While their neighbours staked everything on oil, Bahrainis diversified their economy and created some of the region's best education and health systems. Years of British influence have made English widely spoken. Development has been swift, but it hasn't swallowed up everything. Site of one of the oldest civilisations in the world and thought by some to be the site of the Garden of Eden, Bahrain is packed with archaeological digs, historical museums, dhow building yards and back-street souks. The main island lies in the Persian Gulf about halfway between Saudi Arabia to the west and Qatar to the east.
Most development is concentrated on the northern third of the island.
Bahrain has long been famous for its greenery in the midst of the region's deserts. Recently, however, this has been changing. Though parts of the island are still thickly covered in date palms, the island is a lot less lush than it used to be. Some of the trees have been cut down, while others have died as increasing demands are made on the underground springs that water them. Aside from domesticated donkeys, you won't see many animals outside the Al-'Areen Wildlife Sanctuary.