One of the earliest gulf countries to exploit its oil reserves, the GDP per capita of the Kingdom of Bahrain has ranked among the top 40 globally for three consecutive years. The average life expectancy is close to 77 years, and the literacy rate is as high as 97.5%. Bahrain is the poster child of the Gulf countries. Bahrain sits at a critical geographical location with Saudi Arabia, the leading Sunni state on its left and Shia Iran to its right across the sea. It maintains good relations with the United States, and the United States based its Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain to keep tabs on the activities in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. In 2020, with the Trump administration acting as an intermediary, Bahrain became the fourth Arab state to recognize Israel. The state still has unresolved conflicts between religious sects. While Shia Muslims are the majority, it is Sunni Muslims who control the government and Shia Muslims feel that they suffer from discrimination.