Sitra ( or سِتْرَة,
History
The island of Sitra has witnessed various conflicts. One notable conflict occurred in 1782 between the local populace and a group of
Bani Utbah individuals who arrived in Sitra from
Zubarah seeking supplies. This confrontation resulted in casualties on both sides and led to the 1783 Bani Utbah invasion of Bahrain, which in turn led to the end of Persian rule in Bahrain.
[ "Summary of Baharain and Baharna's history", Al Jareesh, Retrieved 4 April 2012]
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:
There is a massive land reclamation project called East Sitra which increased the island size by 50% and became the site of a new city.[ News][ East Sitra Official site]
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 Bahrain 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.
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.
Education
Sitra is the site of many school campuses such as Al Noor International School and Indian School, Bahrain. The Applied Science University is also 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 join 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 has since been 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.
Image gallery
File:Un-bahrain.png|Map 1
File:Bahrain, administrative divisions 2014 - de - colored.svg|Map Districts
File:Capital Governorate in Bahrain 2014.svg|District Map
File:Southern Governorate in Bahrain 2014.svg|District Map
File:BapcoTanks-SitraBahrain.jpg|Bapco Bahrain oil reservoirs in Sitra
File:Sitra Wharf, 1940.jpg|Berth number 4 in Sitra Wharf in 1940
File:Bahrain-Sitrah.png|Map of Bahrain showing Sitrah municipality
File:Sitra_cemetery_-_Flickr_-_Al_Jazeera_English.jpg|Cemetery
File:Women taking part in a pro-democracy sit in in Sitra.jpg| Women taking part in a pro-democracy sit-in in Sitra
File:Bahrain map.png|Sitra (Sitrah), east of Manama, in Bahrain
See also
-
List of islands of Bahrain
External links
