Bhutan (2008) | Dominica (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | 20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Gasa, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Tashi Yangtse, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang | 10 parishes; Saint Andrew, Saint David, Saint George, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Luke, Saint Mark, Saint Patrick, Saint Paul, Saint Peter |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 38.6% (male 465,340/female 433,184)
15-64 years: 57.4% (male 688,428/female 647,134) 65 years and over: 4% (male 47,123/female 46,640) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 25.6% (male 9,481/female 9,048)
15-64 years: 64.2% (male 23,822/female 22,656) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 3,165/female 4,214) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs | bananas, citrus, mangoes, root crops, coconuts, cocoa; forest and fishery potential not exploited |
Airports | 2 (2007) | 2 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007) |
total: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 754 sq km
land: 754 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | about half the size of Indiana | slightly more than four 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 to British India. 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. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet resigned to join the political process, leaving the remaining cabinet to act as a caretaker regime until a new government assumes power following parliamentary elections. Bhutan will complete its transition to full democracy in 2008, when its first fully democratic elections to a new parliament - expected to be completed by March 2008 - and a concomitant referendum on the draft constitution will take place. | Dominica was the last of the Caribbean islands to be colonized by Europeans due chiefly to the fierce resistance of the native Caribs. France ceded possession to Great Britain in 1763, which made the island a colony in 1805. In 1980, two years after independence, Dominica's fortunes improved when a corrupt and tyrannical administration was replaced by that of Mary Eugenia CHARLES, the first female prime minister in the Caribbean, who remained in office for 15 years. Some 3,000 Carib Indians still living on Dominica are the only pre-Columbian population remaining in the eastern Caribbean. |
Birth rate | 33.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 15.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $272 million
expenditures: $350 million note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2005) |
revenues: $73.9 million
expenditures: $84.4 million (2001) |
Capital | name: Thimphu
geographic coordinates: 27 29 N, 89 36 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Roseau
geographic coordinates: 15 18 N, 61 24 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour 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 | tropical; moderated by northeast trade winds; heavy rainfall |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 148 km |
Constitution | none; note - a draft constitution was unveiled in March 2005 and is expected to be adopted following the election of a new National Assembly in 2008 | 3 November 1978 |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan local long form: Druk Gyalkhap local short form: Druk Yul |
conventional long form: Commonwealth of Dominica
conventional short form: Dominica |
Death rate | 12.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 8.44 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $593 million (2004) | $213 million (2004) |
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) | the US does not have an embassy in Dominica; the US Ambassador to Barbados is accredited to Dominica |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none; note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US; address: 763 First Avenue, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 682-2268; FAX [1] (212) 661-0551
consulate(s) general: New York |
chief of mission: vacant
chancery: 3216 New Mexico Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016 telephone: [1] (202) 364-6781 FAX: [1] (202) 364-6791 consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | over 100,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps since 1990; Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a boundary alignment to resolve substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lies in Bhutan's northwest | Dominica is the only Caribbean state to challenge Venezuela's sovereignty claim over Aves Island and joins the other island nations in challenging whether the feature sustains human habitation, a criterion under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which permits Venezuela to extend its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and continental shelf claims over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean Sea |
Economic aid - recipient | $90.02 million; note - substantial aid from India (2005) | $15.17 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% 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. 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 such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Hydropower exports to India drove GDP growth to over 20% in 2007 | The Dominican economy depends on agriculture, primarily bananas, and remains highly vulnerable to climatic conditions and international economic developments. Tourism has increased as the government seeks to promote Dominica as an "ecotourism" destination. Development of the tourism industry remains difficult, however, because of the rugged coastline, lack of beaches, and the absence of an international airport. The government began a comprehensive restructuring of the economy in 2003 - including elimination of price controls, privatization of the state banana company, and tax increases - to address Dominica's economic crisis and to meet IMF targets. In order to diversify the island's production base, the government is attempting to develop an offshore financial sector and is planning to construct an oil refinery on the eastern part of the island. |
Electricity - consumption | 380 million kWh (2005) | 74.4 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 1.5 billion kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 20 million kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 2 billion kWh (2005) | 80 million kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Morne Diablatins 1,447 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water | NA |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
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% | black 86.8%, mixed 8.9%, Carib Amerindian 2.9%, white 0.8%, other 0.7% (2001 census) |
Exchange rates | ngultrum per US dollar - NA (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003)
note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee |
East Caribbean dollars per US dollar - 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003), 2.7 (2002) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him
head of government: Prime Minister Kinzang DORJI (since August 2007) 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; election of a new National Assembly is expected in 2008 |
chief of state: President Nicholas J. O. LIVERPOOL (since October 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister Roosevelt SKERRIT (since 8 January 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the advice of the prime minister elections: president elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 1 October 2003 (next to be held in October 2008); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nicholas LIVERPOOL elected president; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices | bananas, soap, bay oil, vegetables, grapefruit, oranges |
Exports - partners | India 54.5%, Hong Kong 34.6%, Bangladesh 6.9% (2006) | UK 24.8%, Jamaica 12.3%, Antigua and Barbuda 9.8%, Guyana 8.3%, China 7.9%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.4%, Saint Lucia 4.5% (2006) |
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 | green, with a centered cross of three equal bands - the vertical part is yellow (hoist side), black, and white and the horizontal part is yellow (top), black, and white; superimposed in the center of the cross is a red disk bearing a sisserou parrot encircled by 10 green, five-pointed stars edged in yellow; the 10 stars represent the 10 administrative divisions (parishes) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 24.7%
industry: 37.2% services: 38.1% (2005) |
agriculture: 17.7%
industry: 32.8% services: 49.5% (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8.8% (2005 est.) | 3.1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 15 25 N, 61 20 W |
Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | known as "The Nature Island of the Caribbean" due to its spectacular, lush, and varied flora and fauna, which are protected by an extensive natural park system; the most mountainous of the Lesser Antilles, its volcanic peaks are cones of lava craters and include Boiling Lake, the second-largest, thermally active lake in the world |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for narcotics bound for the US and Europe; minor cannabis producer; anti-money-laundering enforcement is weak, making the country particularly vulnerable to money laundering |
Imports | 1,138 bbl/day (2004) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice | manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | India 76%, Japan 5.5%, Germany 3.2% (2006) | US 25.2%, China 22.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 13.7%, South Korea 4.8% (2006) |
Independence | 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king) | 3 November 1978 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9.3% (1996 est.) | -10% (1997 est.) |
Industries | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism | soap, coconut oil, tourism, copra, furniture, cement blocks, shoes |
Infant mortality rate | total: 96.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 94.09 deaths/1,000 live births female: 98.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 14.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 19.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 9.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.5% (2005 est.) | -0.1% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer) | ACCT, ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OAS, OECS, OIF, OPANAL, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 400 sq km (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch); note - the draft constitution establishes a Supreme Court, which will serve as chief court of appeal | Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the Court of Appeal and the High Court (located in Saint Lucia; one of the six judges must reside in Dominica and preside over the Court of Summary Jurisdiction) |
Labor force | NA
note: major shortage of skilled labor |
25,000 (1999 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 63%
industry: 6% services: 31% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 40%
industry: 32% services: 28% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005) |
arable land: 6.67%
permanent crops: 21.33% other: 72% (2005) |
Languages | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects | English (official), French patois |
Legal system | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 members elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; to serve three-year terms); note - a new bicameral parliament will be established in 2008
elections: first elections to be held in December 2007 and spring 2008; note - local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: NA |
unicameral House of Assembly (30 seats; 9 members appointed, 21 elected by popular vote; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 5 May 2005 (next to be held by 5 August 2010); note - tradition dictates that the election will be held within five years of the last election, but technically it is five years from the first seating of parliament (12 May 2005) plus a 90-day grace period election results: percent of vote by party - DLP 52.1%, UWP 43.6%, DFP 3.2%, other 1.1%; seats by party - DLP 12, UWP 8, independent 1 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 55.17 years
male: 55.38 years female: 54.96 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 75.1 years
male: 72.17 years female: 78.18 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47% male: 60% female: 34% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over has ever attended school
total population: 94% male: 94% female: 94% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago |
Map references | Asia | Central America and the Caribbean |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 53 ships (1000 GRT or over) 716,435 GRT/1,252,537 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 9, cargo 30, chemical tanker 2, container 1, petroleum tanker 7, refrigerated cargo 2, roll on/roll off 1, vehicle carrier 1 foreign-owned: 50 (Estonia 8, Greece 8, India 2, Latvia 2, Lebanon 1, Norway 1, NZ 3, Russia 2, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 8, Syria 2, Turkey 9, Ukraine 3) (2007) |
Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2008) | no regular military forces; Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force (includes coast guard) (2006) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1% (2005 est.) | NA (2006) |
National holiday | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) | Independence Day, 3 November (1978) |
Nationality | noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
noun: Dominican(s)
adjective: Dominican |
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 | flash floods are a constant threat; destructive hurricanes can be expected during the late summer months |
Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate | timber, hydropower, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -5.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | Druk Pheunsum Tshogpa or DPT [Jigme THINLEY]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Sangay NGEDUP] | Dominica Freedom Party or DFP [Charles SAVARIN]; Dominica Labor Party or DLP [Roosevelt SKERRIT]; Dominica United Workers Party or UWP [Earl WILLIAMS] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) | Dominica Liberation Movement or DLM (a small leftist party) |
Population | 2,327,849
note: the Factbook population estimate is inconsistent with the 2005 Bhutan census results; both data are being reviewed and when completed, the results will be posted on The World Factbook Web site (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook) later this year (July 2007 est.) |
72,386 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 31.7% (2003) | 30% (2002 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.082% (2007 est.) | 0.184% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007) | AM 2, FM 4, shortwave 0 (2003) |
Religions | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% | Roman Catholic 61.4%, Seventh Day Adventist 6%, Pentecostal 5.6%, Baptist 4.1%, Methodist 3.7%, Church of God 1.2%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.2%, other Christian 7.7%, Rastafarian 1.3%, other or unspecified 1.6%, none 6.1% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.074 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.064 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.066 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.051 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.751 male(s)/female total population: 1.015 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services
domestic: very low teledensity; 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 (2007) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: fully automatic network international: country code - 1-767; landing point for the East Caribbean Fiber Optic System (ECFS) submarine cable with links to 13 other islands in the eastern Caribbean extending from the British Virgin Islands to Trinidad; microwave radio relay and SHF radiotelephone links to Martinique and Guadeloupe; VHF and UHF radiotelephone links to Saint Lucia |
Telephones - main lines in use | 31,500 (2006) | 21,000 (2004) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 82,100 (2006) | 41,800 (2004) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2007) | 1 (2004) |
Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | rugged mountains of volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 4.67 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 2.12 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 2.5% (2004) | 23% (2000 est.) |