206 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
206 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
BHUTAN
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 47,000 km2; land area: 47,000 km2
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Comparative area: slightly more than half the size of Indiana
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Land boundaries: 1,075 km total; China 470 km, India 605 km
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Coastline: none--landlocked
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Maritime claims: none--landlocked
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Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot
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summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
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Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
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Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide,
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tourism potential
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Land use: arable land 2%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
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pastures 5%; forest and woodland 70%; other 23%
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Environment: violent storms coming down from the Himalayas were the
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source of the country name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon
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Note: landlocked; strategic location between China and India;
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controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
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PEOPLE
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Population: 1,598,216 (July 1991), growth rate 2.0% (1991)
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Birth rate: 37 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 17 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 135 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 50 years male, 48 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 4.9 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Bhutanese (sing., pl.); adjective--Bhutanese
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Ethnic divisions: Bhote 60%, ethnic Nepalese 25%, indigenous or
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migrant tribes 15%
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Religion: Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
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Hinduism 25%
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Language: Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects--most widely spoken
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dialect is Dzongkha (official); Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
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Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
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Labor force: NA; agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and
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commerce 2%; massive lack of skilled labor
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Organized labor: not permitted
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Kingdom of Bhutan
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Type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
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Capital: Thimphu
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Administrative divisions: 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular
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and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi,
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Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang,
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Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
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Independence: 8 August 1949 (from India)
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Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights
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Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not
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accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: National Day (Ugyen Wangchuck became first
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hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
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Executive branch: monarch, chairman of the Royal Advisory Council,
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Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), chairman of the Council of
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Ministers, Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog)
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu)
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Judicial branch: High Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK
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(since 24 July 1972)
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Political parties: no legal parties
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Suffrage: each family has one vote in village-level elections
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Elections: no national elections
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Communists: no overt Communist presence
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Other political or pressure groups: Buddhist clergy, Indian
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merchant community; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant
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antigovernment campaign
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Member of: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF,
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IOC, ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
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Diplomatic representation: no formal diplomatic relations, although
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informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in
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New Delhi (India); the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New York has
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consular jurisdiction in the US
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Flag: divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the
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upper triangle is orange and the lower triangle is red; centered along
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the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the
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hoist side
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ECONOMY
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Overview: The economy, one of the world's least developed,
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is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood
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for 90% of the population and account for about 50% of GDP. Rugged
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mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other
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infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely
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aligned with that of India through strong trade and monetary links.
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Low wages in industry lead most Bhutanese to stay in agriculture.
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Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian
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migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for
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tourists are its most important natural resources.
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GDP: $273 million, per capita $199 (1988) real growth rate 4%
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(1989 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (1990 est.)
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Unemployment: NA
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Budget: revenues $99 million; expenditures $128 million, including
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capital expenditures of $65 million (FY89 est.)
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Exports: $70.9 million (f.o.b., FY89);
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commodities--cardamon, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit;
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partners--India 93%
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Imports: $138.3 million (c.i.f., FY89 est.);
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commodities--fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts,
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vehicles, fabrics;
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partners--India 67%
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External debt: $70.1 million (FY89 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 12.4% (1988 est.); accounts
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for 18% of GDP
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Electricity: 353,000 kW capacity; 2,000 million kWh produced,
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1,280 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic
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beverages, calcium carbide
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Agriculture: accounts for 50% of GDP; based on subsistence farming
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and animal husbandry; self-sufficient in food except for foodgrains;
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other production--rice, corn, root crops, citrus fruit, dairy, and eggs
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-88), $86.0 million; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $11
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million
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Currency: ngultrum (plural--ngultrum); 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100
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chetrum; note--Indian currency is also legal tender
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Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1--18.329 (January 1991),
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17.504 (1990), 16.226 (1989), 13.917 (1988), 12.962 (1987), 12.611
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(1986), 12.369 (1985); note--the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the
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Indian rupee
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Fiscal year: 1 July-30 June
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 1,304 km total; 418 km surfaced, 515 km improved, 371 km
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unimproved earth
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Civil air: 1 jet, 2 prop
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Airports: 2 total, 2 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 2,439 m; 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: inadequate; 1,990 telephones (1988); 22,000
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radios (1990 est.); 85 TVs (1985); stations--1 AM, 1 FM, no TV (1990)
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 398,263; 213,083 fit for
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military service; 17,321 reach military age (18) annually
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Defense expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP
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