Bahrain also offers the tourist and resident alike a wildlife park, a variety of historic forts, mosques, resort facilities and an array of shopping areas. In spite of the heat, Bahrain offers a wonderful way of life for the American community of approximately 3,000, about half of whom are associated with the U.S. military. Most Americans live in housing compounds that include pools, tennis courts, recreation rooms and exercise facilities. Western-style shopping malls, grocery stores and cinemas coexist with traditional Arabic bazaars and farmers' markets. Roads are well maintained and marked in English.
Traffic jams are rare.
Most dependent children attend the Department of Defense Dependent Schools, affiliated with the Bahrain School, which offers an American curriculum and the International Baccalaureate program. There are several Bahraini schools as well as British, French and Japanese international schools. Child care facilities are available. The Bahrainis themselves, however, are probably the country's greatest attraction. They are warm, friendly, humble and hospitable to strangers, characteristics cultivated over centuries as a regional trading post.