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Guide
Introduction
| |
| Background: |
Under British influence a
monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a treaty was signed
whereby the country became a British protectorate. Independence was
attained in 1949, with India subsequently guiding foreign relations and
supplying aid. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal
remains unresolved; 90% of these displaced persons are housed in seven
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established
themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian
cross-border incursions. |
| Location: |
Southern Asia, between China
and India |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
27 30 N, 90 30 E |
| Area: |
total: 47,000 sq
km
land: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
about half the size of
Indiana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km (landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none (landlocked) |
| Climate: |
varies; tropical in southern
plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters
and cool summers in Himalayas |
| Terrain: |
mostly mountainous with some
fertile valleys and savanna |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
| Natural
resources: |
timber, hydropower, gypsum,
calcium carbide |
| Land
use: |
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 6%
forests and woodland: 66%
other: 26% (1993 est.) |
| Irrigated
land: |
340 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Natural
hazards: |
violent storms coming down
from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates
as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy
season |
| Environment
- current issues: |
soil erosion; limited access
to ......potable
water |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked; strategic
location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan
mountain passes |
| Population: |
2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
39.99% (male 424,832; female 394,725)
15-64 years: 56.05% (male 591,152; female 557,498)
65 years and over: 3.96% (male 41,125; female 40,080) (2001
est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
2.17% (2001 est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
35.73 births/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
14.03 deaths/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
108.89 deaths/1,000 live
births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total population:
52.79 years
male: 53.16 years
female: 52.41 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
5.07 children born/woman
(2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
less than 0.01% (1999 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
less than 100 (1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Bhutanese
(singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese
35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
| Religions: |
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%,
Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
| Languages: |
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes
speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
| Literacy: |
definition: age
15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2%
male: 56.2%
female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
| Government
type: |
monarchy; special treaty
relationship with India |
| Administrative
divisions: |
18 districts (dzongkhag,
singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha,
Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar,
Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse |
| Independence: |
8 August 1949 (from India) |
| National
holiday: |
National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK
became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
| Constitution: |
no written constitution or
bill of rights; note - Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the
Constitution of the National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was
ratified giving the National Assembly additional powers |
| Legal
system: |
based on Indian law and
English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
each family has one vote in
village-level elections |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers
Sangay NGEDUP (since NA 1999)
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated
by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi
Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic
reforms in July 1998 give the National Assembly authority to remove the
monarch with two-thirds vote |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly
or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10
represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to
represent government and other secular interests; members serve
three-year terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: NA |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court of Appeal (the
monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
no legal parties |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Buddhist clergy; ethnic
Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian
merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
| International
organization participation: |
AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM,
OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer) |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
none; note - Bhutan has a
Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th
Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese
mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
the US and Bhutan have no
formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained
between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) |
| Flag
description: |
divided diagonally from the
lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower
triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black
and white dragon facing away from the hoist side |
| Economy
- overview: |
The economy, one of the
world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and
forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 90% of the
population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and
animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the
building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The
economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and
monetary links. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with
most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects,
such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's
hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources.
The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the
nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education,
social, and environment programs in Bhutan are underway with support
from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes
into account the government's desire to protect the country's
environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and uncertain
policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance
continue to hamper foreign investment. |
| GDP: |
purchasing power parity -
$2.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
6% (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing power parity -
$1,100 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture: 38%
industry: 37%
services: 25% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
NA% |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
7% (2000 est.) |
| Labor
force: |
NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
agriculture 93%, services 5%,
industry and commerce 2% |
| Budget: |
revenues: $146
million
expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures
of $NA (FY95/96 est.)
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths
of Bhutan's budget expenditures |
| Industries: |
cement, wood products,
processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
9.3% (1996 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
1.856 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
0.05%
hydro: 99.95%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
191.1 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
1.55 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
15 million kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
rice, corn, root crops,
citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
| Exports: |
$154 million (f.o.b., 2000
est.) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
cardamom, gypsum, timber,
handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones,
spices |
| Exports
- partners: |
India 94%, Bangladesh |
| Imports: |
$269 million (c.i.f., 2000
est.) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
fuel and lubricants, grain,
machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
| Imports
- partners: |
India 77%, Japan, UK,
Germany, US |
| Debt
- external: |
$120 million (1998) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$73.8 million (1995) |
| Currency: |
ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee
(INR) |
| Exchange
rates: |
ngultrum per US dollar -
46.540 (January 2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998),
36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par
with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender |
| Fiscal
year: |
1 July - 30 June |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
6,000 (1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone
system: |
general assessment:
NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few
telephones in use
international: international telephone and telegraph
service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was
planned (1990) |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1
(1998) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
0 (1997) |
| Televisions: |
11,000 (1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.bt |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
NA |
| Internet
users: |
500 (2000) |
| Highways: |
total: 3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km
unpaved: 1,291 km (1996) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Royal Bhutan Army, National
Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards
(paramilitary) |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males: 21,167
(2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$NA |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
NA% |
| Disputes
- international: |
refugee issue over the
presence in Nepal of approximately 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of
whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) camps |
......
|
