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Compare Bhutan (2001) - Syria (2002)

Compare Bhutan (2001) z Syria (2002)

 Bhutan (2001)Syria (2002)
 BhutanSyria
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
14 provinces (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Al Hasakah, Al Ladhiqiyah, Al Qunaytirah, Ar Raqqah, As Suwayda', Dar'a, Dayr az Zawr, Dimashq, Halab, Hamah, Hims, Idlib, Rif Dimashq, Tartus
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: 39.3% (male 3,467,267; female 3,264,639)


15-64 years: 57.5% (male 5,052,841; female 4,817,662)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 267,803; female 285,602) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs wheat, barley, cotton, lentils, chickpeas, olives, sugar beets; beef, mutton, eggs, poultry, milk
Airports 2 (2000 est.) 99 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways total:
1

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 24


over 3,047 m: 5


2,438 to 3,047 m: 16


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
total: 68


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 55 (2002)
Area total:
47,000 sq km

land:
47,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 185,180 sq km


land: 184,050 sq km


water: 1,130 sq km


note: includes 1,295 sq km of Israeli-occupied territory
Area - comparative about half the size of Indiana slightly larger than North Dakota
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. Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire during World War I, Syria was administered by the French until independence in 1946. In the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Syria lost the Golan Heights to Israel. Since 1976, Syrian troops have been stationed in Lebanon, ostensibly in a peacekeeping capacity. In recent years, Syria and Israel have held occasional peace talks over the return of the Golan Heights.
Birth rate 35.73 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 30.11 births/1,000 population (2002 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: $5 billion


expenditures: $7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)
Capital Thimphu Damascus
Climate varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas mostly desert; hot, dry, sunny summers (June to August) and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically in Damascus
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 193 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 13 March 1973
Country name conventional long form:
Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:
Bhutan
conventional long form: Syrian Arab Republic


conventional short form: Syria


local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Arabiyah as Suriyah


local short form: Suriyah


former: United Arab Republic (with Egypt)
Currency ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) Syrian pound (SYP)
Death rate 14.03 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 5.12 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external $120 million (1998) $22 billion (2001 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 Theodore H. KATTOUF


embassy: Abou Roumaneh, Al-Mansur Street, No. 2, Damascus


mailing address: P. O. Box 29, Damascus


telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342


FAX: [963] (11) 331-9678
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 Rustum al-ZU'BI


chancery: 2215 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6313


FAX: [1] (202) 234-9548
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 Golan Heights is Israeli-occupied; dispute with upstream riparian Turkey over Turkish water development plans for the Tigris and Euphrates rivers; Syrian troops in northern, central, and eastern Lebanon since October 1976; Turkey is quick to rebuff any perceived Syrian claim to Hatay province
Economic aid - recipient $73.8 million (1995) $199 million (1997 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. Syria's predominantly statist economy has been growing slower than its 2.5% annual population growth rate, causing a persistent decline in per capita GDP. President Bashar AL-ASAD has made little progress on the economic front after one year in office, but does appear willing to permit a gradual strengthening of the private sector. His most obvious accomplishment to this end was the recent passage of legislation allowing private banks to operate in Syria, although a private banking sector will take years and further government cooperation to develop. ASAD's recent cabinet reshuffle may improve his chances of implementing further growth-oriented policies, although external factors such as the international war on terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and downturn in oil prices could weaken the foreign investment and government revenues Syria needs to flourish. A long-run economic constraint is the pressure on water supplies caused by rapid population growth, industrial expansion, and increased water pollution.
Electricity - consumption 191.1 million kWh (1999) 17.671 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports 1.55 billion kWh (1999) 650 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports 15 million kWh (1999) 0 kWh (2000)
Electricity - production 1.856 billion kWh (1999) 19.7 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
0.05%

hydro:
99.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: 64%


hydro: 36%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m

highest point:
Kula Kangri 7,553 m
lowest point: unnamed location near Lake Tiberias -200 m


highest point: Mount Hermon 2,814 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion; limited access to potable water deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water pollution from raw sewage and petroleum refining wastes; inadequate 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, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%, indigenous or migrant tribes 15% Arab 90.3%, Kurds, Armenians, and other 9.7%
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 Syrian pounds per US dollar - 51 (December 2001), 46 (2000), 46 (1998), 41.9 (January 1997)
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 Bashar al-ASAD (since 17 July 2000); Vice Presidents Abd al-Halim ibn Said KHADDAM (since 11 March 1984) and Muhammad Zuhayr MASHARIQA (since 11 March 1984)


head of government: Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa MIRU (since 13 March 2000), Deputy Prime Ministers Lt. Gen. Mustafa TALAS (since 11 March 1984), Farouk al-SHARA (since 13 December 2001), Dr. Muhammad al-HUSAYN (since 13 December 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; referendum/election last held 10 July 2000 - after the death of President Hafez al-ASAD, father of Bashar al-ASAD - (next to be held NA 2007); vice presidents appointed by the president; prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president


election results: Bashar al-ASAD elected president; percent of vote - Bashar al-ASAD 97.29%


note: Hafiz al-ASAD died on 10 June 2000; on 20 June 2000, the Ba'th Party nominated Bashar al-ASAD for president and presented his name to the People's Council on 25 June 2000
Exports $154 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.) $5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Exports - commodities cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices crude oil 68%, textiles 7%, fruits and vegetables 6%, raw cotton 4% (1998 est.)
Exports - partners India 94%, Bangladesh Germany 27%, Italy 12%, France 10%, Turkey 10%, Saudi Arabia 7% (2000 est.)
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 red (top), white, and black, with two small green five-pointed stars in a horizontal line centered in the white band; similar to the flag of Yemen, which has a plain white band, and of Iraq, which has three green stars (plus an Arabic inscription) in a horizontal line centered in the white band; also similar to the flag of Egypt, which has a heraldic eagle centered in the white band
GDP purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $54.2 billion (2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
38%

industry:
37%

services:
25% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 27%


industry: 23%


services: 50% (2000 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $3,200 (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 6% (2000 est.) 2% (2001 est.)
Geographic coordinates 27 30 N, 90 30 E 35 00 N, 38 00 E
Geography - note landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes there are 42 Israeli settlements and civilian land use sites in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights (February 2002 est.)
Heliports - 7 (2002)
Highways total:
3,285 km

paved:
1,994 km

unpaved:
1,291 km (1996)
total: 41,451 km


paved: 9,575 km (including 877 km of expressways)


unpaved: 31,876 km (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - a transit point for opiates and hashish bound for regional and Western markets
Imports $269 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.) $4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.)
Imports - commodities fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice machinery and transport equipment 21%, food and livestock 18%, metal and metal products 15%, chemicals and chemical products 10% (2000 est.)
Imports - partners India 77%, Japan, UK, Germany, US Italy 9%, Germany 7%, France 5%, Lebanon 5%, China 4%, South Korea 4%, Turkey 4%, US 4% (2000 est.)
Independence 8 August 1949 (from India) 17 April 1946 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
Industrial production growth rate 9.3% (1996 est.) NA%
Industries cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide petroleum, textiles, food processing, beverages, tobacco, phosphate rock mining
Infant mortality rate 108.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 32.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7% (2000 est.) 0.3% (2001 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) AFESD, AL, AMF, CAEU, CCC, ESCWA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAPEC, OIC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNRWA, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WToO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) NA 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 340 sq km (1993 est.) 12,130 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) Supreme Constitutional Court (justices are appointed for four-year terms by the president); High Judicial Council; Court of Cassation; State Security Courts
Labor force NA

note:
massive lack of skilled labor
4.7 million (1998 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% agriculture 40%, industry 20%, services 40% (1996 est.)
Land boundaries total:
1,075 km

border countries:
China 470 km, India 605 km
total: 2,253 km


border countries: Iraq 605 km, Israel 76 km, Jordan 375 km, Lebanon 375 km, Turkey 822 km
Land use arable land:
2%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
6%

forests and woodland:
66%

other:
26% (1993 est.)
arable land: 25.96%


permanent crops: 4.08%


other: 69.96% (1998 est.)
Languages Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, English somewhat understood
Legal system based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction based on Islamic law and civil law system; special religious courts; 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 People's Council or Majlis al-shaab (250 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 30 November-1 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2002)


election results: percent of vote by party - NPF 67%, independents 33%; seats by party - NPF 167, independents 83; note - the constitution guarantees that the Ba'th Party (part of the NPF alliance) receives one-half of the seats
Life expectancy at birth total population:
52.79 years

male:
53.16 years

female:
52.41 years (2001 est.)
total population: 69.08 years


male: 67.9 years


female: 70.32 years (2002 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: 70.8%


male: 85.7%


female: 55.8% (1997 est.)
Location Southern Asia, between China and India Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Lebanon and Turkey
Map references Asia Middle East
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone: 41 NM


territorial sea: 35 NM
Merchant marine - total: 143 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 482,985 GRT/702,590 DWT


ships by type: bulk 12, cargo 126, livestock carrier 4, roll on/roll off 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Egypt 1, Greece 2, Italy 1, Lebanon 10 (2002 est.)
Military branches Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary) Syrian Arab Army, Syrian Arab Navy, Syrian Arab Air Force (includes Air Defense Forces), Police and Security Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $921 million (FY00 est.); note - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 5.9% (FY98)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
504,342 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 4,550,496 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
269,251 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49: 2,539,342 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - military age 18 years of age 19 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
21,167 (2001 est.)
males: 200,859 (2002 est.)
National holiday National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) Independence Day, 17 April (1946)
Nationality noun:
Bhutanese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Bhutanese
noun: Syrian(s)


adjective: Syrian
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 dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide petroleum, phosphates, chrome and manganese ores, asphalt, iron ore, rock salt, marble, gypsum, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 1,304 km; petroleum products 515 km
Political parties and leaders no legal parties National Progressive Front or NPF (includes the Ba'th Party, ASU, Arab Socialist Party, Socialist Unionist Democratic Party, ASP, SCP) [President Bashar al-ASAD, chairman]; Arab Socialist Renaissance (Ba'th) Party (governing party) [President Bashar al-ASAD, secretary general]; Syrian Arab Socialist Party or ASP [Safwan KOUDSI]; Syrian Communist Party or SCP [Yusuf FAYSAL]; Syrian Social National Party [Jubran URAYJI]
Political pressure groups and leaders Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) conservative religious leaders; Muslim Brotherhood (operates in exile in Jordan and Yemen); non-Ba'th parties have little effective political influence
Population 2,049,412 (July 2001 est.)

note:
other estimates range as low as 800,000
17,155,814 (July 2002 est.)


note: in addition, about 40,000 people live in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights - 20,000 Arabs (18,000 Druze and 2,000 Alawites) and about 20,000 Israeli settlers (February 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% 15%-25%
Population growth rate 2.17% (2001 est.) 2.5% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors none Baniyas, Jablah, Latakia, Tartus
Radio broadcast stations AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 14, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 37,000 (1997) 4.15 million (1997)
Railways 0 km total: 2,750 km


standard gauge: 2,423 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 327 km 1.050-m gauge


note: rail link between Syria and Iraq replaced in 2000 (2001)
Religions Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Sunni Muslim 74%, Alawite, Druze, and other Muslim sects 16%, Christian (various sects) 10%, Jewish (tiny communities in Damascus, Al Qamishli, and Aleppo)
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: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.94 male(s)/female


total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2002 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: fair system currently undergoing significant improvement and digital upgrades, including fiber-optic technology


domestic: coaxial cable and microwave radio relay network


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); 1 submarine cable; coaxial cable and microwave radio relay to Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey; participant in Medarabtel
Telephones - main lines in use 6,000 (1997) 1.313 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA NA
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 44 (plus 17 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna primarily semiarid and desert plateau; narrow coastal plain; mountains in west
Total fertility rate 5.07 children born/woman (2001 est.) 3.84 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 20% (2000 est.)
Waterways none 870 km (minimal economic importance)
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