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Bhutan
Background :
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land to British India. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of over 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet resigned to join the political process, and the cabinet acted as a caretaker regime until democratic elections for seats to the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008. The king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008.
Location :
Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic Coordinates Center :
27 30 N, 90 30 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 88.76 |
| North | 28.32 |
| East | 92.13 |
| South | 26.71 |
Map references :
Asia
Area :
| total | 38 394 | square km |
| land | 38 394 | square km |
| water | 0 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 1 075 | km |
| China (cn) | 470 | km |
| India (in) | 605 | km |
Coastline :
0.00 km
Climate :
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain :
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 97 | metres |
| highest point | 7 553 | metres |
Natural resources :
| calcium carbonate | gypsum |
| hydropower | timber |
Land use :
| arable land | 2.30 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.43 | % |
| other | 97.27 | % |
Irrigated land :
400 square km
Total renewable water resources :
95 cubic km
Natural hazards :
| lides | torms |
current issues :
soil erosion; limited access to potable water
international agreements :
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Hazardous Wastes |
| Law of the Sea | Ozone Layer Protection |
Population :
691 141
Indicators :
| Growth rate | 1.27 | % |
| Birth rate | 20.07 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 2.38 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 7.39 | deaths/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 30.20 | % |
| 15-64 years | 64.30 | % |
| 65 years and over | 5.50 | % |
Median age :
| total | 23.90 | years |
| male | 24.50 | years |
| female | 23.30 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.04 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 1.13 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 1.12 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 1.10 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 49.36 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 66.13 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 65.33 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 66.97 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.10 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 100 |
Religions :
| Buddhist | 75.00 | % |
| Hinduism | 25.00 | % |
Languages :
| Dzongkha | |
| Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects | |
| Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Literacy :
| total population | 47.00 | % |
| male | 60.00 | % |
| female | 34.00 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Kingdom of Bhutan |
| conventional short form | Bhutan |
| local long form | Druk Gyalkhap |
| local short form | Druk Yul |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | BT |
| ISO Numeric | 64 |
| ISO3 | BTN |
| FIPS | BT |
| ccTLD | bt |
| English | Bhutan |
Administrative divisions :
20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Gasa, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Tashi Yangtse, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
Capital :
| name | Thimphu |
| geographic coordinates | 27 29 N, 89 36 E |
| time difference | 6.00 |
International organization participation :
| ADB | BIMSTEC |
| CP | FAO |
| G-77 | IBRD |
| ICAO | IDA |
| IFAD | IFC |
| IMF | IOC |
| IOM (observer) | ISO (correspondent) |
| ITSO | ITU |
| Interpol | NAM |
| OPCW | SAARC |
| SACEP | UN |
| UNCTAD | UNESCO |
| UNIDO | UNWTO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WFTU | WHO |
| WIPO | WMO |
| WTO (observer) |
Independence :
1907
National holiday :
National Day
1907-12-17
Executive branch :
| King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK | Prime Minister Jigme THINLEY |
Legislative branch :
| DPT | 67.00 | % |
| PDP | 33.00 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 4 340 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 1 493 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | 5.00 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 6 200 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 22.30 | % |
| industry | 37.90 | % |
| services | 39.80 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 63.00 | % |
| industry | 6.00 | % |
| services | 31.00 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 299 900 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 4.00 | % |
| Population below poverty line | 23.20 | % |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 8.00 | % |
| Current account balance | 164 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 836 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 1.00 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 57.80 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 2.30 | % |
| highest 10% | 37.60 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 302 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 588 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| citrus | corn |
| dairy | eggs |
| foodgrains | rice |
| root crops |
Industries :
| alcoholic beverages | calcium carbide |
| cement | processed fruits |
| tourism | wood products |
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 1 480 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 184 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Exports | 1 296 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 1 250 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 1 250 | bbl/day |
Value :
513 000 000 $
Partners :
| India (in) | 86.30 | % |
| Bangladesh (bd) | 8.10 | % |
| Italy (it) | 1.50 | % |
Commodities :
| calcium carbide | cement |
| copper wire | electricity |
| ferrosilicon | manganese |
| vegetable oil |
Value :
533 000 000 $
Partners :
| India (in) | 63.00 | % |
| Japan (jp) | 12.30 | % |
| China (cn) | 5.10 | % |
Commodities :
| fuels and lubricants | machinery and parts |
| passenger cars | rice |
| textiles |
Currency-code :
BTN
Currency-name :
ngultrum
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 27 500 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 251 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 9 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | bt | |
| Internet Hosts | 9 096 | |
| Internet Users | 40 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 1 | |
| Roadways - total | 8 050 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 4 991 | km |
| Roadways - unpaved | 3 059 | km |
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