Governorates of Bahrain

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Updates: 

FIPS 10-4 Change Notice 12, dated 2007-06-11, has FIPS codes for the new governorates. The table has been updated accordingly. It uses different Arabic names for some of the divisions, which I report as variants under "Other names of subdivisions".

ISO 3166-2 Newsletter I-8, published on 2007-04-17, shows ISO governorate codes for the new administrative structure of Bahrain. They are shown in the table below.

Peter Wagner called my attention to a change in Bahrain. On 2002-07-03, Decree-Law No. 17 for 2002 was issued. It created five governorates as the primary administrative divisions of Bahrain. They are shown in this table. For their relationship to the older regions, see the second table. Each of the governorates is divided into ten constituencies. A map of the governorates may be found on page 12 of this PDF file . Elections were held for the municipal councils (the ruling bodies of the governorates) in May, 2002, perhaps in anticipation of the decree's effective date.

Country overview: 

Bahrain was a British protectorate until 1971-08-15, when it became independent.

Other names of country: 

1. Arabic: Dawlat al-Bahrayn (formal)
2. Danish: Bahrain
3. Dutch: Bahrein
4. English: State of Bahrain (formal)
5. Finnish: Bahrain
6. French: Bahreïn m
7. German: Bahrain n
8. Icelandic: Barein
9. Italian: Bahrein, Bahrain m
10. Norwegian: Bahrain, Staten Bahrain (formal)
11. Portuguese: Bahrein, Barém (variant-Portugal), Barein (variant-Brazil), Estado m do Bahrain m (formal)
12. Spanish: Bahrein, Bahráin, Estado m de Bahrein (formal)
13. Swedish: Bahrain

Origin of name: 

Arabic al-bahrayn: the two seas

Primary subdivisions: 

Bahrain is divided into five governorates.

Territorial extent: 

Bahrain consists entirely of islands in the Gulf of Bahrain, an arm of the Persian Gulf. The largest is Bahrain itself. Near it are Al Muharraq, Sitrah, and Umm Nasan, all connected to it by causeways. Just off the coast of Qatar is Hawar Island and some neighboring islets. Qatar also claims this group.

Origins of names: 

1. Al Manamah: Arabic al-manama the place of dreams
2. Al Mintaqah al Gharbiyah: = Western Region
3. Al Mintaqah al Wusta: = Central Region
4. Al Mintaqah ash Shamaliyah: = Northern Region
5. Ar Rifa` wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah: = Rifaa and Southern Region
6. Madinat Hamad: = Hamad Town
7. Madinat `Isa: = Isa Town
8. Mintaqat Juzur Hawar: = Hawar Islands Region

Change history: 

1. 1960: Bahrain consisted of four municipalities: Al Hadd, Al Manamah, Al Muharraq, and Ar Rifa`.
2. 1971-08-15: Bahrain became independent. It then had six municipalities: Al Hadd, Ar Rifa` al Gharbi, Judd Hafs, Manamah, Muharraq, and Sitrah. By ~1984, their status had changed from municipalities to manaṭiq (sing. minṭaqah: regions), and three new regions had split off.
3. ~1985: Al Hadd split from Al Muharraq.
4. ~1988: Madinat `Isa split from Al Mintaqah al Wusta.
5. ~1991: Madinat Hamad split from Ar Rifa` wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah. At this point, the regions were as shown below. The Kingdom of Bahrain has made a document  available on the Internet, supposedly titled Bahrain in Figures 2000, which lists the area and population figures by region according to the 2001 census, along with areas. There is also a document titled "Bahrain in Figures 1999 ", with 1991 census data.

1. 2002-07-03: Decree-Law No. 17 for 2002 replaced the ten divisions with five governorates.

Postal codes are three or four digits. They consist of the ISO region code followed by two additional digits, with the leading zero suppressed.

Other names of subdivisions: 

1. Al Hadd: Hedd, Hidd (variant)
2. Al Manamah: Al `Asimah, Manama (variant)
3. Al Mintaqah al Wusta: Al Wasat (variant); Central (English)
4. Ar Rifa` wa al Mintaqah al Janubiyah: Rifaa, Rifa'a, Riffa, Rufaa (variant)
5. Jidd Hafs: Jidhafs, Judd Hafs (variant)
6. Mintaqat Juzur Hawar: Eastern, Huwar Islands, Howar Islands (English); Ash Sharqiyah (variant)
7. Sitrah: Sitra (variant)