nabeel Rajab, 2012.</div></div></div> <p>Police and prison officers routinely beat and mistreat people, and the Bahraini government refuses to prosecute them for offenses. Shia Muslims are abused by prison guards, inmates are deliberately placed in cells with people who don't speak their language, and women are subjected to <a href="/wiki/Rape" title="Rape">rape</a> and sexual assault.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> Torture is also omnipresent in Bahraini prisons; it is often used to secure confessions.<sup id="cite_ref-torture_44-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-torture-44">[44]</a></sup> Former detainees allege that torture methods include stress positions, beatings, and electric shocks.<sup id="cite_ref-torture_44-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-torture-44">[44]</a></sup> Despite promising to investigate, Bahrain's Ministry of Justice has taken no action and still just blankly denies any wrongdoing by its officials. </p><p>Bahrain's prisons are all rife with mistreatment and poor conditions. Prisons suffer from overcrowding, inadequate supply of beds and hygienic items, punitive use of solitary confinement, poor sanitation, cases of food poisoning, skin infections, and medical neglect.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-45">[45]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Religious_freedom">Religious freedom</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: Religious freedom">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Sectarianism is strictly enforced in Bahrain, to the point where the <i>Christian Science Monitor</i> has described it as "a form of sectarian apartheid".<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-46">[46]</a></sup> Shiites cannot hold high-level government posts nor serve in the police or military; instead, Bahrain fast-tracks Sunnis from other Arab countries into citizenship to serve in these positions. </p><p>Bahrain also routinely arrests Shia clerics, bulldoze Shia mosques, and destroys Shia graveyards.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-47">[47]</a></sup> </p> <h3><span id="Women's_rights"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Women.27s_rights">Women's rights</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: Women's rights">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Although gaining the right to vote, women still don't have full legal equality. Women first voted in the 2002 election, but no women candidates won, and 60% of women voters said they opposed the idea of women serving in parliament.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-48">[48]</a></sup> </p><p>Bahraini family laws are weighted against women in divorce cases, inheritance, and cases of their children's nationality.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> Article 353 of Bahrain's penal code exempts perpetrators of rape from prosecution and punishment if they marry their victims, and Article 334 ensures that perpetrators of "honor crimes" receive reduced sentences.<sup id="cite_ref-hrw_43-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-hrw-43">[43]</a></sup> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Foreign_relations">Foreign relations</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Foreign relations">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Relations_with_the_West">Relations with the West</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: Relations with the West">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h3> <p>Despite its brutal dictatorship, the state of Bahrain enjoys close relations with its former colonial ruler, the <a href="/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom">United Kingdom</a>. It is the site of a British military base at Mina Salman, which opened in 2018 after a 2014 agreement.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-49">[49]</a></sup> Queen <a href="/wiki/Elizabeth_II" title="Elizabeth II">Elizabeth II</a> was good friends with King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa: he regularly visits the UK for equestrian events, and he and the Queen exchanged gifts of horses.<sup id="cite_ref-guardian2019_50-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian2019-50">[50]</a></sup> He also buys lots of British weapons, which is nice.<sup id="cite_ref-guardian2019_50-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-guardian2019-50">[50]</a></sup> Shame about the human rights abuses, but at least he likes animals. </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Gallery">Gallery</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=17" title="Edit section: Gallery">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <center><ul class="gallery mw-gallery-traditional"> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:52.5px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Manama,_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg/225px-Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="150" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg/338px-Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg/450px-Manama%2C_Bahrain_Decembre_2014.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1600" data-file-height="1067" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Skyline of Manama, Bahrain's capital city. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:43px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Machboos.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Machboos.JPG/225px-Machboos.JPG" decoding="async" width="225" height="169" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Machboos.JPG/338px-Machboos.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Machboos.JPG/450px-Machboos.JPG 2x" data-file-width="2816" data-file-height="2112" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p><i>Machbūs</i>, a mixed-rice dish. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:46px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Bahrain14.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Bahrain14.JPG/250px-Bahrain14.JPG" decoding="async" width="225" height="163" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e4/Bahrain14.JPG/500px-Bahrain14.JPG 1.5x" data-file-width="1260" data-file-height="910" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>A Bahraini beach. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:53px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG/225px-Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG" decoding="async" width="225" height="149" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG/338px-Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG/450px-Mohamed_al-Maskati_holding_Pearl_Roundabout_model.JPG 2x" data-file-width="4288" data-file-height="2848" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Bahraini architects with a model of their newest project. </p> </div> </div></li> <li class="gallerybox" style="width: 260px"><div style="width: 260px"> <div class="thumb" style="width: 255px;"><div style="margin:52.5px auto;"><a href="/wiki/File:%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AC%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1_Matam_Ajam.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AC%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1_Matam_Ajam.jpg/250px-%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AC%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1_Matam_Ajam.jpg" decoding="async" width="225" height="150" srcset="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6a/%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AC%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1_Matam_Ajam.jpg/500px-%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%AA%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%AC%D9%85_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1_Matam_Ajam.jpg 1.5x" data-file-width="2048" data-file-height="1365" /></a></div></div> <div class="gallerytext"> <p>Matam Ajam Al-Kabeer Mosque. </p> </div> </div></li> </ul></center> <p><br /> </p> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="See_also">See also</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=18" title="Edit section: See also">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arab_Spring" title="Arab Spring">Arab Spring</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a></li></ul> <h2><span class="mw-headline" id="References">References</span><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Bahrain&action=edit&section=19" title="Edit section: References">edit</a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></h2> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; -webkit-column-count:2; column-count:2; font-size:80%;"> <div class="mw-references-wrap mw-references-columns"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-1">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2009/11/04/bahrain-migrant-workers-denied-pay-right-travel">Bahrain: Migrant Workers Denied Pay, Right to Travel</a>. <i>Human Rights Watch.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-2">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/03/bahrain-sunnis-shia-divided-society">The real story of Bahrain's divided society</a>. <i>The Guardian.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-3">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bqdoha.com/2013/08/saudi-visitors-main-contributors-to-bahrains-tourism-sector">Saudi visitors main contributors to Bahrain’s tourism sector</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-4">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://lifeofmat.wordpress.com/2011/08/10/bahrain-kingdom-of-the-gulf-navy-sailors-and-drunk-saudis/">Bahrain: Kingdom of the Gulf, Navy Sailors, and Drunk Saudis</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-5">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/29/bahrain-alcohol-ban.html">Bahrain parliament moves to ban alcohol</a>. <i>Al Jazeera.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-6">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-22596270">Bahrain digs unveil one of oldest civilisations</a>. <i>BBC News.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-7">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilmun" class="extiw" title="wp:Dilmun" rel="nofollow">Dilmun</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-8">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Larsen, Curtis E. (1984). <i>Life and Land Use on the Bahrain Islands: The Geoarchaeology of an Ancient Society</i>. University of Chicago Press. pp. 52–55. ISBN 978-0-226-46906-5.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-pearls-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-pearls_9-0">9.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-pearls_9-1">9.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.karipearls.com/bahrain.html">Bahrain Pearling in Historic Times</a>. <i>Kari Pearls.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-10">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Mouthed-Zadeh, Pirouz (5 November 2013). <i>Security and Territoriality in the Persian Gulf: A Maritime Political Geography.</i> Taylor & Francis. pp. 119 and others. ISBN 978-1-136-81724-3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-11">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">R. A. Donkin (1998). <i>Beyond Price: Pearls and Pearl-fishing: Origins to the Age of Discoveries,</i> Volume 224. p. 48. ISBN 9780871692245.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-12">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Kudr_Invasion" class="extiw" title="wp:Al Kudr Invasion" rel="nofollow">Al Kudr Invasion</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-13">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Houtsma, M. Th (1993). <i>E.J. Brill's First Encyclopaedia of Islam,</i> 1913–1936, Volume 5. M. Th. Houtsma. p. 98. ISBN 9004097910.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-14">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Usmani, editor, Muzaffar Husain Syed ; co-editors, Syed Saud Akhtar, Babuddin (2011). <i>A concise history of Islam (unabridged ed.)</i>. Vij Books India Pvt Ltd. pp. 421–3. ISBN 9789382573470.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-15"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-15">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ala_al-Hadhrami" class="extiw" title="wp:Al-Ala al-Hadhrami" rel="nofollow">Al-Ala al-Hadhrami</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-qarmatian-16"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-qarmatian_16-0">16.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-qarmatian_16-1">16.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-qarmatian_16-2">16.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-qarmatian_16-3">16.3</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.worldbulletin.net/history/the-qarmatians-the-worlds-first-enduring-communistic-society-h127416.html">The Qarmatians: The world's first enduring communistic society</a>. <i>World Bulletin.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-17"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-17">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070428055134/http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/islam/shia/qarma.html">Qarmatiyyah</a>. Archived.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-18"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-18">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Halm, Heinz (1996). The Empire of the Mahdi: The Rise of the Fatimids. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-10056-5. p. 255.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-19"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-19">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.colonialvoyage.com/portuguese-persian-gulf-arabian-peninsula/">Portuguese on the Persian Gulf and Arabin Peninsula.</a> <i>Colonial Voyage.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bahhis-20"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahhis_20-0">20.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahhis_20-1">20.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahhis_20-2">20.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahhis_20-3">20.3</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://intlhistory.blogspot.com/2011/05/arabs-portuguese-and-persians.html">History of Bahrain: Arabs, Portuguese and Persians - Colonialism in Bahrain</a>. <i>International History Blog.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-21"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-21">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qal%27at_al-Bahrain" class="extiw" title="wp:Qal'at al-Bahrain" rel="nofollow">Qal'at al-Bahrain</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-22"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-22">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Cole, Juan R. I. (1987). "Rival Empires of Trade and Imami Shiism in Eastern Arabia, 1300–1800". <i>International Journal of Middle East Studies.</i> 19 (2): 177–203. doi:10.1017/s0020743800031834. JSTOR 163353.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-23"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-23">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bani_Utbah" class="extiw" title="wp:Bani Utbah" rel="nofollow">Bani Utbah</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-24"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-24">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Khalifa" class="extiw" title="wp:House of Khalifa" rel="nofollow">House of Khalifa</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-25"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-25">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Al-Baharna, Husain (1968). <i>Legal Status of the Arabian Gulf States: A Study of Their Treaty Relations and Their International Problems.</i> Manchester University Press. p. 31. ISBN 0-7190-0332-6.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-26"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-26">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Smart, J. R.; Smith, G. Rex; Pridham, B. R. (2004). <i>New Arabian Studies.</i> University of Exeter Press. pp. 51, 52, 53, 67, 68. ISBN 978-0-85989-706-8.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bempire-27"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bempire_27-0">27.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bempire_27-1">27.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bempire_27-2">27.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bempire_27-3">27.3</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britishempire.co.uk/maproom/bahrain.htm">Bahrain</a>. <i>British Empire.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-28"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-28">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">Hamza, Abdul Aziz (2009). <i>Tears on an Island: A History of Disasters in the Kingdom of Bahrain</i>. Al Waad. p. 165. ISBN 978-99901-92-22-3.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-29"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-29">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1947_Manama_riots" class="extiw" title="wp:1947 Manama riots" rel="nofollow">1947 Manama riots</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-30"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-30">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_Intifada" class="extiw" title="wp:March Intifada" rel="nofollow">March Intifada</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-bahisii-31"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahisii_31-0">31.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahisii_31-1">31.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-bahisii_31-2">31.2</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.studycountry.com/guide/BH-history.htm">A Short History of Bahrain</a>. <i>Study Country.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-32"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-32">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-01-07-8803200501-story.html">Bahrain Plot Tied to Iran</a>. <i>Chicago Tribune.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-33"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-33">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text">See the <a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> article on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1990s_uprising_in_Bahrain" class="extiw" title="wp:1990s uprising in Bahrain" rel="nofollow">1990s uprising in Bahrain</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-34"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-34">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12471243">Bahrain protests prompt global concerns</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-35"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-35">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/15/world/middleeast/15bahrain.html?_r=0">Saudi Troops Enter Bahrain to Help Put Down Unrest</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-36"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-36">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-12817106">Bahrain rulers unleash 'campaign of intimidation'</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-37"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-37">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2011/11/20111123125645404851.html">Bahrain inquiry confirms rights abuses</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-38"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-38">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://files.bici.org.bh/BICIreportEN.pdf">REPORT OF THE BAHRAIN INDEPENDENT COMMISSION OF INQUIRY</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-39"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-39">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.academia.edu/9735903/The_Bahrain_Independent_Commission_of_Inquiry_Is_the_Glass_Half-Full_or_Half-Empty">The Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry: Is the Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty?</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-40"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-40">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.govactions.bh/wps/portal/EgovBICI">Implementing the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-41"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-41">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/16/amnesty-international-human-rights-bahrain-grand-prix">Amnesty warns human rights abuses ‘unabated’ before Bahrain Grand Prix</a></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-rajab-42"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-rajab_42-0">42.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-rajab_42-1">42.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-rajab_42-2">42.2</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/12/31/bahrain-rights-defenders-conviction-upheld">Bahrain: Rights Defender’s Conviction Upheld</a>. <i>Human Rights Watch.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-hrw-43"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-0">43.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-1">43.1</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-2">43.2</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-3">43.3</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-4">43.4</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-hrw_43-5">43.5</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/bahrain">Bahrain World Report 2020</a>. <i>Human Rights Watch.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-torture-44"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-torture_44-0">44.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-torture_44-1">44.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2010/03/31/bahrains-torture-problem">Bahrain's torture problem</a>. <i>Human Rights Watch.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-45"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-45">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/bahrain/report-bahrain/Bahrain">2019 Report</a>. <i>Amnesty International.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-46"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-46">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0215/Bahrain-emerging-as-flashpoint-in-Middle-East-unrest">Bahrain emerging as flashpoint in Middle East unrest</a>. <i>Christian Science Monitor.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-47"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-47">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2011/0511/Bahrain-s-Sunni-rulers-target-Shiite-mosques">Bahrain's Sunni rulers target Shiite mosques</a>. <i>Christian Science Monitor.</i></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-48"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-48">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070309102730/http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=5888">In the Gulf, Women Are Not Women’s Best Friends</a>. <i>Yale Global.</i> Archived.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-49"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><a href="#cite_ref-49">↑</a></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uk-bahrain-military-base-juffair-royal-navy-mina-salman-middle-east-hms-queen-elizabeth-a8291486.html">UK opens permanent military base in Bahrain to strengthen Middle East presence</a>, The Independent, 6 April 2018</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-guardian2019-50"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">↑ <sup><a href="#cite_ref-guardian2019_50-0">50.0</a></sup> <sup><a href="#cite_ref-guardian2019_50-1">50.1</a></sup></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/may/10/buckingham-palace-faces-protests-after-queen-meets-king-of-bahrain">Queen's meeting with king of Bahrain prompts protests</a>, The Guardian, 10 May 2019</span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div role="navigation" aria-labelledby="Nations_of_the_world-navigationbox" class="toccolours" style="clear:both; margin:0.5em 3.5%; text-align:center;"> <div style="margin:0.15em; padding:0.1em; background:#ccccff; font-weight:bold;"><span id="Nations_of_the_world-navigationbox"><a href="/wiki/Nation" title="Nation">Nations</a> of the world</span> </div> <div class="hlist" style="font-size: 90%; margin: 0.15em 1.425em;"><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/Africa" title="Africa"><b>Africa</b></a>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Algeria" title="Algeria">Algeria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo" title="Democratic Republic of the Congo">Democratic Republic of the Congo</a> — <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> — <a 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title="Armenia">Armenia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Azerbaijan" title="Azerbaijan">Azerbaijan</a> — <a class="mw-selflink selflink">Bahrain</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bangladesh" title="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</a> — <a href="/wiki/Brunei" title="Brunei">Brunei</a> — <a href="/wiki/Burma" title="Burma">Burma</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cambodia" title="Cambodia">Cambodia</a> — <a href="/wiki/China" title="China">China</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cyprus" title="Cyprus">Cyprus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Egypt" title="Egypt">Egypt</a> — <a href="/wiki/Georgia_(country)" title="Georgia (country)">Georgia</a> — <a href="/wiki/India" title="India">India</a> — <a href="/wiki/Indonesia" title="Indonesia">Indonesia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iran" title="Iran">Iran</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iraq" title="Iraq">Iraq</a> — <a href="/wiki/Israel" title="Israel">Israel</a> — <a href="/wiki/Japan" title="Japan">Japan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Jordan" title="Jordan">Jordan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kazakhstan" title="Kazakhstan">Kazakhstan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kuwait" title="Kuwait">Kuwait</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kyrgyzstan" title="Kyrgyzstan">Kyrgyzstan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Laos" title="Laos">Laos</a> — <a href="/wiki/Lebanon" title="Lebanon">Lebanon</a> — <a href="/wiki/Malaysia" title="Malaysia">Malaysia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Maldives" title="Maldives">Maldives</a> — <a href="/wiki/Mongolia" title="Mongolia">Mongolia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Nepal" title="Nepal">Nepal</a> — <a href="/wiki/North_Korea" title="North Korea">North Korea</a> — <a href="/wiki/Oman" title="Oman">Oman</a> — <a href="/wiki/Pakistan" title="Pakistan">Pakistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Palestine" title="Palestine">Palestine</a> — <a href="/wiki/Philippines" title="Philippines">Philippines</a> — <a href="/wiki/Qatar" title="Qatar">Qatar</a> — <a href="/wiki/Russia" title="Russia">Russia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Saudi_Arabia" title="Saudi Arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Singapore" title="Singapore">Singapore</a> — <a href="/wiki/South_Korea" title="South Korea">South Korea</a> — <a href="/wiki/Syria" title="Syria">Syria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Tajikistan" title="Tajikistan">Tajikistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Thailand" title="Thailand">Thailand</a> — <a href="/wiki/Timor-Leste" title="Timor-Leste">Timor-Leste</a> — <a href="/wiki/Turkey" title="Turkey">Turkey</a> — <a href="/wiki/Turkmenistan" title="Turkmenistan">Turkmenistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/United_Arab_Emirates" title="United Arab Emirates">United Arab Emirates</a> — <a href="/wiki/Uzbekistan" title="Uzbekistan">Uzbekistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Vietnam" title="Vietnam">Vietnam</a> — <a href="/wiki/Yemen" title="Yemen">Yemen</a> <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/Europe" title="Europe"><b>Europe</b></a>:</big></span> <a href="/wiki/Albania" title="Albania">Albania</a> — <a href="/wiki/Austria" title="Austria">Austria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Belarus" title="Belarus">Belarus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Belgium" title="Belgium">Belgium</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bosnia_and_Herzegovina" title="Bosnia and Herzegovina">Bosnia and Herzegovina</a> — <a href="/wiki/Bulgaria" title="Bulgaria">Bulgaria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Channel_Islands" title="Channel Islands">Channel Islands</a> — <a href="/wiki/Croatia" title="Croatia">Croatia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cyprus" title="Cyprus">Cyprus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Czechia" title="Czechia">Czechia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Denmark" title="Denmark">Denmark</a> — <a href="/wiki/Estonia" title="Estonia">Estonia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Finland" title="Finland">Finland</a> — <a href="/wiki/France" title="France">France</a> — <a href="/wiki/Germany" title="Germany">Germany</a> — <a href="/wiki/Greece" title="Greece">Greece</a> — <a href="/wiki/Hungary" title="Hungary">Hungary</a> — <a href="/wiki/Iceland" title="Iceland">Iceland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ireland" title="Ireland">Ireland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Man" title="Isle of Man">Isle of Man</a> — <a href="/wiki/Italy" title="Italy">Italy</a> — <a 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Kingdom">United Kingdom</a> (<a href="/wiki/England" title="England">England</a>, <a href="/wiki/Northern_Ireland" title="Northern Ireland">Northern Ireland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wales" title="Wales">Wales</a>) — <a href="/wiki/Vatican_City" title="Vatican City">Vatican City</a> <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><a href="/wiki/North_America" title="North America"><b>North America</b></a>:</big></span> <a href="/wiki/Canada" title="Canada">Canada</a> — <a href="/wiki/Costa_Rica" title="Costa Rica">Costa Rica</a> — <a href="/wiki/Cuba" title="Cuba">Cuba</a> — <a href="/wiki/El_Salvador" title="El Salvador">El Salvador</a> — <a href="/wiki/Grenada" title="Grenada">Grenada</a> — <a href="/wiki/Haiti" title="Haiti">Haiti</a> — <a href="/wiki/Jamaica" title="Jamaica">Jamaica</a> — <a href="/wiki/Mexico" title="Mexico">Mexico</a> — <a href="/wiki/Nicaragua" title="Nicaragua">Nicaragua</a> — <a href="/wiki/Panama" 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href="/wiki/Chile" title="Chile">Chile</a> (<a href="/wiki/Rapa_Nui" title="Rapa Nui">Rapa Nui</a>) — <a href="/wiki/Colombia" title="Colombia">Colombia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Ecuador" title="Ecuador">Ecuador</a> — <a href="/wiki/Falkland_Islands" title="Falkland Islands">Falkland Islands</a> (<a href="/wiki/Falkland_Islands" title="Falkland Islands"><small>Malvinas</small></a>)— <a href="/wiki/Paraguay" title="Paraguay">Paraguay</a> — <a href="/wiki/Peru" title="Peru">Peru</a> — <a href="/wiki/Uruguay" title="Uruguay">Uruguay</a> — <a href="/wiki/Venezuela" title="Venezuela">Venezuela</a> <br /> </p><p><span style="float:left;"><big><b>Separatist or disputed</b>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Abkhazia" title="Abkhazia">Abkhazia</a> —<a href="/wiki/Catalonia" title="Catalonia">Catalonia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Greenland" title="Greenland">Greenland</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kashmir" title="Kashmir">Kashmir</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kosovo" title="Kosovo">Kosovo</a> — <a href="/wiki/Kurdistan" title="Kurdistan">Kurdistan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Micronation" title="Micronation">Micronation</a> — <a href="/wiki/Northern_Cyprus" title="Northern Cyprus">Northern Cyprus</a> — <a href="/wiki/Sealand" class="mw-redirect" title="Sealand">Sealand</a> — <a href="/wiki/Somaliland" title="Somaliland">Somaliland</a> — <a href="/wiki/South_Ossetia" title="South Ossetia">South Ossetia</a> — <a href="/wiki/Taiwan" title="Taiwan">Taiwan</a> — <a href="/wiki/Tibet" title="Tibet">Tibet</a> — <a href="/wiki/Transnistria" title="Transnistria">Transnistria</a> — <a href="/wiki/Western_Sahara" title="Western Sahara">Western Sahara</a> </p> <span style="float:left;"><big><b>Historical</b>:</big></span><a href="/wiki/Ancient_Egypt" title="Ancient Egypt">Ancient Egypt</a> — <a href="/wiki/Belgian_Congo" title="Belgian Congo">Belgian Congo</a> — <a href="/wiki/British_Empire" title="British Empire">British Empire</a> — <a href="/wiki/Confederate_States_of_America" title="Confederate States of 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