Jidda Island
Jidda Islands (Arabic: جزيرة جدة) are a group of 3 small uninhabited islets in Bahrain. It lies to the west of Bahrain Island and just north of Umm an Nasan in Persian Gulf. They lie 17.5 km (10.9 mi) west of the capital, Manama, on Bahrain Island.
Native name: جزيرة جدة (Arabic) | |
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Jidda Islands Location of Jidda Island in Bahrain | |
Geography | |
Location | Persian Gulf |
Coordinates | 26.193°N 50.405°E |
Archipelago | Bahrain |
Adjacent bodies of water | Persian Gulf |
Total islands | 3 |
Major islands |
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Area | 0.5 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
Highest elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
Administration | |
Governorate | Northern Governorate |
Largest settlement | Jidda Island (pop. 0) |
Demographics | |
Demonym | Bahraini |
Population | 0 (2016) |
Pop. density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
Ethnic groups | Bahraini, non-Bahraini |
Additional information | |
Time zone |
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ISO code | BH-14 |
Official website | www |
History
In 1930 Jidda became the location of one of Bahrain's prisons.[1][2] Majeed Marhoon, Abdulhadi Khalaf and several other political activists spent time in the prison in the sixties and seventies. It later became the private property of Prime Minister Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and is currently closed from the public.
Geography
The main island is made of limestone cliffs. It is believed that blocks of rock cut from the island were used in the Barbar temple on Bahrain Island.[3] The small Mini Bahrain is an artificial island on the south shore made to look exactly like the big Bahrain island.[4]
Demography
The island has a palace, gardens, a helipad, a mosque[5] and several other facilities made for the prime minister and his family, although the island is uninhabited and Sheikh Khalifa himself lives in Riffa, Bahrain Island.
Administration
The island belongs to the Northern Governorate of Bahrain.
Transportation
It is connected to Umm an Nasan by a 1.75 km (1.09 mi) causeway.
Image gallery
- Map 1
- District Map