We are visiting Bahrain, a small and wealthy island nation located in the Persian Gulf. There are around 1.5 million people living here, and the capital is Manama, a city known for its tall, glittering skyscrapers and busy traditional markets. The official language is Arabic, though almost everyone speaks English too.

Bahrain is very small! It covers about 785 square kilometers, or 303 square miles. To imagine its size, it is about half the size of the city of London, or roughly the same size as the city of New York. Because it is an island, it is connected to its neighbor, Saudi Arabia, by a massive bridge that is 25 kilometers long!

The most popular sport in Bahrain is Football, but they are also famous for hosting Formula 1 racing at a giant track in the middle of the desert. Their national animal is the Arabian Oryx, a beautiful white antelope with long, straight horns that look like swords.

The flag is red with a white serrated band on the left side, and the five points of the white zig-zag line represent the five pillars of the faith of the people.

The food is full of warm spices. The national dish is Machboos, which is a flavorful rice dish made with meat or fish, onions, and a special blend of spices called Baharat. They also love Halwa, a sweet, jelly-like treat made with saffron and nuts.

In the middle of the dry, hot desert, there is a tree called the Tree of Life that is over 400 years old. No one knows exactly where it gets its water because there are no other trees around it for miles, but it stays green all year round! The country is also made up of 33 different islands, and some of them are man-made, built in the shape of horseshoes or flower petals. Long ago, Bahrain was the center of the world’s Pearl trade, and divers would go deep underwater without any equipment to find beautiful pearls inside oyster shells.

From the desert racetracks to the ancient pearl paths, Bahrain is a small island with a huge history. Shukran! That means “Thank you!”