Bahrain is a low-lying (including the disputed Hawar group) archipelago of 33 islands, of which Bahrain Island is the largest. These groups of islands are in the Gulf of Salwa, the section of the Arabian Gulf between Saudi Arabia’s east coast and the Qatar peninsula. The Gulf known by different names according to the countries lying around it- Arabian Gulf, Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and also as the al-Khatt w’al-Seer (the line and the course) lies between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.

Bahrain is about 700 sq km (270 sq miles) and has about 161 km (100 miles) of coastline. The main islands are Bahrain Island, Muharraq, Sitrah, Umm an Na’san, Jiddah and the Hawar group. Except for Bahrain Island (where the Jebel Al-Dukhan,or the Mountain of Smoke, rises to the height of 135 m/442 ft), the other islands are low lying and rocky.

Environmental issues are desertification owing to misuse and maltreatment of arable land, droughts and dust storms; damage to the coastline, coral reefs and sea vegetation by large tankers, oil refineries and distribution stations. During the Iran Iraq war in 1983 and in 1991, the major oil spills have adversely affected the Gulf’s environment. Bahrain with its greenery in the midst of the desert area has stood out as possibly being the Garden of Eden, with its legendary Tree of Life. Desert vegetation predominates. Wildlife is limited but you can get to see gazelles, hares, jerboa (Kangaroo rats), lizards and some snakes. There are some birds and tropical fish.