Compare Bhutan (2005) - Eritrea (2006)

Compare Bhutan (2005) z Eritrea (2006)

	Bhutan (2005)	Eritrea (2006)

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	6 regions (zobatat, singular - zoba); Anseba, Debub (Southern), Debubawi K'eyih Bahri (Southern Red Sea), Gash Barka, Ma'akel (Central), Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea)
Age structure	0-14 years: 39.1% (male 452,213/female 420,675) 15-64 years: 56.9% (male 654,109/female 615,431) 65 years and over: 4% (male 45,281/female 44,582) (2005 est.)	0-14 years: 44% (male 1,059,458/female 1,046,955) 15-64 years: 52.5% (male 1,244,153/female 1,268,189) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 82,112/female 86,127) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs	sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish
Airports	2 (2004 est.)	17 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 13 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Area	total: 47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about half the size of Indiana	slightly larger than Pennsylvania
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.	Eritrea was awarded to Ethiopia in 1952 as part of a federation. Ethiopia's annexation of Eritrea as a province 10 years later sparked a 30-year struggle for independence that ended in 1991 with Eritrean rebels defeating governmental forces; independence was overwhelmingly approved in a 1993 referendum. A two-and-a-half-year border war with Ethiopia that erupted in 1998 ended under UN auspices in December 2000. Eritrea currently hosts a UN peacekeeping operation that is monitoring a 25 km-wide Temporary Security Zone on the border with Ethiopia. An international commission, organized to resolve the border dispute, posted its findings in 2002 but final demarcation is on hold due to Ethiopian objections.
Birth rate	34.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)	34.33 births/1,000 population (2006 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: $248.8 million expenditures: $409.4 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital	Thimphu	name: Asmara (Asmera) geographic coordinates: 15 20 N, 38 53 E time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas	hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually, heaviest June to September); semiarid in western hills and lowlands
Coastline	0 km (landlocked)	2,234 km (mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 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; now awaiting referendum	a transitional constitution, decreed on 19 May 1993, was replaced by a new constitution adopted on 23 May 1997, but not yet implemented
Country name	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan	conventional long form: State of Eritrea conventional short form: Eritrea local long form: Hagere Ertra local short form: Ertra former: Eritrea Autonomous Region in Ethiopia
Death rate	12.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)	9.6 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	$245 million (2000)	$311 million (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 Scott H. DELISI embassy: 179 Alaa Street, Asmara mailing address: P. O. Box 211, Asmara telephone: [291] (1) 120004 FAX: [291] (1) 127584
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 GHIRMAI Ghebremariam chancery: 1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1991 FAX: [1] (202) 319-1304 consulate(s) general: Oakland (California)
Disputes - international	approximately 104,000 Bhutanese refugees live in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps; Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian separatists	Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by 2002 Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but despite international intervention, mutual animosities, accusations, and armed posturing have prevented demarcation; Ethiopia refuses to withdraw to the delimited boundary until claimed technical errors made by the EEBC that ignored "human geography" are addressed, including the award of Badme, the focus of the 1998-2000 war; Eritrea insists that the EEBC decision be implemented immediately without modifications; in 2005 Eritrea began severely restricting the operations of the UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) monitoring the 25km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000; Sudan sustains over 110,000 Eritrean refugees and accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups
Economic aid - recipient	substantial aid from India and other nations	$77 million (1999)
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 visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.	Since independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war-damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002-05. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, as well as the willingness to open its economy to private enterprise so that the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.
Electricity - consumption	312.9 million kWh (2002)	251.9 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	1.56 billion kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	12 million kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	2.001 billion kWh (2002)	270.9 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m	lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m highest point: Soira 3,018 m
Environment - current issues	soil erosion; limited access to potable water	deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species 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%	Tigrinya 50%, Tigre and Kunama 40%, Afar 4%, Saho (Red Sea coast dwellers) 3%, other 3%
Exchange rates	ngultrum per US dollar - 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000)	nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - 14.5 (2005), 13.788 (2004), 13.878 (2003), 13.958 (2002), 11.31 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Sangay NGEDUP (since 5 September 2005) 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 ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly cabinet: State Council is the collective executive authority; members appointed by the president elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated) election results: ISAIAS Afworki elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki 95%
Exports	NA	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices	livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)
Exports - partners	Bangladesh 47.4%, Japan 30.2%, France 3.4% (2004)	Italy 39.3%, US 14.9%, Belarus 7.3%, Germany 5.8%, UK 4.9% (2005)
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	red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 45% industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.)	agriculture: 10.2% industry: 25.4% services: 64.3% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	5.3% (2003 est.)	2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	27 30 N, 90 30 E	15 00 N, 39 00 E
Geography - note	landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes	strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes; Eritrea retained the entire coastline of Ethiopia along the Red Sea upon de jure independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993
Highways	total: 4,007 km paved: 24 km unpaved: 3,983 km (2002)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice	machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)
Imports - partners	Germany 65.4%, Japan 14.3%, Austria 6.8%, UK 4.5% (2004)	Germany 22.2%, Italy 20.3%, France 15.9%, US 12.8%, Ireland 8.2% (2005)
Independence	8 August 1949 (from India)	24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)
Industrial production growth rate	9.3% (1996 est.)	NA%
Industries	cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide	food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles, salt, cement, commercial ship repair
Infant mortality rate	total: 100.44 deaths/1,000 live births male: 98.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 102.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)	total: 46.3 deaths/1,000 live births male: 52.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2002 est.)	15% (2005 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, WTO (observer)	ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (observer), IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO
Irrigated land	400 sq km (1998 est.)	210 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)	High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts
Labor force	NA note: massive lack of skilled labor	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 93%, industry and commerce 2%, services 5%	agriculture: 80% industry and services: 20%
Land boundaries	total: 1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km	total: 1,626 km border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km
Land use	arable land: 3.09% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.48% (2001)	arable land: 4.78% permanent crops: 0.03% other: 95.19% (2005)
Languages	Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects	Afar, Arabic, Tigre and Kunama, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages
Legal system	based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law
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 (150 seats; term limits not established) elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of Eritreans living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 54.39 years male: 54.65 years female: 54.11 years (2005 est.)	total population: 59.03 years male: 57.44 years female: 60.66 years (2006 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: 58.6% male: 69.9% female: 47.6% (2003 est.)
Location	Southern Asia, between China and India	Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan
Map references	Asia	Africa
Maritime claims	none (landlocked)	territorial sea: 12 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 19,506 GRT/23,649 DWT by type: cargo 3, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (2006)
Military branches	Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2005)	Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$13.7 million (2004)	$220.1 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	1.8% (2004)	17.7% (2005 est.)
National holiday	National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)	Independence Day, 24 May (1993)
Nationality	noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese	noun: Eritrean(s) adjective: Eritrean
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	frequent droughts; locust swarms
Natural resources	timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate	gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders	no legal parties	People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afworki]; note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it
Political pressure groups and leaders	Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)	Eritrean Islamic Jihad or EIJ (also including Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement or EIJM (also known as the Abu Sihel Movement)); Eritrean Islamic Salvation or EIS (also known as the Arafa Movement); Eritrean Liberation Front or ELF [ABDULLAH Muhammed]; Eritrean National Alliance or ENA (a coalition including EIJ, EIS, ELF, and a number of ELF factions) [HERUY Tedla Biru]; Eritrean Public Forum or EPF [ARADOM Iyob]
Population	2,232,291 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2005 est.)	4,786,994 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	50% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	2.11% (2005 est.)	2.47% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004)	AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)
Railways	-	total: 306 km narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge (2005)
Religions	Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%	Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant
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 (2005 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2006 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: telecommunications facilities are poor domestic: very low tele-density; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003 international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2005)	general assessment: inadequate domestic: inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002) international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist
Telephones - main lines in use	25,200 (2003)	37,700 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	22,000 (2005)	40,400 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2005)	1 (2000)
Terrain	mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna	dominated by extension of Ethiopian north-south trending highlands, descending on the east to a coastal desert plain, on the northwest to hilly terrain and on the southwest to flat-to-rolling plains
Total fertility rate	4.81 children born/woman (2005 est.)	5.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA	NA%

Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.