1988 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1988 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Climate
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Comparative area
the size of Vermont and New Hampshire combined
Environment
violent storms coming down from the Himalayas were the source of the country name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon
Land boundaries
870 km total
Land use
2% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 5% meadows and pastures; 70% forest and woodland; 23% other
Special notes
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
Terrain
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Total area
47,000 km2; land area: 47,000 km2
Total area
75km Sec regional mip VIII
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
60% Bhote, 25% ethnic Nepalese, 15% indigenous or migrant tribes
Infant mortality rate
162/1,000 (1983)
Labor force
95% agriculture, 1% industry and commerce (1983); massive lack of skilled labor
Language
Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects — most widely spoken dialect is Dzongkha (official); Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Life expectancy
43
Literacy
5%
Nationality
noun — Bhutanese (sing., pi.); adjective — Bhutanese
Population
1,472,911 (July 1987), average annual growth rate 2.03%
Religion
75% Lamaistic Buddhism, 25% Indianand Nepalese-influenced Hinduism
Government
Administrative divisions
4 regions (east, central, west, south) divided into 18 districts
Branches
appointed ministers; 150-member indirectly elected National Assembly consisting of 110 village elders or heads of family, 10 monastic representatives, and 30 senior government administrators
Capital
Thimphu; Paro is the administrative capital
Communists
no overt Communist presence
Elections
popular elections on village level held every three years
Government leader
Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK, King (since 1974)
Legal system
based on Indian law and English common law; in 1907 the monarch assumed full power — no written constitution or bill of rights; in 1968-69 a separate judiciary that provided for local, district, and national courts with appellate jurisdiction was established; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Member of
ADB, Colombo Plan, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IDA, IFAD, IMF, NAM, SAARC, UNESCO, UPU, UN, WHO
National holiday
17 December
Official name
Kingdom of Bhutan
Other political or pressure groups
Buddhist clergy, Indian merchant community, ethnic Nepalese organizations
Political parties
no legal parties
Suffrage
each family has one vote
Type
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Economy
Agriculture
rice, corn, barley, wheat, potatoes, fruit, spices
Budget
total receipts, $59.168 million; expenditures, $66.861 million (FY85/86 est.)
Electric power
352,000 kW capacity; 1,950 million kWh produced, 13 kWh per capita (1986)
Exports
$15.1 million (FY84/85); agricultural and forestry products, coal
Fiscal year
1 April-31 March
GDP
$300 million, $210 per capita; 6.7% real GDP growth (FY84/85)
Imports
total imports $69.4 million (FY84/85); imports from India $61.0 million; textiles, cereals, vehicles, fuels, machinery
Major industries
cement, chemical products, mining, distilling, food processing, handicrafts
Major trade partner
India
Monetary conversion rate
both ngultrums and Indian rupees are legal tender; 12.88 ngultrums= 12.88 Indian rupees=US$l (October 1985)
Natural resources
timber, hydroelectric power
Communications
Airfields
2 total; 2 usable; 2 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Branches
Royal Bhutan Army
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
1,304 km total; 418 km surfaced, 515 km improved, 371 km unimproved earth
Military manpower
males 15-49, 362,000; 194,000 fit for military service; 16,000 reach military age (18) annually
Telecommunications
facilities inadequate; 1,300 telephones (0.1 per 100 popl.); 11,000 est. radio sets; no TV sets; 20 AM stations; no TV stations Defense Forces