AREA HANDBOOK for the PERSIAN GULF STATES Coauthors Richard F. Nyrop Beryl Lieff Benderly William W. Cover Darrel R. Eglin Philip W. Moeller Research completed on January 3, 1977 First Edition Published 1977 DA Pam 550-185 DS 247 .A13 A67 1977 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Nyrop, Richard F Area handbook for the Persian Gulf States. "DA pam 550-185." Bibliography: p. 411-427. Includes index. 1. Persian Gulf States. I. American University, 953.6 77-23854 First Edition, First Printing, 1977 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington, D.C. 20402 Stock No. 008-020-00682-3 This volume is one of a series of handbooks prepared by Foreign Area Studies (FAS) of The American University, designed to be useful to military and other personnel who need a convenient compilation of basic facts about the social, economic, political, and military institutions and practices of various countries. The emphasis is on objective description of the nation's present society and the kinds of possible or probable changes that might be expected in the future. The handbook seeks to present as full and as balanced an integrated exposition as limitations on space and research time permit. It was compiled from information available in openly published material. An extensive bibliography is provided to permit recourse to other published sources for more detailed information. There has been no attempt to express any specific point of view or to make policy recommendations. The contents of the handbook represent the work of the authors and FAS and do not represent the official view of the United States government. An effort has been made to make the handbook as comprehensive as possible. It can be expected, however, that the material, interpretations, and conclusions are subject to modification in the light of new information and developments. Such corrections, additions, and suggestions for factual, interpretive, or other change as readers may have will be welcomed for use in future revisions. Comments may be addressed to: The Director Foreign Area Studies. The American University 5010 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. PREFACE The Area Handbook for the Persian Gulf States is an attempt to provide a comprehensive study of the dominant aspects of the five societies of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates and to identify patterns of behavior characteristic of their people. In view of the fact that Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia also border on the Persian Gulf and Oman only partially does so, the title clearly is one of convenience. Moreover the governments of the countries included in this study officially use the term Arabian Gulf; the authors decided, however, to use Persian Gulf, the term used by most cartographers and Western governments. This study and the Area Handbook for the Yemens replace the Area Handbook for the Peripheral States of the Arabian Peninsula. The study results from the combined efforts of a Foreign Area Studies multidisciplinary team of researchers assisted by the organization's support staff. The team was supervised by Richard F. Nyrop, who wrote chapter 1 and coordinated the contributions of the other authors. Beryl Lieff Benderly wrote chapters 3 and 4 and the Geographic and Demographic Setting section for chapter 6; Laraine Newhouse Carter wrote chapter 2 and the Geographic and Demographic Setting and the Government and Politics sections for chapter 10; William W. Cover wrote the National Defense and Internal Security sections for chapters 6, 9, and 10; Darrel R. Eglin wrote chapter 5 and the Economy sections for chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9; Robert A. Kirchner wrote the Government and Politics sections for chapters 6 and 7 and the National Defense and Internal Security section for chapter 7; Philip W. Moeller wrote the Geographic and Demographic Setting sections for chapters 7, 8, and 9; William A. Mussen, Jr., wrote the Government and Politics and the National Defense and Internal Security sections for chapter 8; Clarence Edward Pike wrote the Economy section for chapter 10; and Rinn-Sup Shinn wrote the Government and Politics section for chapter 9. The chapters represent the work of the authors and do not represent the official view of the United States government. The authors are grateful to individuals in various agencies of the United States government who gave of their time, documents, and special knowledge to provide data and perspective. The authors are also grateful to several Arab scholars and diplomats residing in Washington, D.C., who were most helpful. |