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 Match 31   DB Rec# - 7,483  Dataset-WOFACT



Title         :Bhutan 
Text          : 
                                     Bhutan 
 
                                    Geography 
 
Location: 
    Southern Asia, between China and India 
Map references: 
    Asia 
Area: 
  total area: 
    47,000 sq km 
  land area: 
    47,000 sq km 
  comparative area: 
    slightly more than half the size of Indiana 
Land boundaries: 
    total 1,075 km, China 470 km, India 605 km 
Coastline: 
    0 km (landlocked) 
Maritime claims: 
    none; landlocked 
International disputes: 
    none 
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 
Natural resources: 
    timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide 
Land use: 
  arable land: 
    2% 
  permanent crops: 
    0% 
  meadows and pastures: 
    5% 
  forest and woodland: 
    70% 
  other: 
    23% 
Irrigated land: 
    340 sq km (1989 est.) 
Environment: 
  current issues: 
    soil erosion; limited access to potable water 
  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 
  international agreements: 
    party to - Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, 
    Climate Change, Law of the Sea 
Note: 
    landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key
 
    Himalayan mountain passes 


 
                                     People 
 
Population: 
    1,780,638 (July 1995 est.) 
  note: 
    other estimates range as low as 600,000 
Age structure: 
  0-14 years: 
    40% (female 342,276; male 368,916) 
  15-64 years: 
    56% (female 486,258; male 513,560) 
  65 years and over: 
    4% (female 34,215; male 35,413) (July 1995 est.) 
Population growth rate: 
    2.34% (1995 est.) 
Birth rate: 
    39.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Death rate: 
    15.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Net migration rate: 
    0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.) 
Infant mortality rate: 
    118.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.) 
Life expectancy at birth: 
  total population: 
    51.03 years 
  male: 
    51.56 years 
  female: 
    50.48 years (1995 est.) 
Total fertility rate: 
    5.39 children born/woman (1995 est.) 
Nationality: 
  noun: 
    Bhutanese (singular and plural) 
  adjective: 
    Bhutanese 
Ethnic divisions: 
    Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% 
Religions: 
    Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% 
Languages: 
    Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects; Nepalese speak 
    various Nepalese dialects 
Literacy: 
    NA% 
Labor force: 
    NA 
  by occupation: 
    agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% 
  note: 
    massive lack of skilled labor 
 
                                   Government 
 
Names: 
  conventional long form: 
    Kingdom of Bhutan 
  conventional short form: 


    Bhutan 
Digraph: 
    BT 
Type: 
    monarchy; special treaty relationship with India 
Capital: 
    Thimphu 
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 
Independence: 
    8 August 1949 (from India) 
National holiday: 
    National Day, 17 December (1907) (Ugyen Wangchuck became first hereditary 
    king) 
Constitution: 
    no written constitution or bill of rights 
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 and Head of Government: 
    King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) 
  Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde): 
    nominated by the king 
  cabinet: 
    Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog); appointed by the king 
Legislative branch: 
    unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu); no national elections 
Judicial branch: 
    High Court 
Political parties and leaders: 
    no legal parties 
Other political or pressure groups: 
    Buddhist clergy; Indian merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations 
    leading militant antigovernment campaign 
Member of: 
    AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC, ITU, 
    NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO 
Diplomatic representation in US: 
    Bhutan has no embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the 
    UN, headed by Ugyen TSERING, located at 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, 
    New York, NY 10017, telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; note - the Bhutanese 
    mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US 
  consulate(s) general: 
    New York 
  honorary consulate(s): 
    San Francisco; Washington, DC 
US diplomatic representation: 
    no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained 
    between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) 
 
                                   Government 
Flag: 
    divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is 
    orange and the lower triangle is red; 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 least developed, is based on agriculture and
 
    forestry, which provide the main livelihood for 90% of the population and 
    account for about half of GDP. 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 small and 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; however, the 
    government limits the number of tourists to 4,000 per year to minimize 
    foreign influence. Much of the impetus for growth has come from large 
    public-sector companies. Nevertheless, in recent years, Bhutan has shifted 
    toward decentralized development planning and greater private initiative. 
    The government privatized several large public-sector firms, is revamping 
    its trade regime and liberalizing administerial procedures over industrial 
    licensing. The government's industrial contribution to GDP decreased from 
    13% in 1988 to about 11% in 1993. 
National product: 
    GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1994 est.) 
National product real growth rate: 
    5% (1994 est.) 
National product per capita: 
    $700 (1994 est.) 
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 
    10% (October 1994) 
Unemployment rate: 
    NA% 
Budget: 
  revenues: 
    $52 million 
  expenditures: 
    $150 million, including capital expenditures of $95 million (FY93/94 est.) 
  note: 
    the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget 
    expenditures 
Exports: 
    $66.8 million (f.o.b., FY93/94) 
  commodities: 
    cardamon, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to 
    India), precious stones, spices 
  partners: 
    India 87%, Bangladesh 
Imports: 
    $97.6 million (c.i.f., FY93/94 est.) 
  commodities: 
    fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice 
  partners: 
    India 79%, Japan, UK, Germany, US 
External debt: 
    $141 million (October 1994) 
Industrial production: 
    growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP; primarily cottage 


    industry and home based handicrafts 
Electricity: 
  capacity: 
    360,000 kW 
 
                                     Economy 
  production: 
    1.7 billion kWh 
  consumption per capita: 
    143 kWh (1993) 
  note: 
    Bhutan exports electricity to India 
Industries: 
    cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium 
    carbide 
Agriculture: 
    rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy products, foodgrains, eggs 
Economic aid: 
  recipient: 
    Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), 
    $115 million;  OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11 million 
Currency: 
    1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note - Indian currency is also legal tender 
Exchange rates: 
    ngultrum (Nu) per US$1 - 31.374 (January 1995), 31.374 (1994), 30.493 
    (1993), 25.918 (1992), 22.742 (1991), 17.504 (1990); note - the Bhutanese 
    ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee 
Fiscal year: 
    1 July - 30 June 
 
                                 Transportation 
 
Railroads: 
    0 km 
Highways: 
  total: 
    2,165 km 
  paved: 
    NA 
  unpaved: 
    gravel 1,703 km 
  undifferentiated: 
    462 km 
Ports: 
    none 
Airports: 
  total: 
    2 
  with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 
    1 
  with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 
    1 
 
                                 Communications 
 
Telephone system: 
    NA telephones; domestic telephone service is very poor with very few 
    telephones in use 
  local: 
    NA 


  intercity: 
    NA 
  international: 
    international telephone and telegraph service is by land line through India;
 
    an earth station was planned (1990) 
Radio: 
  broadcast stations: 
    AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1990) 
  radios: 
    NA 
Television: 
  broadcast stations: 
    0 (1990) 
  televisions: 
    NA 
 
                                 Defense Forces 
 
Branches: 
    Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia, Royal Bhutan Police 
Manpower availability: 
    males age 15-49 434,586; males fit for military service 232,121; males reach
 
    military age (18) annually 17,365 (1995 est.) 
Defense expenditures: 
    $NA, NA% of GDP 

This publication is also available online from the CIA (http://www.odci.gov/cia) as 1995 World Factbook (http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/95fact/index.html).

The printed version of this item can be found under the title:
The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995

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Updated: March 12, 1996