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Sitra

Coordinates: 26°07′N 50°39′E / 26.12°N 50.65°E / 26.12; 50.65
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For the South India Textile Research Association, see SITRA.
Sitra
Sitra is located in Bahrain
Sitra
Sitra
Location of Al Dar Islands in Bahrain
Geography
LocationPersian Gulf
Coordinates26°07′N 50°39′E / 26.12°N 50.65°E / 26.12; 50.65
ArchipelagoBahrain
Adjacent toPersian Gulf
Highest elevation6 m (20 ft)
Administration
Demographics
DemonymBahraini
Population81000
Additional information
Time zone
Official websitewww.bahrain.com

Sitra (Arabic: سترة or سِتْرَة,[1] As-Sitra),[2] also known as Sitrah[3] ([Jazīrat Sitrah] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help))[4] or Sitra Island ([Jazīrat as-Sitra] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)),[5] is an island in Bahrain. It has a distance of 5 km (3.1 mi) south of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.

History

Conflict with Al Khalifa in 1782

In 1782, a conflict occurred between locals and a number of Al Khalifa who came from Zubara to buy supplies. The clashes resulted in deaths from both sides.[6]

Modern History

Sitra Island had mixed Shia and Sunni Arab population. The Sunni inhabitants (including the Al Buainain tribe which inhabited the now deserted village of Salba, west of Sitra[7]) eradicated during the early 1920s when most of them died as a result of smallpox or migrated back to their homelands.[8] Masjid al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba, the island's last remaining Sunni mosque, shut down in 2011 amid reports of vandalism of the mosque by Shia protesters.[9][10]

Geography

The Island is located just east of Bahrain Island in Persian Gulf. It lies south of Manama and Nabih Saleh. The island's western coast forms the boundary of Tubli Bay. The island used to be covered in date palm groves and farms, watered by several freshwater springs. Mangroves used to line the western coast, however they have almost disappeared due to development.

Demography

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

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.[11][12]

Sitra's population is largely Bahraini Shia Muslim, with a significant South Asian minority. Sitra used to have a Sunni population until the Arab Spring.

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.[13]

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 also the export center for the oil fields in northeastern Saudi Arabia. [14]

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.[15]

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

Bibliography

  • "Bahrein Islands" , Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol. III, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1911, p. 212.

References

  1. ^ "سِتْرَة: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  2. ^ "As Sitra: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  3. ^ EB (1911).
  4. ^ "Jazīrat Sitrah: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  5. ^ "Jazīrat as Sitra: Bahrain, name, administrative division, geographic coordinates and map". Geographical Names. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  6. ^ Template:Ar icon "Summary of Baharain and Baharna's history", Al Jareesh, Retrieved 4 April 2012
  7. ^ http://www.al-buainain.com/page.php?do=show&action=mwtn
  8. ^ ويثيقة جذور العائلة الستري العتبي للشيخ عذبي بن جلوي الستري
  9. ^ http://www.albiladpress.com/article206854-1.html
  10. ^ http://karamabh.org/2012/07/22/الاعتداءات-على-المساجد-السنية-والمصل/
  11. ^ News
  12. ^ East Sitra Official site
  13. ^ "Middle East Pipelines map - Crude Oil (petroleum) pipelines - Natural Gas pipelines - Products pipelines". Theodora.com/pipelines. Retrieved 2011-03-06.
  14. ^ "Sitrah". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2007-07-16.
  15. ^ "Directory of Cities and Towns in Sitrah, Bahrain". Falling Rain. Archived from the original on 2007-05-26. Retrieved 2007-07-16.

Media related to Sitra at Wikimedia Commons

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