Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
violent storms 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
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls
several key Himalayan mountain passes
People Bhutan
Population: 2,279,723 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078)
65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.4 years
male: 20.2 years
female: 20.6 years (2006 est.)
Population growth rate:
2.1% (2006 est.)