Bhutan


Capital: Thimphu-
Type of Government: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India-
Administrative Divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
Age Structure: 0-14 years: 39.1% (male 452,213/female 420,675)
Agriculture: rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs-
Airports:
With Paved Runways: total: 1-
With Unpaved Runways:
Area: -. -
Background:
Birth rate: 34.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget: revenues: $146 million
Coastline: -
Climate: -
Communications:
Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001 the King commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005 publicly unveiled it; now awaiting referendum-
Currency: ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)-
Current account balance:
Death rate: 12.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external: $245 million (2000)-
Dependency status: -
Dependent areas:
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)
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; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US-
Disputes - international: -
Distribution of family income: -
Economic aid - donor: -
Economic aid - recipient: -
Economy - overview:
Electricity - consumption:
Electricity - exports:
Electricity - imports:
Electricity - production:
Elevation extremes: -
Environment - current issues: -
Environment - International Agreements:
Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Exchange rates: ngultrum per US dollar - NA (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001)
Executive branch: chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
Exports: $154 million f.o.b. (2000 est.)
Exports - partners: India 85.6%, Bangladesh 6.7%, Japan 4.3% (2004)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June-
Flag description:
GDP (official exchange rate): NA
GDP (purchasing power parity): $2.9 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 45%
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 5.3% (2003 est.)-
Geographic coordinates: -
Geography - note: -
Government - note:
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: less than 100 (1999 est.)-
Heliports:
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA-
Illicit drugs:
Imports: $196 million c.i.f. (2000 est.)
Imports - partners: Germany 41.8%, India 35.5%, Japan 9.2%, Austria 4.3% (2004)
Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (1996 est.)
Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
Infant mortality rate: total: 100.44 deaths/1,000 live births
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3% (2002 est.)
International organization participation: AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Internet country code: .bt
Internet hosts: 985 (2003)
Internet users: 15,000 (2003)-
Investment (gross fixed): -
Irrigated land:
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)
Labor force: NA-
Labor force - by occupation:
Land boundaries: -
Land use:
Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects-
Legal system:
Legislative branch:
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 54.39 years
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write-
Location: -
Major infectious diseases:
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49: 483,860 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49: 314,975 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males: 23,939 (2005 est.)-
Map references: -
Maritime claims:
Median age: total: 20.27 years-
Merchant marine: -
Military - note:
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $13.7 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.8% (2004)-
Military service age and obligation:
National holiday: National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
Nationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)-
Natural gas - consumption: -
Natural gas - exports: -
Natural gas - imports:
Natural gas - production: -
Natural gas - proved reserves: -
Natural hazards: -
Natural resources:
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Oil - consumption: 1,100 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports: NA (2001)
Oil - imports: NA (2001)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2003)-
Oil - proved reserves: -
People - note: -
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)-
Population:
Population below poverty line: NA
Population growth rate: 2.11% (2005 est.)-
Ports and terminals: -
Public debt:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)-
Railways: -
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%-
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Roadways: total: 8,050 km
Sex ratio:
Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Telephone system: general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor
Telephones - main lines in use: 25,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 22,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (2005)-
Terrain:
Total fertility rate: 4.81 children born/woman (2005 est.)-
Transportation - note:
Unemployment rate: NA-
Waterways: