##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Bhutan (2001) - Laos (2008)
Compare Bhutan (2001) z Laos (2008)
| Bhutan (2001) | Laos (2008) | |
 |  | |
| 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
note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse |
16 provinces (khoueng, singular and plural) and 1 capital city* (nakhon luang, singular and plural); Attapu, Bokeo, Bolikhamxai, Champasak, Houaphan, Khammouan, Louangnamtha, Louangphrabang, Oudomxai, Phongsali, Salavan, Savannakhet, Viangchan (Vientiane)*, Viangchan, Xaignabouli, Xekong, Xiangkhoang |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
39.99% (male 424,832; female 394,725) 15-64 years: 56.05% (male 591,152; female 557,498) 65 years and over: 3.96% (male 41,125; female 40,080) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 41.2% (male 1,349,352/female 1,338,252)
15-64 years: 55.7% (male 1,795,029/female 1,835,168) 65 years and over: 3.1% (male 90,188/female 114,009) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee, sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, tea, peanuts, rice; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry |
| Airports | 2 (2000 est.) | 42 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 33
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 23 (2007) |
| Area | total:
47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 236,800 sq km
land: 230,800 sq km water: 6,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | slightly larger than Utah |
| Background | Under British influence a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate. Independence was attained in 1949, with India subsequently guiding foreign relations and supplying aid. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of these displaced persons 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. | Modern-day Laos has its roots in the ancient Lao kingdom of Lan Xang, established in the 14th Century under King FA NGUM. For three hundred years Lan Xang had influence reaching into present-day Cambodia and Thailand, as well as over all of what is now Laos. After centuries of gradual decline, Laos came under the domination of Siam (Thailand) from the late 18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao took control of the government ending a six-century-old monarchy and instituting a strict socialist regime closely aligned to Vietnam. A gradual return to private enterprise and the liberalization of foreign investment laws began in 1986. Laos became a member of ASEAN in 1997. |
| Birth rate | 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 34.98 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| 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 |
revenues: $470.4 million
expenditures: $643.5 million (2007 est.) |
| Capital | Thimphu | name: Vientiane
geographic coordinates: 17 58 N, 102 36 E time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | tropical monsoon; rainy season (May to November); dry season (December to April) |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving the National Assembly additional powers | promulgated 14 August 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan |
conventional long form: Lao People's Democratic Republic
conventional short form: Laos local long form: Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao local short form: none |
| Currency | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) | - |
| Death rate | 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 11.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $120 million (1998) | $3.179 billion (2006) |
| 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) | chief of mission: Ambassador Ravic R. HUSO
embassy: 19 Rue Bartholonie, That Dam, Vientiane mailing address: American Embassy Vientiane, APO AP 96546 telephone: [856] 21-26-7000 FAX: [856] 21-26-7190 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
chief of mission: Ambassador PHIANE Philakone
chancery: 2222 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6416 FAX: [1] (202) 332-4923 |
| Disputes - international | refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of approximately 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps | Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels |
| Economic aid - recipient | $73.8 million (1995) | $379 million (2006 est.) |
| 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 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. 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. | The government of Laos, one of the few remaining one-party Communist states, began decentralizing control and encouraging private enterprise in 1986. The results, starting from an extremely low base, were striking - growth averaged 6% per year in 1988-2007 except during the short-lived drop caused by the Asian financial crisis beginning in 1997. Despite this high growth rate, Laos remains a country with a underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly in rural areas. It has no railroads, a rudimentary road system, and limited external and internal telecommunications, though the government is sponsoring major improvements in the road system with support from Japan and China. Electricity is available in urban areas and in most rural districts. Subsistence agriculture, dominated by rice, accounts for about 40% of GDP and provides 80% of total employment. The economy will continue to benefit from aid from international donors and from foreign investment in hydropower and mining. Construction will be another strong economic driver, especially as hydroelectric dam and road projects gain steam. Several policy changes since 2004 may help spur growth. In late 2004, Laos gained Normal Trade Relations status with the US, allowing Laos-based producers to benefit from lower tariffs on exports. Laos is taking steps to join the World Trade Organization in the next few years; the resulting trade policy reforms will improve the business environment. On the fiscal side, a value-added tax (VAT) regime, slated to begin in 2008, should help streamline the government's inefficient tax system. |
| Electricity - consumption | 191.1 million kWh (1999) | 1.193 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 1.55 billion kWh (1999) | 728 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 15 million kWh (1999) | 326 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 1.856 billion kWh (1999) | 1.715 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
0.05% hydro: 99.95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point: Mekong River 70 m
highest point: Phou Bia 2,817 m |
| Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | unexploded ordnance; deforestation; soil erosion; most of the population does not have access to potable water |
| Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% | Lao Loum (lowland) 68%, Lao Theung (upland) 22%, Lao Soung (highland) including the Hmong and the Yao 9%, ethnic Vietnamese/Chinese 1% |
| Exchange rates | ngultrum per US dollar - 46.540 (January 2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997), 35.433 (1996); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender | kips per US dollar - 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006), 10,820 (2005), 10,585.5 (2004), 10,569 (2003) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay NGEDUP (since NA 1999) 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 give the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote |
chief of state: President Lt. Gen. CHOUMMALI Saignason (since 8 June 2006); Vice President BOUN-GNANG Volachit (since 8 June 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister BOUASONE Bouphavanh (since 8 June 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers Maj. Gen. ASANG Laoli (since May 2002), Maj. Gen. DOUANGCHAI Phichit (since 8 June 2006), SOMSAVAT Lengsavat (since 26 February 1998), and THONGLOUN Sisoulit (since 27 March 2001) cabinet: Ministers appointed by president, approved by National Assembly elections: president and vice president elected by National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 8 June 2006 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister nominated by president and elected by National Assembly for five-year term election results: CHOUMMALI Saignason elected president; BOUN-GNANG Volachit elected vice president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100%; BOUASONE Bouphavanh elected prime minister; percent of National Assembly vote - 97% |
| Exports | $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Exports - commodities | cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices | wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold |
| Exports - partners | India 94%, Bangladesh | Thailand 42.1%, Vietnam 9.5%, China 4% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 October - 30 September |
| 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 | three horizontal bands of red (top), blue (double width), and red with a large white disk centered in the blue band |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
38% industry: 37% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture: 41.2%
industry: 32.5% services: 26.3% (2007 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2000 est.) | 7% (2007 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 18 00 N, 105 00 E |
| Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | landlocked; most of the country is mountainous and thickly forested; the Mekong River forms a large part of the western boundary with Thailand |
| Highways | total:
3,285 km paved: 1,994 km unpaved: 1,291 km (1996) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3.4%
highest 10%: 28.5% (2002) |
| Illicit drugs | - | estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2005 was 5,600 hectares, about a 45% decrease from 2004; estimated potential opium production in 2005 was 28 metric tons, a significant decrease from 200 metric tons in 2003; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem |
| Imports | $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) | 2,898 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US | Thailand 68.8%, China 11.3%, Vietnam 5.6% (2006) |
| Independence | 8 August 1949 (from India) | 19 July 1949 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | 12% (2007 est.) |
| Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide | copper, tin, gold, and gypsum mining; timber, electric power, agricultural processing, construction, garments, tourism, cement |
| Infant mortality rate | 108.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 81.44 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 90.91 deaths/1,000 live births female: 71.56 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2000 est.) | 5% (2007 est.) |
| International organization participation | AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer) | ACCT, ADB, APT, ARF, ASEAN, CP, EAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
| Irrigated land | 340 sq km (1993 est.) | 1,750 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) | People's Supreme Court (the president of the People's Supreme Court is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the National Assembly Standing Committee; the vice president of the People's Supreme Court and the judges are appointed by the National Assembly Standing Committee) |
| Labor force | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
2.1 million (2006 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% | agriculture: 80%
industry and services: 20% (2005 est.) |
| Land boundaries | total:
1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
total: 5,083 km
border countries: Burma 235 km, Cambodia 541 km, China 423 km, Thailand 1,754 km, Vietnam 2,130 km |
| Land use | arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 66% other: 26% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 4.01%
permanent crops: 0.34% other: 95.65% (2005) |
| Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | Lao (official), French, English, and various ethnic languages |
| Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on traditional customs, French legal norms and procedures, and socialist practice; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| 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 |
unicameral National Assembly (115 seats; members elected by popular vote from a list of candidates selected by the Lao People's Revolutionary Party to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 30 April 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - LPRP 113, independents 2 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
52.79 years male: 53.16 years female: 52.41 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 55.89 years
male: 53.82 years female: 58.04 years (2007 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 68.7% male: 77% female: 60.9% (2001 est.) |
| Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Southeastern Asia, northeast of Thailand, west of Vietnam |
| Map references | Asia | Southeast Asia |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
| Merchant marine | - | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 2,370 GRT/3,110 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2007) |
| Military - note | - | Laos is one of the world's least developed countries; the Lao People's Armed Forces are small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; there is little political will to allocate sparse funding to the military, and the armed forces' gradual degradation is likely to continue; the massive drug production and trafficking industry centered in the Golden Triangle makes Laos an important narcotics transit country, and armed Wa and Chinese smugglers are active on the Lao-Burma border (2005) |
| Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary) | Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includes Riverine Force), Air Force (2008) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 0.5% (2006) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
21,167 (2001 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Republic Day, 2 December (1975) |
| Nationality | noun:
Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese |
noun: Lao(s) or Laotian(s)
adjective: Lao or Laotian |
| 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; frequent landslides during the rainy season | floods, droughts |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide | timber, hydropower, gypsum, tin, gold, gemstones |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | refined products 540 km (2007) |
| Political parties and leaders | no legal parties | Lao People's Revolutionary Party or LPRP [CHOUMMALI Saignason]; other parties proscribed |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | political parties and groups other than LPRP are proscribed |
| Population | 2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 |
6,521,998 (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 30.7% (2005 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.17% (2001 est.) | 2.37% (2007 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | none | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 7, FM 14, shortwave 2 (2006) |
| Radios | 37,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Buddhist 65%, animist 32.9%, Christian 1.3%, other and unspecified 0.8% (1995 census) |
| 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 (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.008 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.978 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.791 male(s)/female total population: 0.984 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Suffrage | each family has one vote in village-level elections | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership about 10 per 100 persons international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 6,000 (1997) | 90,067 (2006) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 638,200 (2006) |
| Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 7 (includes 1 station relaying Vietnam Television from Hanoi) (2006) |
| Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | mostly rugged mountains; some plains and plateaus |
| Total fertility rate | 5.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.59 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | 2.4% (2005 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 4,600 km
note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2007) |
Sitemap:
Compare countries listing (map site) |
Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.