Bhutan

Branches

Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Manpower availability

males age 15-49: 444,875 males fit for military service: 237,529 males reach military age (18) annually: 17,634 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1990)

Radios

23,000 (1989 est.)

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 (1990)

Telephones

4,620 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

0 (1990 est.)

Televisions

200 (1985 est.) Defense

Agriculture

rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, 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: $NA

Economic 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 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. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare but growth continues to be constrained by the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. Growth picked up in 1995 and the country's balance of payments remained strong with comfortable reserves. The cautious fiscal stance planned for FY95/96 suggests continued economic stability in 1996. However, excessive controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.

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 - 35.766 (January 1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374 (1994), 30.493 (1993), 25.918 (1992), 22.742 (1991); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee

Exports

$70.9 million (f.o.b., FY94/95 est.) commodities: cardamon, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices partners: India 94%, Bangladesh

External debt

$141 million (October 1994)

Fiscal year

1 July - 30 June

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.3 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%

GDP per capita

$730 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

6% (1995 est.)

Imports

$113.6 million (c.i.f., FY94/95 est.) commodities: fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice partners: India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US

Industrial production growth rate

7.6% (1992 est.)

Industries

cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.6% (FY94/95 est.)

Labor force

NA by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% note: massive lack of skilled labor

Unemployment rate

NA%

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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Geographic coordinates

27 30 N, 90 30 E

Geographic note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

International disputes

none

Irrigated land

340 sq km (1989 est.)

Land boundaries

total: 1,075 km border countries: 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

Terrain

mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna lowest point: Dangme Chu 97 m highest point: Khula Kangri I 7,553 m

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 (Druk Gyalpo)

King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) is a hereditary monarch

Constitution

no written constitution or bill of rights note: Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National Assembly

Data code

BT

Diplomatic representation in US

none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by Ugyen TSERING; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; 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 yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side

Independence

8 August 1949 (from India)

International organization participation

AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

Judicial branch

the Supreme Court of Appeal is the king; High Court, judges appointed by the king

Legal system

based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan

National Assembly (Tshogdu)

members serve for three years; seats - (150 total, 105 elected from village constituencies, 12 represent religious bodies, and 33 designated by the king to represent government and other secular interests)

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)

was nominated by the king cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) was appointed by the king

Suffrage

each family has one vote in village-level elections

Type of government

monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

US diplomatic representation

the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)

Age structure

0-14 years: 40% (male 378,407; female 351,146) 15-64 years: 56% (male 524,972; female 496,715) 65 years and over: 4% (male 36,304; female 35,081) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

38.48 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

15.28 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Infant mortality rate

116.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.46 years male: 51.96 years female: 50.93 years (1996 est.)

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1995 est.) total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1%

Nationality

noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

1,822,625 (July 1996 est.) note: other estimates range as low as 600,000

Population growth rate

2.32% (1996 est.)

Religions

Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%

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: 1.04 male(s)/female all ages: 1.06 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.33 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Airports

total: 2 with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m: 1 with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m: 1 (1995 est.)

Highways

total: 1,296 km paved: 416 km unpaved: 880 km (1988 est.)

Ports

none

Railways

0 km