country on a group of islands in the Persian Gulf, between Qatar & the E coast of Saudi Arabia: formerly a British protectorate, it became an independent state in 1971: 266 sq mi (688 sq km); pop. 518,000; cap. Manama
A country comprising an archipelago of low sandy islands in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It was the first Arabian country to strike oil (1932). A British protectorate after 1861, Bahrain became independent in 1971. Manama, on Bahrain Island, the largest in the archipelago, is the capital. Population: 709,000.