BAHREIN Yellow gold (875) filigree bangle decorated with flowers. Weight: 17.2 g. Inner diameter: 6.2 cm. The Kingdom of Bahrain (Bahrain meaning "the two seas") is a constitutional monarchy on the Arabian Peninsula and an island state whose capital is Manama. The archipelago, named after its main island (al-Bahrayn), is located in the Persian Gulf between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has been independent since 1783, and has since been ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa ruling family. The Emirate of Bahrain, the majority of whose population is Shiite, has been a kingdom since 2002, ruled by King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa (b. 1950). From his four wives, the king has had seven sons and five daughters.