Bahrain History Bahrain entered recorded history 5,000 years ago when it was known as Dilmun to the Sumerians, the first great civilization of the Middle East. The name meant "The Sacred Land" or "The Land of Life", a possible reference to the springs that made the main island an oasis in contrast to the baking wastelands of the neighboring Arabian mainland. It has been suggested that the legendary verdant island may have been the inspiration for the Garden of Eden. Bahrain remained an important trading and commercial center throughout ensuing millenia, visited and at times occupied by Babylonians, Assyrians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Portuguese, and British. In 1783, local Arabs ended two centuries of Persian domination. Their descendants, the Al-Khalifa dynasty, remain in power today. In 1816, Bahrain became a British Protected State with governmental authority shared by the ruling sheikh and a British adviser. In 1968 the British announced their intention to withdraw military forces from the Gulf area. In March of that year, Bahrain joined the nearby mainland states of Qatar and the Trucial States (now the United Arab Emirates), which were also under British protection, to form the Federation of Arab Emirates. Soon, however, the interests of Qatar and Bahrain proved incompatible with those of the smaller sheikhdoms and both withdrew from the federation. Bahrain´s ability to stand on its own was strengthened in May 1970, when Iran accepted he findings of a UN report on Babrain´s future. The UN representatives visited the island in April and found that popular opinion overwhelmingly favoured complete independence rather than union with Iran. On 15 August 1971 Bahrain´s full independence was proclaimed, a new treaty of friendship was signed with the UK, and Sheikh Isa took the title of Amir. Bahrain became a member of the Arab League and the UN later in the year. In December 1972 elections were held for a Constituent Assembly. This body produced a new constitution, which came into force on 6 December 1973. Elections to a National Assembly were held on the following day.