Highways:
total:
210 km
paved:
210 km
note:
in addition, there are 400 km of paved and unpaved roads that are
privately owned
Ports:
Freeport, Hamilton, Saint George
Merchant marine:
67 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,407,518 GRT/5,775,281 DWT,
bulk 15, cargo 4, container 3, liquefied gas 14, oil tanker 20,
refrigerated cargo 4, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
note:
a flag of convenience registry
Airports:
total:
1
usable:
1
with permanent-surface runways:
1
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
1
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
0
Telecommunications:
modern, fully automatic telephone system; 52,670 telephones; broadcast
stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 2 TV; 3 submarine cables; 2 Atlantic Ocean
INTELSAT earth stations
@Bermuda, Defense Forces
Branches:
Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Police Force, Bermuda Reserve Constabulary
Note:
defense is the responsibility of the UK
@Bhutan, Geography
Location:
Southern Asia, in the Himalayas, between China and India
Map references:
Asia, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
47,000 sq km
land area:
47,000 sq km
comparative area:
slightly more than half the size of Indiana
Land boundaries:
total 1,075 km, China 470 km, India 605 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none; landlocked
International disputes:
none
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
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
5%
forest and woodland:
70%
other:
23%
Irrigated land:
340 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to safe drinking 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
international agreements:
party to - Nuclear Test Ban; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Law of the Sea
Note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls
several key Himalayan mountain passes
@Bhutan, People
Population: 716,380 (July 1994 est.) note: other estimates range as high as 1.7 million (July 1994 est.) Population growth rate: 2.34% (1994 est.) Birth rate: 39.31 births/1,000 population (1994 est.) Death rate: 15.93 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.) Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.) Infant mortality rate: 121 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.) Life expectancy at birth: total population: 50.6 years male: 51.15 years female: 50.03 years (1994 est.) Total fertility rate: 5.42 children born/woman (1994 est.) Nationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese Ethnic divisions: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% Religions: Lamaistic Buddhism 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects; Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects Literacy: total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% Labor force: NA by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% note: massive lack of skilled labor
@Bhutan, Government
Names:
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form:
Bhutan
Digraph:
BT
Type:
monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Capital:
Thimphu
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
Independence:
8 August 1949 (from India)
National holiday:
National Day, 17 December (1907) (Ugyen Wangchuck became first
hereditary king)
Constitution:
no written constitution or bill of rights
Legal system:
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
each family has one vote in village-level elections
Executive branch:
Chief of State and Head of Government:
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde):
nominated by the king
cabinet:
Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog); appointed by the king
Legislative branch:
unicameral National Assembly (Tshogdu); no national elections
Judicial branch:
High Court
Political parties and leaders:
no legal parties
Other political or pressure groups:
Buddhist clergy; Indian merchant community; ethnic Nepalese
organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign
Member of:
AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, INTELSAT, IOC,
ITU, NAM, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
no formal diplomatic relations; the Bhutanese mission to the UN in New
York has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general:
New York
US diplomatic representation:
no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is
maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassies in New Delhi (India)
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
@Bhutan, Economy