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The culture of Bahrain is part of the historical region of Eastern Arabia. Thus, Bahrain's culture is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in the Persian Gulf region. Bahrain is known for its cosmopolitanism, Bahraini citizens are very ethnically diverse and Bahrain hosts people from a variety of places such as India, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Malaysia and others.〔(Culture of Bahrain )〕 Though the state religion is Islam, the country is tolerant towards other religions; Catholic and Orthodox churches, Hindu temples as well as a (now-defunct) Jewish synagogue are present on the island.〔(Living in Bahrain: The Culture )〕 ==People & heritage== Bahraini people are ethnically diverse. There are at least 8-9 different ethnic groups of Bahraini citizens. Shia Bahraini citizens are divided into two main ethnic groups: Bahrani and Ajam. Most Shia Bahrainis are ethnic Baharna, the Baharna being descendants of the original pre-Islamic inhabitants of Bahrain. The Baharna speak a variety of Arabic known as Bahrani Arabic. The Ajam are ethnic Persian Shias. Bahraini Persians maintain a distinct culture and language, but have long since assimilated into Bahraini culture; they tend to identify themselves as Persian Bahrainis rather than Iranians. Among Sunni Bahraini citizens, there are also many different ethnic groups. Sunni Bahrainis are mainly divided into two main ethnic groups: urban Arabs (al Arab) and Huwala. The urban Arabs are mostly descendants of Sunni Arabs from central Arabia who were traditionally pearl-divers, merchants, sailors, traders and fishermen in the pre-oil era. The Huwala are descendants of Sunni Iranians; some of them are ethnic Persians,〔(Dialect, Culture, and Society in Eastern Arabia: Glossary ). Clive Holes. 2001. Page 135. ISBN 90-04-10763-0〕 and others are ethnic Sunni Arabs.〔Rentz, "al- Baḥrayn.": "A good number of the Sunnīs of Baḥrayn are Arabs or the descendants of Arabs once resident on the Persian coast; such are known as Huwala."〕〔Rentz, G. "al- Kawāsim." Encyclopaedia of Islam. Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs. Brill, 2008. Brill Online. 15 March 2008 ()〕 In addition to these native Bahraini ethnic groups, there are also ethnic Afro-Arabs, Balochis, Indians and ethnic tribal people. Bahraini Balochis are descendants of ethnic Baloch from Iran. Most Bahrainis of African origin come from east Africa and have traditionally lived in Muharraq island and Riffa.〔http://www.hoteltravel.com/bahrain/manama/bahrains-rainbow-nation.htm〕 Indian Bahrainis are mostly descendants of wealthy Indian merchants from the pre-oil era, known as the Bania. A smaller group of Sunni Bahraini citizens are descendants of naturalized Palestinian refugees and other Levant Arab immigrants. Just around half of the population are Arabs. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than half of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labor force is foreign.〔http://www.arabianbusiness.com/512344-bahrain-witnesses-population-explosion〕 The population is mostly Muslim and includes both the Sunni and Shia sects. Bahrain is also the only Arab state in the Persian Gulf with an active Jewish population, and has the largest Christian minority within the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. 1,000 Christians hold Bahraini citizenship, with the next closest GCC country, Kuwait, only having approximately 400 Christian citizens. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, however, English is widely used as a lingua franca. The Ajami dialect of Persian is widely spoken by Persian Bahraini citizens ''Ajam''. Many Bahrainis have a working knowledge not only of English but Hindi and Urdu as well. Football (soccer) is the most popular modern sport, while traditional pastimes such as horse riding, and gazelle and hare hunting are still practiced by wealthier Bahrainis. Traditional handicraft industries enjoy state and popular support. The Bahrain National Museum in Manama contains local artifacts dating from antiquity, such as ivory figurines, pottery, copper articles, and gold rings, many of which reflect various cultural influences from outside Bahrain. There is also a small but flourishing avant-garde art community. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Culture of Bahrain」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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