Bhutan (2003) | Mauritius (2003) | |
Administrative divisions | 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 |
9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne |
Age structure | 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.) |
0-14 years: 25.1% (male 153,401; female 150,399)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 413,660; female 415,534) 65 years and over: 6.4% (male 30,673; female 46,780) (2003 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | sugarcane, tea, corn, potatoes, bananas, pulses; cattle, goats; fish |
Airports | 2 (2002) | 5 (2002) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
Area | total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 2,040 sq km
land: 2,030 sq km water: 10 sq km note: includes Agalega Islands, Cargados Carajos Shoals (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues |
Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | almost 11 times the size of Washington, DC |
Background | 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. | Discovered by the Portuguese in 1505, Mauritius was subsequently held by the Dutch, French, and British before independence was attained in 1968. A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, the country has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa's highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather and declining sugar prices have slowed economic growth, leading to some protests over standards of living in the Creole community. |
Birth rate | 34.82 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 16.1 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Budget | 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.) |
revenues: $1.1 billion
expenditures: $1.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
Capital | Thimphu | Port Louis |
Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | tropical, modified by southeast trade winds; warm, dry winter (May to November); hot, wet, humid summer (November to May) |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 177 km |
Constitution | 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 | 12 March 1968; amended 12 March 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
conventional long form: Republic of Mauritius
conventional short form: Mauritius |
Currency | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) | Mauritian rupee (MUR) |
Death rate | 13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 6.81 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Debt - external | $245 million (2000) | $2.4 billion (2002 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 PRICE
embassy: 4th Floor, Rogers House, John Kennedy Street, Port Louis mailing address: international mail: P. O. Box 544, Port Louis; US mail: American Embassy, Port Louis, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2450 telephone: [230] 202-4400 FAX: [230] 208-9534 |
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 Usha JEETAH
chancery: 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 441, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 244-1491, 1492 FAX: [1] (202) 966-0983 |
Disputes - international | 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 | Mauritius claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory), and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation in 2001; claims French-administered Tromelin Island |
Economic aid - recipient | substantial aid from India and other nations | $42 million (1997) |
Economy - overview | 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. | Since independence in 1968, Mauritius has developed from a low-income, agriculturally based economy to a middle-income diversified economy with growing industrial, financial, and tourist sectors. For most of the period, annual growth has been in the order of 5% to 6%. This remarkable achievement has been reflected in more equitable income distribution, increased life expectancy, lowered infant mortality, and a much-improved infrastructure. Sugarcane is grown on about 90% of the cultivated land area and accounts for 25% of export earnings. The government's development strategy centers on foreign investment. Mauritius has attracted more than 9,000 offshore entities, many aimed at commerce in India and South Africa, and investment in the banking sector alone has reached over $1 billion. Mauritius, with its strong textile sector and responsible fiscal management, has been well poised to take advantage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The government is encouraging foreign investment in the information technology field. |
Electricity - consumption | 379.5 million kWh (2001) | 1.219 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 1.4 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 16 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 1.896 billion kWh (2001) | 1.311 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 0.1%
hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 90.8%
hydro: 9.2% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Piton 828 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | water pollution, degradation of coral reefs |
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, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% | Indo-Mauritian 68%, Creole 27%, Sino-Mauritian 3%, Franco-Mauritian 2% |
Exchange rates | ngultrum per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94 (2000), 43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998) | Mauritian rupees per US dollar - 29.96 (2002), 29.13 (2001), 26.25 (2000), 25.19 (1999), 23.99 (1998) |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: President Sir Anerood JUGNAUTH (since 7 October 2003) and Vice President (vacant; a new Vice President will be determined by assembly elections on NA December 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Paul BERENGER (since 30 September 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president and vice president elected by the National Assembly for five-year terms; election last held 25 February 2002 (next to be held NA 2007); prime minister and deputy prime minister appointed by the president, responsible to the National Assembly election results: Karl OFFMANN elected president and Raouf BUNDHUN elected vice president; percent of vote by the National Assembly - NA%; note - Karl OFFMANN and Raouf BUNDHUN stepped down on 30 September 2003 |
Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices | clothing and textiles, sugar, cut flowers, molasses |
Exports - partners | US 24.1%, UK 23.9%, Pakistan 23.1%, France 13.9% (2002) | UK 27.7%, France 25.5%, US 16.4%, Madagascar 6.2%, Belgium 5% (2002) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 July - 30 June |
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 | four equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, yellow, and green |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $12.15 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 45%
industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 6%
industry: 33% services: 61% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $10,100 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.7% (2002 est.) | 2.3% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 20 17 S, 57 33 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | the main island, from which the country derives its name, is of volcanic origin and is almost entirely surrounded by coral reefs |
Highways | total: 3,690 km
paved: 2,240 km unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.) |
total: 1,926 km
paved: 1,868 km (including 44 km of expressways) unpaved: 58 km (2000) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | minor consumer and transshipment point for heroin from South Asia; small amounts of cannabis produced and consumed locally; significant offshore financial industry creates potential for money laundering, but corruption levels are relatively low and the government appears generally to be committed to regulating its banking industry |
Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | manufactured goods, capital equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | Japan 44.5%, Germany 12.2%, UK 8.5%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 5%, US 4.2% (2002) | France 18.4%, South Africa 13.5%, India 7.8%, China 4.5%, UK 4.2% (2002) |
Independence | 8 August 1949 (from India) | 12 March 1968 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | 8% (2000 est.) |
Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide | food processing (largely sugar milling), textiles, clothing; chemicals, metal products, transport equipment, nonelectrical machinery; tourism |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
total: 16.11 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 18.98 deaths/1,000 live births female: 13.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2002 est.) | 6.4% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | 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) | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | 2 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (1998 est.) | 200 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) | Supreme Court |
Labor force | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
514,000 (1995) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2% | construction and industry 36%, services 24%, agriculture and fishing 14%, trade, restaurants, hotels 16%, transportation and communication 7%, finance 3% (1995) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.98%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.59% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 49.26%
permanent crops: 2.96% other: 47.78% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | English (official), Creole, French (official), Hindi, Urdu, Hakka, Bhojpuri |
Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on French civil law system with elements of English common law in certain areas |
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: local elections last held November 2002 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: NA |
unicameral National Assembly (66 seats; 62 elected by popular vote, 4 appointed by the election commission from the losing political parties to give representation to various ethnic minorities; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held on 11 September 2000 (next to be held by September 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MSM/MMM 52.3%, MLP/PMSD 36.9%, OPR 10.8%; seats by party - MSM/MMM 54, MLP/PMSD 6, OPR 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.58 years
male: 53.9 years female: 53.25 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 71.8 years
male: 67.82 years female: 75.85 years (2003 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: 85.6% male: 88.6% female: 82.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Southern Africa, island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar |
Map references | Asia | Political Map of the World |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 23,455 GRT/27,102 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, combination bulk 4, passenger/cargo 1, refrigerated cargo 2 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience:, Belgium 1, India 3, Norway 1, Switzerland 2 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Forest Guards | National Police Force (includes the paramilitary Special Mobile Force or SMF and National Coast Guard) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $9.3 million (FY02) | $9.712 million (FY02) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.9% (FY02) | 0.2% (FY02) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 530,860 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49: 341,029 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 283,493 (2003 est.) | males age 15-49: 171,556 (2003 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2003 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 22,755 (2003 est.) | - |
National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Independence Day, 12 March (1968) |
Nationality | noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
noun: Mauritian(s)
adjective: Mauritian |
Natural hazards | 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 | cyclones (November to April); almost completely surrounded by reefs that may pose maritime hazards |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide | arable land, fish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -0.91 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | no legal parties | Hizbullah [Cehl Mohamed FAKEEMEEAH]; Mauritian Labor Party or MLP [Navinchandra RAMGOOLAM]; Mauritian Militant Movement or MMM [Paul BERENGER] - in coalition with MSM; Mauritian Social Democrat Party or PMSD [Charles Xavier-Luc DUVAL]; Militant Socialist Movement or MSM [Pravind JUGNAUTH] - governing party; Rodrigues Movement or MR [Joseph (Nicholas) Von MALLY]; Rodrigues Peoples Organization or OPR [Serge CLAIR] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | various labor unions |
Population | 2,139,549
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2003 est.) |
1,210,447 (July 2003 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 10% (2001 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.14% (2003 est.) | 0.84% (2003 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Port Louis |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 4, FM 9, shortwave 0 (2002) |
Railways | 0 km | 0 km |
Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Hindu 52%, Christian 28.3% (Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 2.3%), Muslim 16.6%, other 3.1% |
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: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.66 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2003 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: small system with good service
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay trunk system international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean); new microwave link to Reunion; HF radiotelephone links to several countries |
Telephones - main lines in use | 6,000 (1997) | 280,900 (2000) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | NA | 180,000 (2000) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 2 (plus several repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | small coastal plain rising to discontinuous mountains encircling central plateau |
Total fertility rate | 4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.98 children born/woman (2003 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | 8.8% (2002 est.) |
Waterways | none | none |