Bahrain is an island nation, consisting of the Bahrain Island in the Persian Gulf and 30 other islands. It has been a major place on the Arabian Peninsula since the Old Babylonian age. Although it was the first country in the area that found oil in 1932, it is now the only non-oil-exporting country because the amount oil is small. Instead, it nurtures the tourism industry. More than 60 mid- and large-scale hotels are located on the Bahrain Island, and the country boasts lots of places where people can enjoy swimming, water skiing, scuba diving, golf as well as horse racing. Since the bridge that links Bahrain and Saudi Arabia was opened in 1986, many people from Saudi Arabia and other neighboring countries visit Bahrain. Bahrain has been a center of finance for the Gulf region for centuries. Many foreign financial agencies have offices in Bahrain. Recently, car racing enthusiasts rush into Bahrain in every April for the world-class car racing, ‘F1 Grand Prix.’