Bahrain has a rich history that dates back several thousand years. International archaeologists have found that Bahrain has been inhabited for at least the last 70,000 years, and there is evidence of two distinct civilizations, Dilmun and Tylos, 2,000 years apart. Dilmun was a Bronze Age trading empire that lasted about 2,000 years. Its strategic position on the Mesopotamia/Indus Valley trade route meant that it became a watering place for ships carrying goods and it soon became a strategic trading post with well-developed social systems.

As a spring-watered garden land, Dilmun stood out in contrast to the deserts around. In Babylonian Epic of Filfamesh, Dilmun has been descrived as 'paradise', where there is a constant abundance of sweet water and the brave and the wise enjoy eternal life.

Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands with a combined area of 707 square kilometers situated in the Arabian Gulf. It sits off the east coast of Saudi Arabia about halfway between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Iran lies 200km to the north-east. Bahrain is roughly the same size as Singapore. The Arabian Gulf has an average depth of only 35 metres and most of it in the vicinity of Bahrain is much shallower than this.

The main island of Bahrain is 586.5 square kilometres. It is linked by causeways to Muharraq, which holds the international airport, and Siitra, where the country's main industrial area is based. There are numerous other small islands but they are mainly uninhabited and are mostly nesting sites for migratory birds. Most development in Bahrain is concentrated on the northern third of the main island which is undergoing extensive reclamation.