Confederated Gulf States


 * +  al-Dawlat al-Muttahidah al-Khalīj  — Confederated Gulf States
 * align=center|[[Image:CGS.GIF|125px]] Flag of the Confederated Gulf States ||align=center| [[Image:CGS-COA.png|80px]] Coat of arms of the Confederated Gulf States
 * Capital || Dilmun
 * Other major cities || Hufuf, Ad Damman, Al Jubayl, Tarif, Ras al Khafi, Failaka, Dukhan
 * Official Language || Arabic
 * Demonym || Gulf Arabians
 * Government || Confederal Constitutional Elective Monarchy
 * High Emir || ????????? (since ????)
 * Area || 91,687 km&sup2
 * Population || ?,???,000 (July 2008 estimate) ??/km²
 * Independence || ??????? 1971, from United Kingdom
 * GDP || $???? billion $????? per capita
 * Currency || CGS Rial = 100 dirhams
 * Internet TLD || .gs
 * Membership || UNO, Arab League, OPEC, CCASG
 * }
 * Area || 91,687 km&sup2
 * Population || ?,???,000 (July 2008 estimate) ??/km²
 * Independence || ??????? 1971, from United Kingdom
 * GDP || $???? billion $????? per capita
 * Currency || CGS Rial = 100 dirhams
 * Internet TLD || .gs
 * Membership || UNO, Arab League, OPEC, CCASG
 * }
 * Currency || CGS Rial = 100 dirhams
 * Internet TLD || .gs
 * Membership || UNO, Arab League, OPEC, CCASG
 * }
 * Membership || UNO, Arab League, OPEC, CCASG
 * }

The Confederated Gulf States (CGS) (in Arabic: al-Dawlat al-Muttahidah al-Khalīj) is a Middle Eastern confederation of eight states located in the southern tip of the Persian Gulf bordering Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The eight states, termed emirates, are Dilmun, Failaka, Hawar, Madinat Hamad, Madinat Isa, Manama, Rifa and Sitrah.

The CGS is rich in oil and natural gas which contributed much for its prosperity especially since the 1970’s. The country has one of the highest Human Development Index and GDP per capita in Asia

= Administration =

Government
Confederal constitutional elective monarchy. The country is ruled by the High Emir, elected for a five year turn among the several emirs gathered at the Majlis, the consultive council of the High Emir.

According to the Constitution of 1971 none of the emirates should have a consecutive High Emir ruling the confederation, in order to balance the powers between the emirates and to avoid any of them to dominate the others. The High Emir has not much power as he is reduced just to a figurehead to represent the country abroad.

Administrative divisions
Eight emirates, internally independent, and ruled by their emirs. Forms of monarchy differ from emirate to emirate. Some are more or less democratic constitutional while others are absolute monarchies.

The emirates are (from larger to smaller):

Hawar

Madinat Isa

Madinat hamad

Manama

Rifa

Sitrah

Dilmun

Failaka

= History =

TO BE DEVELOPED

= Economy =

Main economical activities are oil production and related industries and manufacturing plus trade and banking in some of the richer emirates. Due to poverty in some of the emirates, many people migrated internally to the oil producing emirates so as externally to Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf emirates.

The richer emirates also received a large number of immigrants from South Asia and the Philippines to work mostly in oil industry and construction.

In some poor emirates natural pearls production are still important.

= Philately =

During early 1960’s the poorer emirates found in philately a new resource .Their emirs contracted European and American printing companies to make regional stamps which became known as "dunes" among worldwide philatelists.

In order to appeal international philatelists these stamps became known for being large, much colourful and with themes strange to Arabic and Muslim culture such as the space conquest, the Winter Olympics, Christmas, Easter and events from the main European royal families among other themes.

These regional postage stamps are still issued today and they are even more known by world philatelists than national ones.

= Culture =

People
Native are Arabs. There are also immigrants from poorer Arab countries (especially from Yemen and Iraq). Since the discovery of oil lots of immigrants came from India, Pakistan and the Philippines becoming a considerable part of the population.

Language
Arabic is the official language. Among the immigrants the most spoken languages are Hindi, Urdu and Filipino.

Religion
Sunni Islam is the main and official religion. Minorities of Christians and Hindus among the immigrants.