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General Detail |
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| Chief
of State |
King
Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK |
| Head
of Government |
King
Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK |
| Capital |
Thimphu |
| Area |
total:
47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Overview |
Overview |
| Location |
Southern
Asia, between China and India |
| 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 |
| Natural
Resources |
Timber,
hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide |
| Irrigated
land |
340
sq km (approx.) |
| 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-international
agreements |
party
to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Environment-current
issues |
Soil
erosion; limited access to potable water |
| Population
& its structure |
1,951,965
(approx..) note: other estimates range as low as 600,000 |
| Population
growth rate |
2.25%
(approx..) |
| Age
structure |
0-14
years: 40% (male 405,745; female 376,738)
15-64 years: 56% (male 561,754; female 530,420)
65 years and over: 4% (male 39,251; female 38,057) (approx..) |
| Birth
rate |
36.76
births/1,000 population (approx..) |
| Death
rate |
14.26
deaths/1,000 population (approx..) |
| Net
migration rate |
0
migrant(s)/1,000 population (approx..) |
| 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 (approx..) |
| Life
expectancy at birth |
total
population: 52.75 years
male: 53.19 years
female: 52.29 years (approx.)  |
| Religions |
Lamaistic
Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
| Legislative
Body |
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) |
| Official
Language |
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% (approx.) |
| Currency |
Ngultrum
(100 chetrum = 1 Ngultrum)
(at par with the Indian Rupee)
US$1= Nu 43 (1999) |
| Legal
System |
based
on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| GDP:
Purchasing Power Parity |
-$1.9
billion (approx.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate |
6.5%
(approx.) |
| GDP
- per capita |
purchasing
power parity-$1,000 (approx.) |
| GDP
- Composition by sector |
agriculture:
38%
industry: 38%
services: 24% (approx.) |
| 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 90% of the population and account for about
40% 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 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.
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| Household
income |
lowest
10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices) |
7.4%
(approx.) |
| Industries |
Cement,
wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages,
calcium carbide |
| Industrial
production growth rate |
9.3%
(approx.) |
| Agriculture-
products |
Rice,
corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
| Exports |
$99
million (approx.) |
| Exports-commodities |
Cardamom,
gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to
India), precious stones, spices |
| Exports-partners |
India
94%, Bangladesh |
| Imports |
$131
million (approx.) |
| Imports-commodities |
Fuel
and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles,
fabrics, rice |
| Imports-partners |
India
77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US |
| Communication |
|
| Telephones |
4,620
(approx.) |
| Telephone
system |
domestic:
domestic telephone service is very poor with very few
telephones in use
international: international telephone and telegraph service
is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was
planned (approx.) |
| Radio
Broadcast stations |
AM
0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (approx.) |
| Radios |
23,000
(approx.) |
| Television
broadcast station |
0
(approx.) |
| Televisions |
200
(approx.) |
| Transportation |
|
| Highways |
total:
3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km
unpaved: 1,291 km (approx.) |
| Airports |
2
(approx.) |
| Airports-with
paved runways |
total:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (approx.) |
| Airports-with
unpaved runways |
total:
1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (approx.) |
| International
Membership |
AsDB,
CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat,
IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WHO, WIPO |
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General Section
