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, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography--note: landlocked; strategic location between China and
India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
People
Population: 1,951,965 (July 1999 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 600,000
Age structure:
0-14 years: 40% (male 405,745; female 376,738)
15-64 years: 56% (male 561,754; female 530,420)
65 years and over: 4% (male 39,251; female 38,057) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.25% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 36.76 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 14.26 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.03 male(s)/female
total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 109.33 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 52.75 years
male: 53.19 years
female: 52.29 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 5.16 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese
Ethnic groups: 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2%
male: 56.2%
female: 28.1% (1995 est.)
People--note: refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of
approximately 91,000 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
camps
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
Data code: BT
Government 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
note: Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the
National Assembly
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: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972);
note--the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July
1972); note--the monarch is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) appointed by the
monarch, approved by the National Assembly
note: there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members
nominated by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150
seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent
religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent
government and other secular interests; members serve three-year
terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: NA
Judicial branch: the Supreme Court of Appeal is the monarch; High
Court, judges appointed by the monarch
Political parties and leaders: no legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders: United Front for Democracy
(exiled); Buddhist clergy; Indian merchant community; ethnic
Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign
International organization participation: AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO,
G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW,
SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note--Bhutan has a
Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th
Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: the US and Bhutan have no
formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained
between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
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
Economy
Economy--overview: The economy, one of the world's smallest and
least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide
the main livelihood for 90% of the population and account for about
40% of GDP. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and
animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the
building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive.
The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and
monetary links. The industrial sector is technologically backward,
with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development
projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor.
Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are
key resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in
expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare.
Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are
underway with support from multilateral development organizations.
Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to
protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed
controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing,
trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$1.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 6.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 38%
industry: 38%
services: 24% (1997)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.4% (1997 est.)
Labor force: NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry
and commerce 2%
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget:
revenues: $146 million
expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(FY95/96 est.)
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of
Bhutan's budget expenditures
Industries: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic
beverages, calcium carbide
Industrial production growth rate: 9.3% (1996 est.)
Electricity--production: 1.717 billion kWh (1996)
note: exports electricity to India
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 0.41%
hydro: 99.59%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 246 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 1.475 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 4 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains;
dairy products, eggs
Exports: $99 million (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
Exports--commodities: cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts,
cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices
Exports--partners: India 94%, Bangladesh
Imports: $131 million (c.i.f., 1997 est.)
Imports--commodities: fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and
parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice
Imports--partners: India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US
Debt--external: $87 million (1996)
Economic aid--recipient: $73.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 ngultrum (Nu) = 100 chetrum; note--Indian currency is
also legal tender
Exchange rates: ngultrum (Nu) per US$1--42.508 (January 1999),
41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996), 32.427 (1995), 31.374
(1994); note--the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 4,620 (1991 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with very few
telephones in use
international: international telephone and telegraph service is by
landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 23,000 (1989 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Televisions: 200 (1985 est.)
Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 3,285 km
paved: 1,994 km
unpaved: 1,291 km (1996 est.)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 2 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army, Palace Guard, Militia,
Royal Police Force
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 477,944 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 254,992 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 19,424 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $NA
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: with Nepal over 91,000 Bhutanese refugees
in Nepal
======================================================================
@Bolivia
-------
Introduction
Background: Bolivia broke away from Spanish rule in 1825. Its
subsequent history has been marked by a seemingly endless series of
coups, counter-coups, and abrupt changes in leaders and policies.
Comparatively democratic civilian rule was established in the 1980s,
but the leaders have faced difficult problems of deep-seated
poverty, social unrest, strikes, and drug dealing. Current issues
include encouraging and negotiating the terms for foreign
investment; strengthening the educational system; continuing the
privatization program; pursuing judicial reform and an
anti-corruption campaign.
Geography
Location: Central South America, southwest of Brazil
Geographic coordinates: 17 00 S, 65 00 W
Map references: South America
Area:
total: 1,098,580 sq km
land: 1,084,390 sq km
water: 14,190 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly less than three times the size of
Montana
Land boundaries:
total: 6,743 km
border countries: Argentina 832 km, Brazil 3,400 km, Chile 861 km,
Paraguay 750 km, Peru 900 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies with altitude; humid and tropical to cold and
semiarid
Terrain: rugged Andes Mountains with a highland plateau
(Altiplano), hills, lowland plains of the Amazon Basin
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Rio Paraguay 90 m
highest point: Nevado Sajama 6,542 m
Natural resources: tin, natural gas, petroleum, zinc, tungsten,
antimony, silver, iron, lead, gold, timber
Land use:
arable land: 2%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 24%
forests and woodland: 53%
other: 21% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 1,750 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: cold, thin air of high plateau is obstacle to
efficient fuel combustion, as well as to physical activity by those
unaccustomed to it from birth; flooding in the northeast
(March-April)
Environment--current issues: the clearing of land for agricultural
purposes and the international demand for tropical timber are
contributing to deforestation; soil erosion from overgrazing and
poor cultivation methods (including slash-and-burn agriculture);
desertification; loss of biodiversity; industrial pollution of water
supplies used for drinking and irrigation
Environment--international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban,
Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping, Marine Life
Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection
Geography--note: landlocked; shares control of Lago Titicaca,
world's highest navigable lake (elevation 3,805 m), with Peru
People
Population: 7,982,850 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 39% (male 1,573,391; female 1,540,123)
15-64 years: 56% (male 2,199,077; female 2,307,490)
65 years and over: 5% (male 164,213; female 198,556) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.96% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 30.72 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 9.61 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 62.02 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 61.43 years
male: 58.51 years
female: 64.51 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.93 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Bolivian(s)
adjective: Bolivian
Ethnic groups: Quechua 30%, Aymara 25%, mestizo (mixed white and
Amerindian ancestry) 30%, white 15%
Religions: Roman Catholic 95%, Protestant (Evangelical Methodist)
Languages: Spanish (official), Quechua (official), Aymara
(official)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.1%
male: 90.5%
female: 76% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Bolivia
conventional short form: Bolivia
local long form: Republica de Bolivia
local short form: Bolivia
Data code: BL
Government type: republic
Capital: La Paz (seat of government); Sucre (legal capital and
seat of judiciary)
Administrative divisions: 9 departments (departamentos,
singular--departamento); Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, Beni, La Paz, Oruro,
Pando, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija
Independence: 6 August 1825 (from Spain)
National holiday: Independence Day, 6 August (1825)
Constitution: 2 February 1967; revised in August 1994
Legal system: based on Spanish law and Napoleonic Code; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 18 years of age, universal and compulsory (married); 21
years of age, universal and compulsory (single)
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August 1997);
Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August 1997);
note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Hugo BANZER Suarez (since 6 August
1997); Vice President Jorge Fernando QUIROGA Ramirez (since 6 August
1997); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from a panel of
candidates proposed by the Senate
elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket
by popular vote for five-year terms; election last held 1 June 1997
(next to be held June 2002)
election results: Hugo BANZER Suarez elected president; percent of
vote--Hugo BANZER Suarez (ADN) 22%; Jaime PAZ Zamora (MIR) 17%, Juan
Carlos DURAN (MNR) 18%, Ivo KULJIS (UCS) 16%, Remedios LOZA
(CONDEPA) 17%; no candidate received a majority of the popular vote;
Hugo BANZER Suarez won a congressional runoff election on 5 August
1997 after forming a "megacoalition" with MIR, UCS, CONDEPA, NFR and
PDC
Legislative branch: bicameral National Congress or Congreso
Nacional consists of Chamber of Senators or Camara de Senadores (27
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) and Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (130
seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms)
elections: Chamber of Senators and Chamber of Deputies--last held 1
June 1997 (next to be held June 2002)
election results: Chamber of Senators--percent of vote by party--NA;
seats by party--ADN 11, MIR 7, MNR 4, CONDEPA 3, UCS 2; Chamber of
Deputies--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--ADN 32, MNR 26,
MIR 23, UCS 21, CONDEPA 19, MBL 5, IU 4
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Corte Suprema), judges appointed
for a 10-year term by National Congress
Political parties and leaders:
Center-Left Parties: Movement of the Revolutionary Left or MIR
SANCHEZ DE LOZADA]
FERNANDEZ, Hugo VILLEGAS]
Indigenous Parties: Tupac Katari Revolutionary Liberation Movement
International organization participation: CAN, ECLAC, FAO, G-11,
G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES,
LAIA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marcelo PEREZ Monasterios
chancery: 3014 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and San Francisco
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Donna Jean HRINAK
embassy: Avenida Arce 2780, San Jorge, La Paz
mailing address: P. O. Box 425, La Paz; APO AA 34032
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of red (top),
yellow, and green with the coat of arms centered on the yellow band;
similar to the flag of Ghana, which has a large black five-pointed
star centered in the yellow band
Economy
Economy--overview: With its long history of semifeudal social
controls, dependence on mineral exports, and bouts of
hyperinflation, Bolivia has remained one of the poorest and least
developed Latin American countries. However, Bolivia has experienced
generally improving economic conditions since the PAZ Estenssoro
administration (1985-89) introduced market-oriented policies which
reduced inflation from 11,700% in 1985 to about 20% in 1988. PAZ
Estenssoro was followed as president by Jaime PAZ Zamora (1989-93)
who continued the free-market policies of his predecessor, despite
opposition from his own party and from Bolivia's once powerful labor
movement. President SANCHEZ DE LOZADA (1993-1997) vowed to advance
the market-oriented economic reforms he helped launch as PAZ
Estenssoro's planning minister. His successes included the signing
of a free trade agreement with Mexico and the Southern Cone Common
Market (Mercosur) as well as the privatization of the state airline,
telephone company, railroad, electric power company, and oil
company. Hugo BANZER Suarez has tried to further improve the
country's investment climate with an anticorruption campaign. With
the scheduled completion of a $2 billion natural gas pipeline to
Brazil in 1999, Bolivia hopes to become an energy hub in the region.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$23.4 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 4.7% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,000 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector:
agriculture: 17%
industry: 26%
services: 57% (1995 est.)
Population below poverty line: 66%
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.3%
highest 10%: 31.7% (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.4% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 2.5 million
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture NA%, services and
utilities NA%, manufacturing, mining and construction NA%
Unemployment rate: 11.4% (1997) with widespread underemployment
Budget:
revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures: $2.7 billion (1998)
Industries: mining, smelting, petroleum, food and beverages,
tobacco, handicrafts, clothing
Industrial production growth rate: 4% (1995 est.)
Electricity--production: 2.95 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source:
fossil fuel: 40.68%
hydro: 59.32%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 2.948 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 2 million kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 0 kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, corn,
sugarcane, rice, potatoes; timber
Exports: $1.1 billion (f.o.b., 1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: metals 34%, natural gas 9.4%, soybeans 8.4%,
jewelry 11%, wood 6.9%
Exports--partners: US 22%, UK 9.3%, Colombia 8.7%, Peru 7.4%,
Argentina 7.2%
Imports: $1.7 billion (c.i.f. 1998)
Imports--commodities: capital goods 48%, chemicals 11%, petroleum
5%, food 5% (1993 est.)
Imports--partners: US 20%, Japan 13%, Brazil 12, Chile 7.5% (1996)
Debt--external: $4.1 billion (1998)
Economic aid--recipient: $588 million (1997)
Currency: 1 boliviano ($B) = 100 centavos
Exchange rates: bolivianos ($B) per US$1--5.6491 (January 1999),
5.5101 (1998), 5.2543 (1997), 5.0746 (1996), 4.8003 (1995), 4.6205
(1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 144,300 (1987 est.)
Telephone system: new subscribers face bureaucratic difficulties;
most telephones are concentrated in La Paz and other cities
domestic: microwave radio relay system being expanded
international: satellite earth station--1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 177, FM 68, shortwave 112 (1998)
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 48 (1997)
Televisions: 500,000 (1993 est.)
Transportation
Railways:
total: 3,691 km (single track)
narrow gauge: 3,652 km 1.000-m gauge; 39 km 0.760-m gauge (13 km
electrified) (1995)
Highways:
total: 52,216 km
paved: 2,872 km (including 27 km of expressways)
unpaved: 49,344 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 10,000 km of commercially navigable waterways
Pipelines: crude oil 1,800 km; petroleum products 580 km; natural
gas 1,495 km
Ports and harbors: none; however, Bolivia has free port
privileges in the maritime ports of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and
Paraguay
Merchant marine:
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 34,948 GRT/58,472 DWT
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 5 (1998 est.)
Airports: 1,130 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways:
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways:
total: 1,118
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 70
914 to 1,523 m: 224
under 914 m: 821 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army (Ejercito Boliviano), Navy (Fuerza Naval
Boliviana, includes Marines), Air Force (Fuerza Aerea Boliviana),
National Police Force (Policia Nacional de Bolivia)
Military manpower--military age: 19 years of age
Military manpower--availability:
males age 15-49: 1,908,454 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 1,241,311 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually:
males: 84,481 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $154 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.8% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: has wanted a sovereign corridor to the
South Pacific Ocean since the Atacama area was lost to Chile in
1884; dispute with Chile over Rio Lauca water rights