Bahrain is a nation in the Persian Gulf, in a strategical position in relation to the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Iraq and Oman.
Shias
Baharna
The Baharna are regarded as of the indigenous original pre-Islamic inhabitants of Bahrain.
Baharna live in Manama, almost all the villages of the main island of Bahrain, several villages in the island of Muharraq in the north and in the island of Sitra to the east. They speak similar dialects, with slight variations between villages, although the villages of Sitra have dialects which differ considerably from those of the main island.
Palm tree farming and fishing were the traditional economic activities of the Baharna.
There are also Shia Arabs concentrated in several neighborhoods in Muharraq city. They originally came from Al-Hasa, they are "Hasawis". They are distinct from the Baharna from villages outside the city proper. As a result of their proximity to surrounding Sunni Arabs and Africans, they speak the Sunni dialect.
Persians
The Shia Persians of Bahrain are a significant and influential ethnic minority whose ancestors arrived in Bahrain during the old persians states/empires days and in the early 19th century as laborers, artisans and merchants. There are large communities in Muharraq and Manama. Persians maintain a distinct culture and language, but have long since assimilated into Bahraini culture; they tend to identify themselves more as Persian Bahrainis or Bahrainis than Iranians. Almost all are bilingual in Arabic and Persian, with school, work and daily affairs conducted in Arabic and Persian usually relegated to the family domain. Almost all have possessed Bahraini citizenship since birth; in most cases their parents, and in some cases their grandparents, are also holders of Bahraini citizenship.
Sunnis
The native Sunni population has been historically compartmentalized into the three groups listed below, with the Sunni Arabs forming the majority of the Bahraini population. Sunni Bahrainis are mostly concentrated in areas such as Busaiteen, Budaiya, Jasra, Zallaq, Askar, Jaw, al-Dur, amongst others.
Arabs
Sunni Arabs are mostly descendants of tribes from central Arabia. Sunni Arabs are the most influential ethnic group in Bahrain, they hold most government positions and the Bahraini monarchy are Sunni Arabs. Sunni Arabs have traditionally lived in areas such as Zallaq, Muharraq, Riffa and Hawar islands.
Afro-Arabs
Most Arabs of African descent originate from East Africa like Egyptians and have traditionally lived in Muharraq Island and Riffa.
Some Afro-Arabs are also Shia.
Huwala
The Huwala are the descendants of Sunni Iranians who migrated to the Arab states of the Persian Gulf during the 19th century. Many of them originally lived in Awadhiya (a neighborhood in Godaibiya) and Hoora, both which are now nearly exclusively only populated by foreigners of Filipino, Indian and Bengali origins, however they later resettled in Muharraq Island and Riffa.
South Asians
For the vast majority of its history Bahrain has been economically and culturally dependent on two regions, Assyrian and Meluhas the latter being Indians comprising the current state of Gujarat.
There is both literary and archaeological evidence of extensive trade between Ancient Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization. Impressions of clay seals from the Indus Valley city of Lothal and Harappa were evidently used to seal bundles of merchandise, as clay seal impressions with cord or sack marks on the reverse side testify. Numerous Indus Valley seals have turned up at Ur and other Mesopotamian sites, far outnumbering even local seals which shows their preference for the Indian economic currencies and seals.