Manama (Arabic: Al-Manamah المنامة) is the capital of Bahrain, located in the Persian Gulf, north-eastern island of Bahrain. It is the largest city in Bahrain with a population of about 155,000, nearly a quarter of the total population of Bahrain.
Manama was mentioned in Islamic chronicles since 1345. It was conquered by the Portuguese in 1521 and then by the Persians in 1602. It was held, with minor interruptions, Al-Khalifa dynasty since 1783. Manama was declared a free port in 1958 and in 1971 the
capital of independent Bahrain.
The economy of Manama is identical to that of Bahrain as a whole - oil refining, dhow, fishing and diving.
