a location between east and west, fertile lands, fresh water, and pearls made bahrain important in history. about 2300 bc, bahrain started trading with mesopotamia (now iraq) and the indus valley (now near india). it was then called delmon, and was linked to the sumerian civilization about 2000 bc. bahrain also became part of the babylonian empire about 600 bc. historical records called bahrain the "life of eternity", "paradise", the "pearl of the persian gulf" and other names.