Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

aluminum products and clothing.

Tourism is a growing industry. Agricultural

goods include dates, other fruits,

vegetables, eggs, and milk.

Bahrain was likely the site of ancient

Dilmun, a trading center in about 2000

BC. Arab Muslims have lived in Bahrain

since the AD 600s. Portugal ruled from

1521 to 1602, followed by the Persians.

In 1783 the Khalifah family drove out

the Persians. A sheikh, or chief, of that

family has ruled Bahrain ever since.

Great Britain took control of Bahrain’s

foreign affairs in the 1800s. Bahrain

declared itself independent in 1971.

Disagreements between two Muslim

groups soon caused problems. About

half of Muslims are Shi!ites, but Sunnites

hold most of the political and economic

power.

..More to explore

Arabs • Islam • Manama

The desert sun shines down on a mosque in

the city of Madinah !Isa, Bahrain.

Facts About

BAHRAIN

Population

(2008 estimate)

1,084,000

Area

277 sq mi (718

sq km)

Capital

Manama

Form of

government

Constitutional

monarchy

Major urban

areas

Manama, Al

Muharraq,

Ar-Rifa!, Madinat

Hamad, Madinat

!Isa

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Bahrain 9

 

Bairiki

Bairiki is the capital of Kiribati, an

island country in the central Pacific

Ocean. Bairiki is a small coral island. It

is part of a group of coral islands called

Tarawa Atoll.

Bairiki is a center of government,

business, and education for Kiribati.

The office of the president and the

Parliament building are on Bairiki. The

island also has a branch of the

University of the South Pacific. Dried

coconut meat and other products are

shipped from Bairiki’s port.

People have lived on Tarawa Atoll for

thousands of years. In 1892 the British

took over Tarawa and many nearby

islands. The Japanese controlled the

islands briefly in the 1940s, during

WorldWar II. Kiribati became an independent

country in 1979. Bairiki

became its capital.

..More to explore

Coral • Kiribati

Baku

Population

(2006 estimate)

1,132,800

Baku is the capital and largest city of

Azerbaijan, a country of southwestern

Asia. The city lies on Baku Bay, which

is part of the Caspian Sea. Baku has the

best harbor on the Caspian Sea. It is a

center of education, culture, and

industry.

Petroleum (oil) drilling in the Caspian

Sea is a major industry. Processing the

petroleum is the basis of Baku’s

economy. In addition, several factories

in the city make equipment for the

petroleum industry. Others produce

electrical equipment, appliances, cloth,

and shoes. Shipping at Baku’s port also

brings money to the city.

Tarawa Atoll is a long, narrow chain of tiny

islands. Bairiki is at the southern end of the

chain.

A mosque stands near the Caspian Sea in

Baku. In the background is equipment that

drills for petroleum in the sea.

10 Bairiki BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

People have lived in the Baku area for

thousands of years. Oil was first taken

from the area in the 900s. Persians ruled

the region for many years. Russia captured

Baku in 1806. In 1918 Azerbaijan

became an independent country with

Baku as its capital. The Soviet Union

took over Azerbaijan in 1920. Baku

became the national capital again when

Azerbaijan became independent in

1991.

#More to explore

Azerbaijan • Caspian Sea

Balboa, Vasco

Nunez de

The Spanish conquistador (conqueror)

Vasco Nunez de Balboa was the first

European to see the Pacific Ocean. He

also helped to found the first successful

European colony on the mainland of the

Americas.

Balboa was born in Spain in 1475. He

left for America in 1500 and settled on

the island of Hispaniola, in theWest

Indies. In 1510 he sailed with a group

headed for a colony in what is now

Colombia. When they arrived they discovered

that the colony had been abandoned

except for a few people. Balboa

persuaded them to go with him to

Darien, in what is now Panama. There

they established a stable colony.

Indians told Balboa about a great ocean

with gold on its shores. Balboa asked for

a large expedition from Spain to search

for this ocean, but before it arrived he

set out on his own with a smaller group.

In September 1513 he reached the

Pacific, which he called the South Sea,

and claimed it for Spain.

The expedition from Spain arrived in

1514, with Pedro Arias Davila at its

head. Balboa and Davila competed for

power. As governor of Darien, Davila

eventually charged Balboa with various

crimes. Balboa was found guilty and

beheaded in January 1519.

#More to explore

Pacific Ocean

Balkan Peninsula

The Balkan Peninsula is a large piece of

land in southeastern Europe. It is

divided into many countries, including

Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herze-

Vasco Nunez de Balboa govina, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia,

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Balkan Peninsula 11

 

Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania,

Kosovo, Greece, and the European part

of Turkey. Sometimes the region is called

the Balkans. The history of the Balkans

includes many invasions and wars.

Geography

Mountains cover most of the peninsula.

The name Balkan means “mountain” in

the Turkish language. The only large

lowland regions are plains in Romania

and Bulgaria. The Danube River is the

most important waterway of the Balkans.

The northern part of the peninsula