Map of Bhutan | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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Background: Following Britain’s victory in the 1865 Duar War, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding land to British India. Ugyen WANGCHUCK - who had served as the de facto ruler of an increasingly unified Bhutan and had improved relations with the British toward the end of the 19th century - was named king 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. Bhutan negotiated a similar arrangement with independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned to Bhutan a small piece of the territory annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. Under a succession of modernizing monarchs beginning in the 1950s, Bhutan joined the UN in 1971 and slowly continued its engagement beyond its borders.In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which introduced major democratic reforms - and held a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be 'guided by' India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. Elections for seating the country's first parliament were completed in March 2008; the king ratified the country's first constitution in July 2008. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following parliamentary elections in 2013, which resulted in the defeat of the incumbent party. The disposition of some 8,500 refugees of the more than 100,000 who fled or were forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s - and who are housed in two UN refugee camps in Nepal - remains unresolved.


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Location: Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates: 27 30 N, 90 30 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 38,394 km²
Land: 38,394 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 137
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland; about one-half the size of Indiana

Land boundaries
Total: 1136 km
Border countries: (2) China 477 km; , India 659 km

Coastline: 0 km
Note: (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

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
Mean elevation: 2,220 m
Elevation extremes: 97 m
Note: lowest point: Drangeme Chhu

Natural resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

Land use
Agricultural land: 13.6% (2011 est.)
Forest: 85.5% (2011 est.)
Other: 0.9% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 320 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's Bhutanese name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season

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


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Population: 766,397 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 165
Growth rate: 1.05% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 104
Below poverty line: 12% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Bhutanese

Ethnic groups: Ngalop (also known as Bhote) 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Languages: Sharchhopka 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.)

Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 25.35% (male 99,325 /female 94,985)
15-24 years: 18.4% (male 71,790 /female 69,205)
25-54 years: 43.73% (male 177,436 /female 157,729)
55-64 years: 6.13% (male 25,160 /female 21,817)
65 years and over: 6.39% (male 25,492 /female 23,458) (2018 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 47.3 (2015 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 40.4 (2015 est.)
Elderly dependency ratio: 6.9 (2015 est.)
Potential support ratio: 14.5 (2015 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.1 years
Male: 28.6 years
Female: 27.6 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 140

Population growth rate: 1.05% (2018 est.)
Rank: 104

Birth rate: 17 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 105

Death rate: 6.4 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 144

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 75

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 40.9% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 2.98% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 203,000 THIMPHU (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion; limited access to potable water; wildlife conservation; industrial pollution; waste disposal
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
25-54 years: 1.14 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
55-64 years: 1.16 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
65 years and over: 1.1 male(s)/female (2017 est.)
Total population: 1.09 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 30.3 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 30.4 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Female: 30.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Rank: 61

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.1 years (2018 est.)
Male: 70.1 years (2018 est.)
Female: 72.2 years (2018 est.)
Rank: 157

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 138

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 65.6% (2010)

Drinking water source
Urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.38 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 1.7 beds/1000 population (2012)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 22.1% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 66.9% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 49.6% of population (2015 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate note: NA
People living with hivaids note: NA
Deaths note: NA

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: high (2016)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 6.4% (2016)
Rank: 167

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.8% (2010)
Rank: 52

Education expenditures: 7.4% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 15

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.)
Total population: 64.9% (2015 est.)
Male: 73.1% (2015 est.)
Female: 55% (2015 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 13 years (2013)
Male: 12 years (2013)
Female: 13 years (2013)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
Conventional short form: Bhutan
Local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
Local short form: Druk Yul
Etymology: named after the Bhotia, the ethnic Tibetans who migrated from Tibet to Bhutan; Bod is the Tibetan name for their land; the Bhutanese name Druk Yul means Land of the Thunder Dragon

Government type: constitutional monarchy

Capital
Name: Thimphu
Geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 38 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Administrative divisions: 20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Dagana, Gasa, Haa, Lhuentse, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatshel, Punakha, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Sarpang, Thimphu, Trashigang, Trashi Yangtse, Trongsa, Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang, Zhemgang

Dependent areas

Independence: 17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king); 8 August 1949 (Treaty of Friendship with India maintains Bhutanese independence)

National holiday: National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)

Constitution
History: previous governing documents were various royal decrees; first constitution drafted November 2001 to March 2005, ratified 18 July 2008 (2017)
Amendments: proposed as a motion by simple majority vote in a joint session of Parliament; passage requires at least a three-fourths majority vote in a joint session of the next Parliament and assented to by the king; amended 2011 (2017)

Legal system: civil law based on Buddhist religious law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Bhutan
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 to his son
Head of government: Prime Minister Tshering TOBGAY (since 27 July 2013)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers or Lhengye Zhungtshog members nominated by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister and approved by the National Assembly; members serve 5-year terms
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary but can be removed by a two-third vote of Parliament; leader of the majority party in Parliament is nominated as the prime minister, appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch
Description:
Elections:
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court has sole jurisdiction in constitutional matters
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the National Judicial Commission, a 4-member body to include the Legislative Committee of the National Assembly, the attorney general, the Chief Justice of Bhutan and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; other judges (drangpons) appointed by the monarch from among the High Court judges selected by the National Judicial Commission; chief justice serves a 5-year term or until reaching age 65 years, whichever is earlier; the 4 other judges serve 10-year terms or until age 65, whichever is earlier
Subordinate courts: High Court (first appellate court); District or Dzongkhag Courts; sub-district or Dungkhag Courts

Political parties and leaders: Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party or BKP [Dasho Neten ZANGMO]Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) or DPT [Pema GYAMTSHO]Druk Chirwang Tshogpa or DCT [Lily WANGCHUK]Druk Nymarup Tshogpa or DNT [Tandin DORJI]People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tshering TOBGAY]

International organization participation: ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us:
From the us: the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although frequent informal contact is maintained via the US embassy in New Delhi (India) and Bhutan's Permanent Mission to the UN

Flag description: 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; the dragon, called the Druk (Thunder Dragon), is the emblem of the nation; its white color stands for purity and the jewels in its claws symbolize wealth; the background colors represent spiritual and secular powers within Bhutan: the orange is associated with Buddhism, while the yellow denotes the ruling dynasty

National symbols: thunder dragon known as Druk Gyalpo; national colors: orange, yellow

National anthem
Name: Druk tsendhen (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom)
Lyricsmusic: Gyaldun Dasho Thinley DORJI/Aku TONGMI: note: adopted 1953

National heritage


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Economy overview: Bhutan's small economy is based largely on hydropower, agriculture, and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than half the population. Because rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive, industrial production is primarily of the cottage industry type. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and is dependent on India for financial assistance and migrant laborers for development projects, especially for road construction. Bhutan signed a pact in December 2014 to expand duty-free trade with Bangladesh.Multilateral development organizations administer most educational, social, and environment programs, and take into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government is cautious in its expansion of the tourist sector, restricing visits to environmentally conscientious tourists. Complicated controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.Bhutan’s largest export - hydropower to India - could spur sustainable growth in the coming years if Bhutan resolves chronic delays in construction. Bhutan’s hydropower exports comprise 40% of total exports and 25% of the government’s total revenue. Bhutan currently taps only 6.5% of its 24,000-megawatt hydropower potential and is behind schedule in building 12 new hydropower dams with a combined capacity of 10,000 megawatts by 2020 in accordance with a deal signed in 2008 with India. The high volume of imported materials to build hydropower plants has expanded Bhutan's trade and current account deficits. Bhutan also signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh and India in July 2017 to jointly construct a new hydropower plant for exporting electricity to Bangladesh.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 167

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 14

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 145

Gross national saving:
Rank: 8

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 58% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 16.8% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 47.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 26% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -48% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 16.2% (2017 est.)
Industry: 41.8% (2017 est.)
Services: 42% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, corn, root crops, citrus; dairy products, eggs

Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: 6.3% (2017 est.)
Rank: 36

Labor force:
Rank: 160
By occupation agriculture: 58%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 22% (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 39

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 12% (2012 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 30.6% (2012)
Highest 10: 30.6% (2012)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 75

Budget
Revenues: 655.3 million (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 737.4 million (2017 est.): note: the Government of India finances nearly one-quarter of Bhutan's budget expenditures
Surplus or deficit: -3.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 142

Taxes and other revenues: 27.2% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 101

Public debt:
Rank: 12

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 183

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 68

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 38

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 158

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 163

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 161

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 114

Current account balance:
Rank: 120

Exports:
Rank: 174
Partners: India 95.3% (2017)
Commodities: electricity (to India), ferrosilicon, cement, cardamom, calcium carbide, steel rods/bars, dolomite, gypsum

Imports:
Rank: 184
Commodities: fuel and lubricants, airplanes, machinery and parts, rice, motor vehicles
Partners: India 89.5% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 129

Debt external:
Rank: 147

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 135

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 187,531 (2012)
Access electrification total population: 76% (2012)
Access electrification urban areas: 100% (2012)
Access electrification rural areas: 53% (2012)
Production: 7.883 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 110
Consumption: 2.184 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 141
Exports: 5.763 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 32
Imports: 84 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 101
Installed generating capacity: 1.632 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 120
Generation sources fossil fuels: 1% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 211
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 51
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 99% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 2
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 177

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 111
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 95
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 98
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 108

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 120
Products consumption: 3,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 188
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 132
Products imports: 3,120 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 183

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 106
Consumption: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 123
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 71
Imports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 93
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2016 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 112

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 604,900 Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 181

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 21,364 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 174
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 730,623 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 164

Telephone system
General assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services; telecom sector has been continuing on a steady development path; fixed broadband penetration remains very low, due to the preeminence of the mobile platform; next five years to 2023 low to moderate growth is expected from this small base (2017)
Domestic: domestic service inadequate, notably in rural areas; mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available; 3 to 100 fixed-line, 96 to 100 mobile cellular (2017)
International: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)

Broadcast media: state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012)

Internet
Country code: .bt
Users total: 313,347 (July 2016 est.)
Users percent of population: 41.8% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 160

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 16,707 (2017 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 2 (2017 est.)
Rank: 157


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; militia training is compulsory for males aged 20-25, over a 3-year period (2012)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2015)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6 (2015)
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 162,864 (2015)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 538,041
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: A5 (2016)

Airports: 2 (2013)
Rank: 198
With paved runways total: 2 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 1 (2012)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2012)

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 10,578 km
Paved: 2,975 km
Note: (2013)
Unpaved: 7,603 km: note: a more recent figure for 2015 lists 11,177 km for total roadway length, but no breakdown of paved or unpaved
Rank: 135

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China’s Chumbi salient

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs