Bhutan (2004) | New Zealand (2008) | |
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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 |
16 regions and 1 territory*; Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Chatham Islands*, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu-Wanganui, Marlborough, Nelson, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato, Wellington, West Coast |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 445,548; female 414,338)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 637,637; female 600,253) 65 years and over: 4% (male 44,298; female 43,495) (2004 est.) |
0-14 years: 20.8% (male 437,547/female 417,698)
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 1,393,057/female 1,378,358) 65 years and over: 11.9% (male 214,189/female 274,922) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | dairy products, lamb and mutton; wheat, barley, potatoes, pulses, fruits, vegetables; wool, beef; fish |
Airports | 2 (2003 est.) | 121 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 41
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 26 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 80
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 31 under 914 m: 46 (2007) |
Area | total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 268,680 sq km
land: 268,021 sq km water: NA note: includes Antipodes Islands, Auckland Islands, Bounty Islands, Campbell Island, Chatham Islands, and Kermadec Islands |
Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | about the size of Colorado |
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. | The Polynesian Maori reached New Zealand in about A.D. 800. In 1840, their chieftains entered into a compact with Britain, the Treaty of Waitangi, in which they ceded sovereignty to Queen Victoria while retaining territorial rights. In that same year, the British began the first organized colonial settlement. A series of land wars between 1843 and 1872 ended with the defeat of the native peoples. The British colony of New Zealand became an independent dominion in 1907 and supported the UK militarily in both World Wars. New Zealand's full participation in a number of defense alliances lapsed by the 1980s. In recent years, the government has sought to address longstanding Maori grievances. |
Birth rate | 34.41 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 13.61 births/1,000 population (2007 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: $54.36 billion
expenditures: $48.51 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | Thimphu | name: Wellington
geographic coordinates: 41 28 S, 174 51 E time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends third Sunday in March note: New Zealand is divided into two time zones, including Chatham Island |
Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | temperate with sharp regional contrasts |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 15,134 km |
Constitution | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001 the King commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in November 2004 presented a draft to the Council of Ministers | consists of a series of legal documents, including certain acts of the UK and New Zealand Parliaments, as well as The Constitution Act 1986, which is the principal formal charter; adopted 1 January 1987, effective 1 January 1987 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: New Zealand abbreviation: NZ |
Currency | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) | - |
Death rate | 13.2 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 7.54 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $245 million (2000) | $50.02 billion (31 December 2007 est.) |
Dependent areas | - | Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau |
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 William P. McCORMICK
embassy: 29 Fitzherbert Terrace, Thorndon, Wellington mailing address: P. O. Box 1190, Wellington; PSC 467, Box 1, APO AP 96531-1034 telephone: [64] (4) 462-6000 FAX: [64] (4) 499-0490 consulate(s) general: Auckland |
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; FAX [1] (212) 826-2998; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: Ambassador Roy N. FERGUSON
chancery: 37 Observatory Circle NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-4800 FAX: [1] (202) 667-5227 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York |
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 | asserts a territorial claim in Antarctica (Ross Dependency) |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $276 million (2006 est.) |
Economic aid - recipient | substantial aid from India and other nations | - |
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 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. 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. For example, the government in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector encourages the visits of upscale, environmentally conscientious visitors. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. | Over the past 20 years the government has transformed New Zealand from an agrarian economy dependent on concessionary British market access to a more industrialized, free market economy that can compete globally. This dynamic growth has boosted real incomes - but left behind many at the bottom of the ladder - and broadened and deepened the technological capabilities of the industrial sector. Per capita income has risen for eight consecutive years and reached $27,800 in 2007 in purchasing power parity terms. Consumer and government spending have driven growth in recent years, and exports picked up in 2006 after struggling for several years. Exports were equal to about 22% of GDP in 2007, down from 33% of GDP in 2001. Thus far the economy has been resilient, and the Labor Government promises that expenditures on health, education, and pensions will increase proportionately to output. Inflationary pressures have built in recent years and the central bank raised its key rate 13 times since January 2004 to finish 2007 at 8.25%. A large balance of payments deficit poses another challenge in managing the economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 379.5 million kWh (2001) | 37.39 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Electricity - exports | 1.4 billion kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 16 million kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 1.896 billion kWh (2001) | 42.06 billion kWh (2006 est.) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Aoraki-Mount Cook 3,754 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | deforestation; soil erosion; native flora and fauna hard-hit by invasive species |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic Seals, Marine Life Conservation |
Ethnic groups | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% | European 69.8%, Maori 7.9%, Asian 5.7%, Pacific islander 4.4%, other 0.5%, mixed 7.8%, unspecified 3.8% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | ngultrum per US dollar - 46.5806 (2003), 48.6103 (2002), 47.1864 (2001), 44.9416 (2000), 43.0554 (1999) | New Zealand dollars per US dollar - 1.3811 (2007), 1.5408 (2006), 1.4203 (2005), 1.5087 (2004), 1.7221 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Yeshey ZIMBA (since 20 August 2004) 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Anand SATYANAND (since 23 August 2006)
head of government: Prime Minister Helen CLARK (since 10 December 1999); Deputy Prime Minister Michael CULLEN (since July 2002) cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general |
Exports | NA (2001) | 15,720 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices | dairy products, meat, wood and wood products, fish, machinery |
Exports - partners | Bangladesh 60.5%, US 11.7%, Malaysia 5.7% (2003) | Australia 20.5%, US 13.1%, Japan 10.3%, China 5.4%, UK 4.9% (2006) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | 1 April - 31 March
note: this is the fiscal year for tax purposes |
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 | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant with four red five-pointed stars edged in white centered in the outer half of the flag; the stars represent the Southern Cross constellation |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 45%
industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 4.3%
industry: 26.2% services: 69.6% (2007 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 7.7% (2002 est.) | 3% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 41 00 S, 174 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | about 80% of the population lives in cities; Wellington is the southernmost national capital in the world |
Government - note | - | while not an official symbol, the Kiwi, a small native flightless bird, represents New Zealand |
Highways | total: 3,690 km
paved: 2,240 km unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA (1991 est.) |
Illicit drugs | - | significant consumer of amphetamines |
Imports | NA (2001) | 140,900 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | machinery and equipment, vehicles and aircraft, petroleum, electronics, textiles, plastics |
Imports - partners | Japan 36.6%, Austria 14.2%, Sweden 8.3%, China 7.5%, Thailand 6%, Bangladesh 6%, Germany 5.5%, Italy 4% (2003) | Australia 20.5%, China 12.3%, US 11.8%, Japan 9.2%, Germany 4.4%, Singapore 4.4% (2006) |
Independence | 8 August 1949 (from India) | 26 September 1907 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | 1.8% (2007 est.) |
Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide | food processing, wood and paper products, textiles, machinery, transportation equipment, banking and insurance, tourism, mining |
Infant mortality rate | total: 102.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 100.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 104.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
total: 5.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.48 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | AsDB, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) | ADB, ANZUS (US suspended security obligations to NZ on 11 August 1986), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNMIT, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (1998 est.) | 2,850 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; High Court; note - judges appointed by the Governor-General |
Labor force | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor (1997 est.) |
2.23 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 93%, industry and commerce 2%, services 5% | agriculture: 7%
industry: 19% services: 74% (2006 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 3.09%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.48% (2001) |
arable land: 5.54%
permanent crops: 6.92% other: 87.54% (2005) |
Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | English (official), Maori (official), Sign Language (official) |
Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English law, with special land legislation and land courts for the Maori; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations |
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 House of Representatives - commonly called Parliament (120 seats; 69 members elected by popular vote in single-member constituencies including 7 Maori constituencies, and 51 proportional seats chosen from party lists; to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 17 September 2005 (next to be held not later than 15 November 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NZLP 41.1%, NP 39.1%, NZFP 5.7%, Green Party 5.3%, Maori 2.1%, UF 2.7%, ACT New Zealand 1.5%, Progressive 1.2%, other 1.3%; seats by party - NZLP 50, NP 48, NZFP 7, Green Party 6, Maori 4, UF 3, ACT New Zealand 2, Progressive 1 note: results of 2005 election saw the total number of seats increase to 121 because the Maori Party won one more electorate seat than its entitlement under the party vote |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.99 years
male: 54.27 years female: 53.68 years (2004 est.) |
total population: 78.96 years
male: 75.97 years female: 82.08 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: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of Australia |
Map references | Asia | Oceania |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
Merchant marine | - | total: 11 ships (1000 GRT or over) 108,667 GRT/89,458 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 3, cargo 1, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Germany 1) registered in other countries: 8 (Antigua and Barbuda 2, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 3, France 1, UK 1) (2007) |
Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia | New Zealand Defense Force (NZDF): New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force (2008) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $11.2 million (2003) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.9% (2003) | 1% (2005 est.) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 544,560 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 290,843 (2004 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 23,379 (2004 est.) | - |
National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Waitangi Day (Treaty of Waitangi established British sovereignty over New Zealand), 6 February (1840); ANZAC Day (commemorated as the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915) |
Nationality | noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
noun: New Zealander(s)
adjective: New Zealand |
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 | earthquakes are common, though usually not severe; volcanic activity |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide | natural gas, iron ore, sand, coal, timber, hydropower, gold, limestone |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) | 3.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | - | condensate 331 km; gas 1,896 km; liquid petroleum gas 172 km; oil 288 km; refined products 260 km (2007) |
Political parties and leaders | no legal parties | ACT New Zealand [Rodney HIDE]; Green Party [Jeanette FITZSIMONS]; Maori Party [Whatarangi WINIATA]; National Party or NP [John KEY]; New Zealand First Party or NZFP [Winston PETERS]; New Zealand Labor Party or NZLP [Helen CLARK]; Progressive Party [James (Jim) ANDERTON]; United Future or UF [Peter DUNNE] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | NA |
Population | 2,185,569
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2004 est.) |
4,115,771 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.12% (2004 est.) | 0.95% (2007 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 124, FM 290, shortwave 4 (1998) |
Railways | - | total: 4,128 km
narrow gauge: 4,128 km 1.067-m gauge (506 km electrified) (2006) |
Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Anglican 14.9%, Roman Catholic 12.4%, Presbyterian 10.9%, Methodist 2.9%, Pentecostal 1.7%, Baptist 1.3%, other Christian 9.4%, other 3.3%, unspecified 17.2%, none 26% (2001 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: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
at birth: 1.04 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.779 male(s)/female total population: 0.987 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990) |
general assessment: excellent domestic and international systems
domestic: NA international: country code - 64; the Southern Cross submarine cable system provides links to Australia, Fiji, and US; satellite earth stations - 1 InMarSat (Pacific Ocean), 7 other |
Telephones - main lines in use | 25,200 (2003) | 1.729 million (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,000 (2003) | 3.53 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 41 (plus about 700 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | predominately mountainous with some large coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | 4.87 children born/woman (2004 est.) | 1.79 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 3.5% (2007 est.) |