Bhutan (2005) | Lithuania (2002) | |
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 |
10 counties (apskritys, singular - apskritis); Alytaus, Kauno, Klaipedos, Marijampoles, Panevezio, Siauliu, Taurages, Telsiu, Utenos, Vilniaus |
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: 18.2% (male 333,966; female 319,992)
15-64 years: 68% (male 1,184,969; female 1,265,711) 65 years and over: 13.8% (male 167,789; female 328,711) (2002 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | grain, potatoes, sugar beets, flax, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish |
Airports | 2 (2004 est.) | 72 (2001) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 under 914 m: 3 (2002) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 63
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 55 (2002) |
Area | total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 65,200 sq km
land: NA sq km water: NA sq km |
Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | slightly larger than West Virginia |
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. | Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but this proclamation was not generally recognized until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently has restructured its economy for eventual integration into Western European institutions. |
Birth rate | 34.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 10.22 births/1,000 population (2002 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: $1.59 billion
expenditures: $1.77 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.) |
Capital | Thimphu | Vilnius |
Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 99 km |
Constitution | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - 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 | adopted 25 October 1992 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
conventional long form: Republic of Lithuania
conventional short form: Lithuania local long form: Lietuvos Respublika local short form: Lietuva former: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic |
Currency | - | litas (LTL) |
Death rate | 12.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 12.87 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Debt - external | $245 million (2000) | $5.8 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 F. TEFFT
embassy: 2600 Akmenu 6, Vilnius mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723 telephone: [370] (2) 665-500 FAX: [370] (2) 665-510 |
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 Vygaudas USACKAS
chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 234-5860 FAX: [1] (202) 328-0466 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York |
Disputes - international | 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 | the Russian Duma has not ratified 1997 boundary treaty; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights |
Economic aid - recipient | substantial aid from India and other nations | $228.5 million (1995) (1995) |
Economy - overview | The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links 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. | Lithuania, the Baltic state that has conducted the most trade with Russia, has been slowly rebounding from the 1998 Russian financial crisis. High unemployment, still 12% in 2002, and weak consumption have held back recovery. Trade has been increasingly oriented toward the West. Lithuania has gained membership in the World Trade Organization and has moved ahead with plans to join the EU. Privatization of the large, state-owned utilities, particularly in the energy sector, is underway. Overall, more than 80% of enterprises have been privatized. The US government and business aid have helped in the transition from the old command economy to a market economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 312.9 million kWh (2002) | 6.898 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - exports | 1.56 billion kWh (2002) | 6.3 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - imports | 12 million kWh (2002) | 3 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production | 2.001 billion kWh (2002) | 10.966 billion kWh (2000) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 20%
hydro: 3% nuclear: 77% other: 0% (2000) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Juozapines/Kalnas 292 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% | Lithuanian 80.6%, Russian 8.7%, Polish 7%, Belarusian 1.6%, other 2.1% |
Exchange rates | ngultrum per US dollar - 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000) | litai per US dollar - 3.4946 (15 October 2002), 3.4794 (1 July 2002), 4.000 (fixed rate between 1 May 1994 and 1 February 2002); note - litai is the plural of litas; effective 1 February 2002 the litas was pegged to the euro at a rate of 3.4528 |
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 Rolandas PAKSAS (since 26 February 2003)
head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS (since 3 July 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the nomination of the premier elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 22 December 2002 and 5 January 2003 (next to be held in late 2007); premier appointed by the president on the approval of the Parliament election results: Rolandas PAKSAS elected president; percent of vote - Rolandas PAKSAS 54.9%, Valdas ADAMKUS 45.1% |
Exports | NA | $5.4 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Exports - commodities | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices | mineral products 23%, textiles and clothing 16%, machinery and equipment 11%, chemicals 6%, wood and wood products 5%, foodstuffs 5% (2001) |
Exports - partners | Bangladesh 47.4%, Japan 30.2%, France 3.4% (2004) | UK 13.8%, Latvia 12.6%, Germany 12.6%, Russia 11%, Poland 6.3% (2001) |
Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
Flag description | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner; the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange; centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon facing away from the hoist side | three equal horizontal bands of yellow (top), green, and red |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $29.2 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 45%
industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.) |
agriculture: 8%
industry: 31% services: 61% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,400 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 5.3% (2003 est.) | 4.5% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 56 00 N, 24 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits |
Highways | total: 4,007 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 3,983 km (2002) |
total: 44,000 km
paved: 35,500 km unpaved: 8,500 km (2001) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 26% (1996) (1996) |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for opiates and other illicit drugs from Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Western Europe to Western Europe and Scandinavia; limited production of methamphetamine and ecstasy; susceptible to money laundering |
Imports | NA | $6.8 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.) |
Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | mineral products 21%, machinery and equipment 17%, transport equipment 11%, chemicals 9%, textiles and clothing 9%, metals 5% (2001) |
Imports - partners | Germany 65.4%, Japan 14.3%, Austria 6.8%, UK 4.5% (2004) | Russia 25.3%, Germany 17.2%, Poland 4.9%, Italy 4.2%, France 3.8% (2001) |
Independence | 8 August 1949 (from India) | 11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | 6% (2002 est.) |
Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide | metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber |
Infant mortality rate | 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.) |
14.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3% (2002 est.) | 0.8% (2002 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) | ACCT (observer), BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 32 (2001) |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (1998 est.) | 90 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) | Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for all courts appointed by the President |
Labor force | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
1.5 million (2001 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 93%, industry and commerce 2%, services 5% | industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (1997 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
total: 1,273 km
border countries: Belarus 502 km, Latvia 453 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km |
Land use | arable land: 3.09%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.48% (2001) |
arable land: 45.46%
permanent crops: 0.93% other: 53.61% (1998 est.) |
Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | Lithuanian (official), Polish, Russian |
Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the constitutional court |
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 Parliament or Seimas (141 seats, 71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Coalition 31.1%, New Union-Social Liberals 19.6%, Liberal Union 17.2%, TS 8.6%, remaining parties all less than 5%; seats by party - Social Democratic Coalition 52, Liberal Union 34, New Union-Social Liberals 29, TS 9, Farmer's Party 4, Center Union 2, Poles' Electoral Action 2, Modern Christian Democratic Union 1, independents 3, others 5 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 54.39 years
male: 54.65 years female: 54.11 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 69.42 years
male: 63.54 years female: 75.6 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: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1989 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia |
Map references | Asia | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total: 47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 279,743 GRT/304,156 DWT
ships by type: cargo 25, combination bulk 8, petroleum tanker 2, railcar carrier 1, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 2, short-sea passenger 3 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 13 (2002 est.) |
Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2005) | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Force, National Volunteer Defense Forces (SKAT) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $13.7 million (2004) | $230.8 million (FY01) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.8% (2004) | 1.9% (FY01) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 933,638 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 733,415 (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 28,506 (2002 est.) |
National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is the date of independence from German, Austrian, Prussian, and Russian occupation, 11 March 1990 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
Nationality | noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
noun: Lithuanian(s)
adjective: Lithuanian |
Natural hazards | violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season | NA |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate | peat, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
Pipelines | - | crude oil, 105 km; natural gas 760 km (1992) |
Political parties and leaders | no legal parties | Christian Democratic Party or LKDP [Kazys BOBELIS, chairman]; Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Vytautas LANDSBERGIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Center Union or LCS [Kestutis GLAVECKAS, chairman]; Lithuanian Farmer's Party or LUP [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS, chairman]; Lithuanian Green Party [Rimantas BRAZIULIS]; Lithuanian Liberal Union [Eugenijus GENTVILAS, chairman]; Lithuanian Liberal Youth [Neringa MOROZAITE]; Lithuanian National Democratic Party [Vygintas GONTIS]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition [Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or LSPD, and New Democracy; Moderate Conservative Union [Gediminas VAGNORIUS]; Modern Christian Democratic Union [Vytautas BOGUSIS, chairman]; New Democracy and Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; New Union-Social Liberals [Arturas PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Young Lithuania [Arnoldas PLATELIS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | NA |
Population | 2,232,291
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2005 est.) |
3,601,138 (July 2002 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.11% (2005 est.) | -0.25% (2002 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Butinge, Kaunas, Klaipeda |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) | AM 29, FM 142, shortwave 1 (2001) |
Radios | - | 1.9 million (1997) |
Railways | - | total: 1,998 km
broad gauge: 1,807 km 1.524-m gauge (122 km electrified) standard gauge: 22 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 169 km 0.750-m gauge (2001) |
Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Roman Catholic (primarily), Lutheran, Russian Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical Christian Baptist, Muslim, Jewish |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.51 male(s)/female total population: 0.88 male(s)/female (2002 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, but is being modernized to provide an improved international capability and better residential access
domestic: a national, fiber-optic cable, interurban, trunk system is nearing completion; rural exchanges are being improved and expanded; mobile cellular systems are being installed; access to the Internet is available; still many unsatisfied telephone subscriber applications international: landline connections to Latvia and Poland; major international connections to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway by submarine cable for further transmission by satellite |
Telephones - main lines in use | 25,200 (2003) | 1.142 million (2001) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 22,000 (2005) | 500,000 (2001) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2005) | 27
note: Lithuania has approximately 27 broadcasting stations, but may have as many as 100 transmitters, including repeater stations (2001) |
Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil |
Total fertility rate | 4.81 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.4 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA | 12.5% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | - | 600 km (perennially navigable) |