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Compare Belarus (2003) - Bhutan (2003)

Compare Belarus (2003) z Bhutan (2003)

 Belarus (2003)Bhutan (2003)
 BelarusBhutan
Administrative divisions 6 voblastsi (singular - voblasts') and one municipality* (harady, singular - horad); Brestskaya (Brest), Homyel'skaya (Homyel'), Horad Minsk*, Hrodzyenskaya (Hrodna), Mahilyowskaya (Mahilyow), Minskaya, Vitsyebskaya (Vitsyebsk); note - when using a place name with the adjectival ending 'skaya,' the word voblasts' should be added to the place name


note: voblasti have the administrative center name following in parentheses
18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang


note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse
Age structure 0-14 years: 16.8% (male 885,265; female 848,516)


15-64 years: 68.9% (male 3,456,769; female 3,652,766)


65 years and over: 14.3% (male 490,529; female 988,306) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 39.6% (male 438,784; female 407,919)


15-64 years: 56.4% (male 621,666; female 585,550)


65 years and over: 4% (male 43,262; female 42,368) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, flax; beef, milk rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs
Airports 124 (2002) 2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 28


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 21


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 96


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 11


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 67 (2002)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 207,600 sq km


land: 207,600 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 47,000 sq km


land: 47,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Kansas about half the size of Indiana
Background After seven decades as a constituent republic of the USSR, Belarus attained its independence in 1991. It has retained closer political and economic ties to Russia than any of the other former Soviet republics. Belarus and Russia signed a treaty on a two-state union on 8 December 1999 envisioning greater political and economic integration. Although Belarus agreed to a framework to carry out the accord, serious implementation has yet to take place. In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up 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. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions.
Birth rate 10.18 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 34.82 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $4 billion


expenditures: $4.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $180 million (1997 est.)
revenues: $146 million


expenditures: $152 million, including capital expenditures of NA


note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)
Capital Minsk Thimphu
Climate cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 30 March 1994; revised by national referendum of 24 November 1996 giving the presidency greatly expanded powers and became effective 27 November 1996 no written constitution or bill of rights; note - the King commissioned a committee to draft a constitution in 2001, but has yet to be approved
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Belarus


conventional short form: Belarus


local long form: Respublika Byelarus'


local short form: none


former: Belorussian (Byelorussian) Soviet Socialist Republic
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan


conventional short form: Bhutan
Currency Belarusian ruble (BYB/BYR) ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)
Death rate 14.05 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $851 million (2001 est.) $245 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Michael G. KOZAK


embassy: 46 Starovilenskaya St., Minsk 220002


mailing address: PSC 78, Box B Minsk, APO 09723


telephone: [375] (17) 210-12-83


FAX: [375] (17) 234-7853
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Mikhail KHVOSTOV


chancery: 1619 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 986-1604


FAX: [1] (202) 986-1805


consulate(s) general: New York
none; note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international 1997 boundary treaty with Ukraine remains unratified over unresolved financial claims, preventing demarcation and encouraging illegal border crossing; boundaries with Latvia and Lithuania remain undemarcated despite European Union financial support approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps, place decades-long strains on Nepal
Economic aid - recipient $194.3 million (1995) substantial aid from India and other nations
Economy - overview Belarus has seen little structural reform since 1995, when President LUKASHENKO launched the country on the path of "market socialism." In keeping with this policy, LUKASHENKO reimposed administrative controls over prices and currency exchange rates and expanded the state's right to intervene in the management of private enterprise. In addition to the burdens imposed by high inflation and persistent trade deficits, businesses have been subject to pressure on the part of central and local governments, e.g., arbitrary changes in regulations, numerous rigorous inspections, retroactive application of new business regulations, and arrests of "disruptive" businessmen and factory owners. A wide range of redistributive policies has helped those at the bottom of the ladder. Close relations with Russia, possibly leading to reunion, color the pattern of economic developments. For the time being, Belarus remains self-isolated from the West and its open-market economies. The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, providing the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. 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 and dependence on India's financial assistance. 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 government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education, social, and environment programs 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.
Electricity - consumption 26.69 billion kWh (2001) 379.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 300 million kWh (2001) 1.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 4.3 billion kWh (2001) 16 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 24.4 billion kWh (2001) 1.896 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 99.5%


hydro: 0.1%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0.4% (2001)
fossil fuel: 0.1%


hydro: 99.9%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Nyoman River 90 m


highest point: Dzyarzhynskaya Hara 346 m
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m


highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Environment - current issues soil pollution from pesticide use; southern part of the country contaminated with fallout from 1986 nuclear reactor accident at Chornobyl' in northern Ukraine soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Belarusian 81.2%, Russian 11.4%, Polish, Ukrainian, and other 7.4% Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Exchange rates Belarusian rubles per US dollar - NA (2002), 1,390 (2001), 876.75 (2000), 248.8 (1999), 46.13 (1998) ngultrum per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94 (2000), 43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Aleksandr LUKASHENKO (since 20 July 1994)


head of government: Prime Minister Sergei SIDORSKY (acting; since 10 July 2003); Deputy Prime Ministers Andrei KOBYAKOV (since 13 March 2000), Sergei SIDORSKY (since 24 September 2001), Vladimir DRAZHIN (since 24 September 2001), Roman VNUCHKO (since 10 July 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; first election took place 23 June and 10 July 1994; according to the 1994 constitution, the next election should have been held in 1999, however LUKASHENKO extended his term to 2001 via a November 1996 referendum; new election held 9 September 2001 (next election to be held by September 2006); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Aleksandr LUKASHENKO reelected president; percent of vote - Aleksandr LUKASHENKO 75.6%, Vladimir GONCHARIK 15.4%
chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)


head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Jigme Y. THINLEY (since 30 August 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote
Exports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals; textiles, foodstuffs electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices
Exports - partners Russia 50.8%, Latvia 7.3%, Ukraine 6.3%, Lithuania 4.1%, Germany 4.1% (2002) US 24.1%, UK 23.9%, Pakistan 23.1%, France 13.9% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description red horizontal band (top) and green horizontal band one-half the width of the red band; a white vertical stripe on the hoist side bears a Belarusian national ornament in red 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
GDP purchasing power parity - $90.19 billion (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 15%


industry: 40%


services: 45% (2002 est.)
agriculture: 45%


industry: 10%


services: 45% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $8,700 (2002 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.7% (2002 est.) 7.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 53 00 N, 28 00 E 27 30 N, 90 30 E
Geography - note landlocked; glacial scouring accounts for the flatness of Belarusian terrain and for its 11,000 lakes; the country is geologically well endowed with extensive deposits of granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, and clay landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
Highways total: 74,385 km


paved: 66,203 km


unpaved: 8,182 km (2000)
total: 3,690 km


paved: 2,240 km


unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 5.1%


highest 10%: 20% (1998)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for the domestic market; transshipment point for illicit drugs to and via Russia, and to the Baltics and Western Europe; lax money-laundering and banking regulations -
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities mineral products, machinery and equipment, chemicals, foodstuffs, metals fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice
Imports - partners Russia 68.2%, Germany 9.4%, Ukraine 3.2% (2002) Japan 44.5%, Germany 12.2%, UK 8.5%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 5%, US 4.2% (2002)
Independence 25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 8 August 1949 (from India)
Industrial production growth rate 2.5% (2002 est.) 9.3% (1996 est.)
Industries metal-cutting machine tools, tractors, trucks, earthmovers, motorcycles, television sets, chemical fibers, fertilizer, textiles, radios, refrigerators cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
Infant mortality rate total: 13.87 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 15.13 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 12.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: 104.68 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 102.49 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 106.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 42.8% (2002 est.) 3% (2002 est.)
International organization participation CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NAM, NAM (observer), NSG, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 23 (2002) NA
Irrigated land 1,150 sq km (1998 est.) 400 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Constitutional Court (half of the judges appointed by the president and half appointed by the Chamber of Representatives) Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)
Labor force 4.8 million (2000) NA


note: massive lack of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation industry and construction NA%, agriculture and forestry NA%, services NA% agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%
Land boundaries total: 2,900 km


border countries: Latvia 141 km, Lithuania 502 km, Poland 407 km, Russia 959 km, Ukraine 891 km
total: 1,075 km


border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km
Land use arable land: 29.76%


permanent crops: 0.69%


other: 69.55% (1998 est.)
arable land: 2.98%


permanent crops: 0.43%


other: 96.59% (1998 est.)
Languages Belarusian, Russian, other Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Legal system based on civil law system based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament or Natsionalnoye Sobranie consists of the Council of the Republic or Soviet Respubliki (64 seats; 56 members elected by regional councils and 8 members appointed by the president, all for 4-year terms) and the Chamber of Representatives or Palata Pretsaviteley (110 seats; members elected by universal adult suffrage to serve 4-year terms)


elections: last held October 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)


election results: party affiliation data unavailable; under present political conditions party designations are meaningless
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: local elections last held November 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)


election results: NA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 68.43 years


male: 62.54 years


female: 74.6 years (2003 est.)
total population: 53.58 years


male: 53.9 years


female: 53.25 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.6%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.5% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 42.2%


male: 56.2%


female: 28.1% (1995 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, east of Poland Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references Europe Asia
Maritime claims none (landlocked) none (landlocked)
Military branches Army, Air Force (including air defense), Interior Ministry Troops, Border Guards Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Forest Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure $176.1 million (FY02) $9.3 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.4% (FY02) 1.9% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 2,756,572 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 530,860 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 2,158,875 (2003 est.) males age 15-49: 283,493 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age (2003 est.) 18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 86,654 (2003 est.) males: 22,755 (2003 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 3 July (1944); note - 3 July 1944 was the date Minsk was liberated from German troops, 25 August 1991 was the date of independence from the Soviet Union National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
Nationality noun: Belarusian(s)


adjective: Belarusian
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Bhutanese
Natural hazards NA 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
Natural resources forests, peat deposits, small quantities of oil and natural gas, granite, dolomitic limestone, marl, chalk, sand, gravel, clay timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Net migration rate 2.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 4,519 km; oil 1,811 km; refined products 1,686 km (2003) -
Political parties and leaders Agrarian Party or AP [Mikhail SHIMANSKY]; Belarusian Communist Party or KPB [Viktor CHIKIN, chairman]; Belarusian Ecological Green Party (merger of Belarusian Ecological Party and Green Party of Belarus) [leader NA]; Belarusian Patriotic Movement (Belarusian Patriotic Party) or BPR [Anatoliy BARANKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Popular Front or BNF [Vintsuk VYACHORKA]; Belarusian Social-Democrat Party or SDBP [Nikolay STATKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Social-Democratic Party or Hromada [Stanislav SHUSHKEVICH, chairman]; Belarusian Socialist Party [Vyacheslav KUZNETSOV]; Civic Accord Bloc (United Civic Party) or CAB [Anatol LIABEDZKA]; Liberal Democratic Party or LDPB [Sergei GAYDUKEVICH, chairman]; Party of Communists Belarusian or PKB [Sergei KALYAKIN, chairman]; Republican Party of Labor and Justice or RPPS [Anatoliy NETYLKIN, chairman]; Social-Democrat Party of Popular Accord or PPA [Leanid SECHKA]; Women's Party or "Nadezhda" [Valentina POLEVIKOVA, chairperson] no legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders NA Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)
Population 10,322,151 (July 2003 est.) 2,139,549


note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line 22% (1995 est.) NA%
Population growth rate -0.12% (2003 est.) 2.14% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Mazyr none
Radio broadcast stations AM 28, FM 37, shortwave 11 (1998) AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 5,523 km


broad gauge: 5,523 km 1.520-m gauge (875 km electrified) (2002)
0 km
Religions Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.) Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female


total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
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: 1.02 male(s)/female


total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal each family has one vote in village-level elections
Telephone system general assessment: the Ministry of Telecommunications controls all telecommunications through its carrier (a joint stock company) Beltelcom which is a monopoly


domestic: local - Minsk has a digital metropolitan network and a cellular NMT-450 network; waiting lists for telephones are long; local service outside Minsk is neglected and poor; intercity - Belarus has a partly developed fiber-optic backbone system presently serving at least 13 major cities (1998); Belarus's fiber optics form synchronous digital hierarchy rings through other countries' systems; an inadequate analog system remains operational


international: Belarus is a member of the Trans-European Line (TEL), Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic line, and has access to the Trans-Siberia Line (TSL); three fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Latvia, Poland, Russia, and Ukraine; worldwide service is available to Belarus through this infrastructure; additional analog lines to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations
general assessment: NA


domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use


international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
Telephones - main lines in use 2.313 million (1997) 6,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8,167 (1997) NA
Television broadcast stations 47 (plus 27 repeaters) (1995) 0 (1997)
Terrain generally flat and contains much marshland mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Total fertility rate 1.34 children born/woman (2003 est.) 4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 2.1% officially registered unemployed (December 2000); large number of underemployed workers NA%
Waterways NA km; note - Belarus has extensive and widely used canal and river systems none
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