Sitra

Island in Bahrain

AST (UTC+3)

ISO codeBH-14

Sitra (Arabic: سترة or سِتْرَة,^[1] As-Sitra),^[2] also known as Sitrah^[3] or Sitra Island (Arabic: جزيرة سترة Jazīrat Sitrah),^[4] is an island in Bahrain situated approximately 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the capital, Manama, which is on Bahrain Island.

History

The island of Sitra has witnessed various conflicts. One notable conflict occurred in 1782 between the local populace and a group of Al Khalifa individuals who arrived in Sitra from Zubara seeking supplies. This confrontation resulted in casualties on both sides.^[5]

Arab Spring

During the Arab Spring in Bahrain, Sitra played a prominent role as a site of significant protests. The island became a focal point for demonstrations, with numerous citizens gathering to express their grievances. The events during this period led to widespread unrest, injuries, and fatalities among the protesters, marking a critical chapter in the island's contemporary history.

Geography

Situated to the east of Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf, Sitra is positioned south of Manama and Nabih Saleh. Its western coastline serves as the boundary for Tubli Bay. Historically, the island was characterized by date palm groves and agricultural land with several freshwater springs. However, rapid urbanization and development have significantly transformed the island's landscape.

Demography

Most of the inhabitants of the island live in nine historic villages:

Wadyan
Al Kharijiya
Marquban
Al Garrya
Mahazza
Sufala
Abul Aish
Halat Um al-Baidh (the location of the yacht club and Al Bandar resort)
Al Hamriya

There is a massive land reclamation project called East Sitra which increased the island size by 50% and has a new city built on it.^[6]^[7]

Economy

The island's economy used to be based on agriculture and fishing. The northern section of the island has been turned into an industrial area. Bapco oil storage reservoirs are located in the south. Sitra is also the terminus of the 42-km Dhahran-Sitra natural gas pipeline, which connects it to Dahran in Saudi Arabia.^[8]

Several car and furniture showrooms also make up the new development on the island. The Sitra Club is a cultural and sports club for the island.

Today Sitra handles Bahrain's entire petroleum production. It is the location of Port of Sitra. It is also the export center for the oil fields in northeastern Saudi Arabia. ^[9]

Education

Sitra is the site of many school campuses such as Al Noor International School and Indian School, Bahrain. The Applied Science University is located here.

Transportation

The Sitra Causeway connects the north of the island to Nabih Saleh and to Umm al Hussam (Manama) on Bahrain Island. Two small bridges on the south west of Sitra also joins Bahrain Island, near the villages of Ma'ameer and Eker.

Administration

The southern part of the island belongs to Southern Governorate and the northern part to Capital Governorate. Between 1990 and 2013 it was part of Central Governorate of Bahrain, but that is now dissolved. Between 1920 and 1990 it was part of Sitra Municipality.

Sitra Municipality

This was a municipality in Bahrain before they were re-organized as Governorates. The Sitra Municipality consisted of the island of Sitra and three villages close to it on the main island of Bahrain: Ma'ameer, Eker and Nuwaidrat.^[10]

Image gallery

Map 1
Map Districts
District Map
District Map
Bapco Bahrain oil reservoirs in Sitra
Berth number 4 in Sitra Wharf in 1940
Map of Bahrain showing Sitrah municipality
Cemetery
Women taking part in a pro-democracy sit-in in Sitra
Sitra (Sitrah), east of Manama, in Bahrain

References

^ "سِتْرَة: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
^ "As Sitra: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
^ Holdich, Thomas Hungerford (1911), "Bahrein Islands" , in Chisholm, Hugh (ed.), Encyclopædia Britannica, vol. 3 (11th ed.), Cambridge University Press, p. 212
^ "Jazīrat as Sitra: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
^ (in Arabic) "Summary of Baharain and Baharna's history", Al Jareesh, Retrieved 4 April 2012
^ News
^ East Sitra Official site
^ "Middle East Pipelines map - Crude Oil (petroleum) pipelines - Natural Gas pipelines - Products pipelines". Theodora.com/pipelines. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
^ "Sitrah". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
^ "Directory of Cities and Towns in Sitrah, Bahrain". Falling Rain. Archived from the original on 2007-05-26. Retrieved 2007-07-16.