Officially name: Kingdom of Bahrain
Capital: Manama
Largest city: Manama
Official language: Arabic
Government: Constitutional monarchy
Bahrain features an arid climate. Bahrain has two seasons: an extremely hot summer and a relatively mild winter.
During the summer months, from April to October, afternoon temperatures average 40 °C (104 °F) and can reach 48 °C (118.4 °F) during June and July. The combination of intense heat and high humidity makes this season uncomfortable. In addition, a hot, dry southwest wind, known locally as the qaws, periodically blows sand clouds across the barren southern end of Bahrain toward Manama in the summer.
With a name meaning 'Two Seas' it is little wonder that Bahrain, an archipelago of 33 islands in the Gulf, defines itself in relation to the water that surrounds its shallow shores.