The Kingdom of Bahrain is a tiny island state of the Middle East, located in between the Gulf of Bahrain and the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia and linked by a narrow causeway. The total land area is 665 sq km with a surrounding coastline measuring 161 km. The landmass is representative of 30 separate islands that form an archipelago. The largest island is Bahrain Island. The terrain is comprised of an arid, desert plain, rising to form a low central escarpment. The highest point of elevation is Jabal ad Dukhan at a height of 122m. Bahrain means 'Land of Life or 'Sacred Land' and it is reputed that Bahrain may have been the location of the original Garden of Eden.

Previously a large British stronghold Bahrain declared full independence from the United Kingdom in 1971. The capital city is Manama and is located on Bahrain Island. The dominant religious groups are Shi'a and Sunni Muslims. The languages of Bahrain are Arabic, English, Farsi and Urdu. The national unit of currency is the Bahraini Dinar.

Bahrain has a highly developed economy with a big banking and communication sector. Bahrain has long been an important transit hub for the export of oil and petroleum to the western world. The national workforce is over 99% represented by the industry and service sectors. Besides petroleum refining, the industries of Bahrain include aluminium smelting, ship repairing and tourism. The transport network of Bahrain consists of 3164 km of highways. The crude oil pipeline measures 56 km and the natural gas pipe line measures 32 km.

The climate of Bahrain is hot and arid. The humid summertime temperatures sometimes reach 45°C. There is a serious danger of heat exhaustion for those not used to the sweltering temperatures. Winters in Bahrain are mild with temperatures averaging 20°C daily.