Bahrain Historical Setting
Sharjah Mosque, built in the 1980s in traditional style
Bahrain - Unavailable
Figure 2. Persian Gulf States: Topography
THE FIVE COUNTRIES covered in this volume--Kuwait,
Bahrain,
Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman--are all Arab
states on
the Persian Gulf that share certain characteristics. But
they are
not the only countries that border the gulf. Iran, Iraq,
and
Saudi Arabia share the coastline as well, and they too
shared in
the historical development of the area. Of the five states
covered in this volume, Oman has a particular culture and
history
that distinguish it from its neighbors. It also is the
state with
the shortest coastline along the Persian Gulf. Most of
Oman lies
along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea
(see
fig. 1).
The main element that unites these countries is the
nature of
their involvement with people and nations beyond the
region. The
gulf has been an important waterway since ancient times,
bringing
the people who live on its shores into early contact with
other
civilizations. In the ancient world, the gulf peoples
established
trade connections with India; in the Middle Ages, they
went as
far as China; and in the modern era, they became involved
with
the European powers that sailed into the Indian Ocean and
around
Southeast Asia. In the twentieth century, the discovery of
massive oil deposits in the gulf made the area once again
a
crossroads for the modern world.
Other factors also bring these countries together. The
people
are mostly Arabs and, with the exception of Oman and
Bahrain, are
mostly
Sunni (see Glossary)
Muslims. Because they live in
basically tribal societies, family and clan connections
underlie
most political and economic activity. The discovery of oil
and
the increasing contact with the West has led to tremendous
material and social changes.
Important distinctions exist, however, among the five
countries. Bahrain is an island with historical
connections to
the Persian Empire. Kuwait is separated from the others by
Saudi
Arabia. In Oman high mountain ranges effectively cut off
the
country's hinterland from the rest of the region
(see Bahrain -
fig. 2).
Moreover, various tribal loyalties throughout the region
are
frequently divisive and are exacerbated by religious
differences
that involve the major sects of Islam--
Sunni and
Shia (see Glossary)--and
the smaller Kharijite sect as well as
Muslim
legal procedures.
Data as of January 1993
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