1995 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1995 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 47,000 sq km land area: 47,000 sq km comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Indiana
Climate
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
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
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
340 sq km (1989 est.)
Land boundaries
total 1,075 km, China 470 km, India 605 km
Land use
arable land: 2% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 5% forest and woodland: 70% other: 23%
Location
Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references
Asia
Maritime claims
none; landlocked
Natural resources
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Note
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
Terrain
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
People and Society
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.)
Birth rate
39.02 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate
15.61 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Infant mortality rate
118.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Labor force
NA by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% note: massive lack of skilled labor
Languages
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects; Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 51.03 years male: 51.56 years female: 50.48 years (1995 est.)
Literacy
NA%
Nationality
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Population
1,780,638 (July 1995 est.) note: other estimates range as low as 600,000
Population growth rate
2.34% (1995 est.)
Religions
Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Total fertility rate
5.39 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Thimphu
Chief of State and Head of Government
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
Constitution
no written constitution or bill of rights
Digraph
BT
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
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
Independence
8 August 1949 (from India)
Judicial branch
High Court
Legal system
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch
unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu); no national elections
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
Names
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan
National holiday
National Day, 17 December (1907) (Ugyen Wangchuck became first hereditary king)
Other political or pressure groups
Buddhist clergy; Indian merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign
Political parties and leaders
no legal parties
Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde)
nominated by the king cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog); appointed by the king
Suffrage
each family has one vote in village-level elections
Type
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
US diplomatic representation
no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
Economy
Agriculture
rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy products, foodgrains, eggs
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
Currency
1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note - Indian currency is also legal tender
Economic aid
recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $115 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11 million
Electricity
capacity: 360,000 kW production: 1.7 billion kWh consumption per capita: 143 kWh (1993) note: Bhutan exports electricity to India
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
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
External debt
$141 million (October 1994)
Fiscal year
1 July - 30 June
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
Industrial production
growth rate 7.6% (1992 est.); accounts for 18% of GDP; primarily cottage industry and home based handicrafts
Industries
cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
10% (October 1994)
National product
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.2 billion (1994 est.)
National product per capita
$700 (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate
5% (1994 est.)
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.
Unemployment rate
NA%
Communications
Radio
broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1990) radios: NA
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)
Television
broadcast stations: 0 (1990) televisions: NA
Transportation
Airports
total: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
Highways
total: 2,165 km paved: NA unpaved: gravel 1,703 km undifferentiated: 462 km
Ports
none
Railroads
0 km
Military and Security
Branches
Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia, Royal Bhutan Police
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP ________________________________________________________________________ BOLIVIA
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.)