About

The Capital Governorate is one of the four governorates of Bahrain. It is home to Manama, the capital of Bahrain, and accounts for 5.9% of the country's land area. Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain. The name Manama means "place of rest" in Arabic. It has a population of approximately 157,000 and an area of 30km². Historically, it was a trade hub in the Gulf region alongside Hormuz, and pearl diving flourished before the oil era. Consequently, it faced frequent invasions from foreign powers such as Portugal and Iran, but maintained stability under British protection from the mid-19th century. In 1923, it replaced the neighboring city of Muharraq as the capital. In 2012, Manama was honored as the Capital of Arab Culture. In 2014, the Asian Men's Handball Championship was held here. The city is home to the University of Bahrain and the port of Mina Salman. The United Kingdom opened a naval base at this port for the first time in 50 years. The time zone is 6 hours behind Korea.