Bahrain is the smallest of the six Gulf Cooperation Council members by total area.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain is an island kingdom, while the other five members occupy mainland territory on or near the Arabian Peninsula. Bahrain is therefore the smallest member by total area.
The GCC was founded in 1981 to promote cooperation among the six Gulf monarchies. Bahrain’s capital, Manama, is on the main island, which is connected to Saudi Arabia by the King Fahd Causeway.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are also small by regional standards, but each is larger than Bahrain. The GCC should not be confused with all countries bordering the Persian Gulf, since Iraq and Iran are not members.