Bhutan (2001) | Lithuania (2001) | |
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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 |
44 regions (rajonai, singular - rajonas) and 11 municipalities*: Akmenes Rajonas, Alytaus Rajonas, Alytus*, Anyksciu Rajonas, Birstonas*, Birzu Rajonas, Druskininkai*, Ignalinos Rajonas, Jonavos Rajonas, Joniskio Rajonas, Jurbarko Rajonas, Kaisiadoriu Rajonas, Kaunas*, Kauno Rajonas, Kedainiu Rajonas, Kelmes Rajonas, Klaipeda*, Klaipedos Rajonas, Kretingos Rajonas, Kupiskio Rajonas, Lazdiju Rajonas, Marijampole*, Marijampoles Rajonas, Mazeikiu Rajonas, Moletu Rajonas, Neringa* Pakruojo Rajonas, Palanga*, Panevezio Rajonas, Panevezys*, Pasvalio Rajonas, Plunges Rajonas, Prienu Rajonas, Radviliskio Rajonas, Raseiniu Rajonas, Rokiskio Rajonas, Sakiu Rajonas, Salcininku Rajonas, Siauliai*, Siauliu Rajonas, Silales Rajonas, Silutes Rajonas, Sirvintu Rajonas, Skuodo Rajonas, Svencioniu Rajonas, Taurages Rajonas, Telsiu Rajonas, Traku Rajonas, Ukmerges Rajonas, Utenos Rajonas, Varenos Rajonas, Vilkaviskio Rajonas, Vilniaus Rajonas, Vilnius*, Zarasu Rajonas |
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:
18.75% (male 345,694; female 331,125) 15-64 years: 67.69% (male 1,181,119; female 1,262,872) 65 years and over: 13.56% (male 165,732; female 323,993) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish |
Airports | 2 (2000 est.) | 72 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
9 over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total:
63 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 55 (2000 est.) |
Area | total:
47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total:
65,200 sq km land: 65,200 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | slightly larger than West Virginia |
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. | Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but this proclamation was not generally recognized until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently has restructured its economy for eventual integration into Western European institutions. |
Birth rate | 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 10 births/1,000 population (2001 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:
$1.5 billion expenditures: $1.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
Capital | Thimphu | Vilnius |
Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 99 km |
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 | adopted 25 October 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan |
conventional long form:
Republic of Lithuania conventional short form: Lithuania local long form: Lietuvos Respublika local short form: Lietuva former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic |
Currency | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) | litas (LTL) |
Death rate | 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 12.86 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $120 million (1998) | $2.5 billion (2000 est.) |
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 John F. TEFFT embassy: Akmenu 6, 2600 Vilnius mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723 telephone: [370] (2) 223-031 FAX: [370] (2) 227-236 |
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 Vygaudas USACKAS chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860 FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York |
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 | Latvia has not ratified a 1998 maritime boundary agreement with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights); 1997 border agreement with Russia not yet ratified by Russia |
Economic aid - recipient | $73.8 million (1995) | $228.5 million (1995) |
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. | Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has been slowly rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. High unemployment and weak consumption have held back recovery. GDP growth for 2000 - estimated at 2.9% - fell behind that of Estonia and Latvia, and unemployment is estimated at 10.8%, the country's highest since regaining independence in 1990. For 2001, Lithuanians forecast 3.2% growth, 1.8% inflation, and a fiscal deficit of 3.3%. In early 2001, the Lithuanian Government announced that it will repeg its currency, the litas, to the euro (the litas is currently pegged to the dollar) some time in 2002. Lithuania must ratify 25 agreements along with other legal documents and obligations by 1 May 2001 before gaining World Trade Organization membership. Lithuania was invited to the Helsinki summit in December 1999 and began EU accession talks in early 2000. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, remains a key challenge for 2001. |
Electricity - consumption | 191.1 million kWh (1999) | 9.817 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 1.55 billion kWh (1999) | 3.2 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 15 million kWh (1999) | 400 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 1.856 billion kWh (1999) | 13.567 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
0.05% hydro: 99.95% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
23.89% hydro: 3.43% nuclear: 72.68% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% | Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Byelorussian 1.6%, other 2.1% |
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 | litai per US dollar - 4.000 (fixed rate since 1 May 1994); note - litai is the plural of litas |
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 Valdas ADAMKUS (since 26 February 1998) head of government: Premier Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS (since 3 July 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the premier elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 21 December 1997 and 4 January 1998 (next to be held NA 2002); premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote - Valdas ADAMKUS 50.4%, Arturas PAULAUSKAS 49.6% |
Exports | $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $3.7 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices | machinery and equipment 22%, mineral products 15%, chemicals 12%, textiles and clothing, foodstuffs (1999) |
Exports - partners | India 94%, Bangladesh | Germany 15.8%, Latvia 12.6%, Russia 6.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Denmark (1999) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
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 equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $26.4 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
38% industry: 37% services: 25% (2000 est.) |
agriculture:
10% industry: 33% services: 57% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7,300 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 6% (2000 est.) | 2.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 56 00 N, 24 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | - |
Highways | total:
3,285 km paved: 1,994 km unpaved: 1,291 km (1996) |
total:
44,000 km paved: 35,500 km unpaved: 8,500 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%:
3.1% highest 10%: 25.6% (1996) |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy |
Imports | $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) | $4.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | machinery and equipment 18%, mineral products 16%, chemicals 10%, textiles and clothing 10%, transport equipment 7% (1999) |
Imports - partners | India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US | Russia 20.4%, Germany 16.5%, Denmark 3.8%, Belarus 2.2%, Latvia 2% (1999) |
Independence | 8 August 1949 (from India) | 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | 2.3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide | metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber |
Infant mortality rate | 108.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 14.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2000 est.) | 1% (2000 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 (observer), BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | 14 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 340 sq km (1993 est.) | 430 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for both courts appointed by the Parliament |
Labor force | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
2 million (2000 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% | industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | total:
1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
total:
1,273 km border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km |
Land use | arable land:
2% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 66% other: 26% (1993 est.) |
arable land:
39% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 6% forests and woodland: 31% other: 15% (2001 est.) |
Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian |
Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts |
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 Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Coalition 31.1%, New Union/Social Liberals 19.6%, Liberal Union 17.2%, TS 8.6%, remaining parties all less than 5%; seats by party - Social Democratic Coalition 52, Liberal Union 34, New Union/Social Liberals 29, TS 9, Farmer's Party 4, Center Union 2, Poles' Electoral Action 2, Modern Christian Democratic Union 1, independents 3, others 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population:
52.79 years male: 53.16 years female: 52.41 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
69.25 years male: 63.3 years female: 75.5 years (2001 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: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1989 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia |
Map references | Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea:
12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
50 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,168 GRT/327,827 DWT ships by type: cargo 26, combination bulk 10, petroleum tanker 2, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 7, roll on/roll off 1, short-sea passenger 3 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary) | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard (Skat) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $181 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 1.66% (FY00) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
929,389 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
730,363 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
21,167 (2001 est.) |
males:
28,506 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is the date of independence from German, Austrian, Prussian, and Russian occupation, 11 March 1990 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
Nationality | noun:
Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese |
noun:
Lithuanian(s) adjective: Lithuanian |
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 | NA |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide | peat, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil, 105 km; natural gas 760 km (1992) |
Political parties and leaders | no legal parties | Christian Democratic Party or LKDP [Zigmas ZINKEVICIUS, chairman]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Center Union or LCS [Kestutis GLAVECKAS, chairman]; Lithuanian Farmer's Party or LUP [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Liberal Union [Rolandas PAKSAS, chairman]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSPD, and New Democracy; Modern Christian Democratic Union [Vytautas BOGUSIS, chairman]; New Union-Social Liberals [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | NA |
Population | 2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 |
3,610,535 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.17% (2001 est.) | -0.27% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Butinge, Kaunas, Klaipeda |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 3, FM 112, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 37,000 (1997) | 1.9 million (1997) |
Railways | 0 km | total:
2,002 km broad gauge: 2,002 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified) (1994) |
Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish |
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:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2001 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:
inadequate, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications international: landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,000 (1997) | 1.048 million (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 297,500 (November 1998) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 20 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil |
Total fertility rate | 5.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.37 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 10.8% (2000) |
Waterways | none | 600 km (perennially navigable) |