Burkina Faso (2002) | Bhutan (2005) | |
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Administrative divisions | 30 provinces; Bam, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houe, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komoe, Kossi, Kouritenga, Mouhoun, Namentenga, Naouri, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Sanguie, Sanmatenga, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Yatenga, Zoundweogo
note: a new electoral code was approved by the National Assembly in January 1997; the number of administrative provinces was increased from 30 to 45 (Bale, Bam, Banwa, Bazega, Bougouriba, Boulgou, Boulkiemde, Comoe, Ganzourgou, Gnagna, Gourma, Houet, Ioba, Kadiogo, Kenedougou, Komandjari, Kompienga, Kossi, Koupelogo, Kouritenga, Kourweogo, Leraba, Loroum, Mouhoun, Nahouri, Namentenga, Nayala, Naumbiel, Oubritenga, Oudalan, Passore, Poni, Samentenga, Sanguie, Seno, Sissili, Soum, Sourou, Tapoa, Tuy, Yagha, Yatenga, Ziro, Zondomo, Zoundweogo), however, this change has not yet been confirmed by the US Board on Geographic Names |
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 |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 47.3% (male 3,007,675; female 2,960,697)
15-64 years: 49.8% (male 3,000,411; female 3,271,594) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 151,976; female 210,832) (2002 est.) |
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.) |
Agriculture - products | peanuts, shea nuts, sesame, cotton, sorghum, millet, corn, rice; livestock | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
Airports | 33 (2001) | 2 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 31
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2002) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 274,200 sq km
land: 273,800 sq km water: 400 sq km |
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Colorado | about half the size of Indiana |
Background | Independence from France came to Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) in 1960. Governmental instability during the 1970s and 1980s was followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Several hundred thousand farm workers migrate south every year to Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. | 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. |
Birth rate | 44.34 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 34.03 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $316 million
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001) |
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.) |
Capital | Ouagadougou | Thimphu |
Climate | tropical; warm, dry winters; hot, wet summers | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 2 June 1991 approved by referendum; 11 June 1991 formally adopted | 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 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Burkina Faso former: Upper Volta, Republic of Upper Volta |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
Currency | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States | - |
Death rate | 17.07 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 12.94 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.5 billion (1999) | $245 million (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Anthony HOLMES
embassy: 602 Avenue Raoul Follereau, Koulouba, Secteur 4 mailing address: 01 B. P. 35, Ouagadougou 01; pouch mail - U. S. Department of State, 2440 Ouagadougou Place, Washington, DC 20521-2440 telephone: [226] 306723 FAX: [226] 303890 |
the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tertius ZONGO
chancery: 2340 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-5577 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1882 |
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 |
Disputes - international | two villages are in dispute with Benin | 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 |
Economic aid - recipient | $484.1 million (1995) (1995) | substantial aid from India and other nations |
Economy - overview | One of the poorest countries in the world, landlocked Burkina Faso has a high population density, few natural resources, and a fragile soil. About 90% of the population is engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture, which is highly vulnerable to variations in rainfall. Industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations. Following the African franc currency devaluation in January 1994 the government updated its development program in conjunction with international agencies, and exports and economic growth have increased. Maintenance of macroeconomic progress depends on continued low inflation, reduction in the trade deficit, and reforms designed to encourage private investment. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | 262.26 million kWh (2000) | 312.9 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 1.56 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 12 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 282 million kWh (2000) | 2.001 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 71%
hydro: 29% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Mouhoun (Black Volta) River 200 m
highest point: Tena Kourou 749 m |
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
Environment - current issues | recent droughts and desertification severely affecting agricultural activities, population distribution, and the economy; overgrazing; soil degradation; deforestation | soil erosion; limited access to potable water |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | Mossi over 40%, Gurunsi, Senufo, Lobi, Bobo, Mande, Fulani | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XOF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF per euro | ngultrum per US dollar - 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Blaise COMPAORE (since 15 October 1987)
head of government: Prime Minister Ernest Paramanga YONLI (since 6 November 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 15 November 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); in April 2000, the constitution was amended reducing the presidential term from seven to five years, enforceable as of 2005, and allowing the president to be reelected only once; it is unclear whether this amendment will be applied retroactively or not; prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the legislature election results: Blaise COMPAORE reelected president with 87.5% percent of the vote note: President COMPAORE faces an increasingly well-coordinated opposition; recent charges against a former member of his Presidential Guard in the 1998 assassination of a newspaper editor signify an attempt to defuse chronic areas of dissatisfaction |
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 |
Exports | $265 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA |
Exports - commodities | cotton, animal products, gold | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices |
Exports - partners | Venezuela 14.7%, Benelux 12.2%, Italy 9.6%, France 7.0% (2000) | Bangladesh 47.4%, Japan 30.2%, France 3.4% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a yellow five-pointed star in the center; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | 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 |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $12.8 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 31%
industry: 28% services: 41% (2000) |
agriculture: 45%
industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,040 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,400 (2003 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.7% (2001 est.) | 5.3% (2003 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 13 00 N, 2 00 W | 27 30 N, 90 30 E |
Geography - note | landlocked savanna cut by the three principal rivers of the Black, Red, and White Voltas | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
Highways | total: 12,506 km
paved: 2,001 km unpaved: 10,505 km (1999) |
total: 4,007 km
paved: 24 km unpaved: 3,983 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 40% (1994) (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | $580 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA |
Imports - commodities | capital goods, food products, petroleum | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
Imports - partners | Cote d'Ivoire 25.1%, Venezuela 23.4%, France 17.0% (2000) | Germany 65.4%, Japan 14.3%, Austria 6.8%, UK 4.5% (2004) |
Independence | 5 August 1960 (from France) | 8 August 1949 (from India) |
Industrial production growth rate | 14% (2001 est.) | 9.3% (1996 est.) |
Industries | cotton lint, beverages, agricultural processing, soap, cigarettes, textiles, gold | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
Infant mortality rate | 105.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 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.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.5% (2001 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, MONUC, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | 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) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2002) | - |
Irrigated land | 250 sq km (1998 est.) | 400 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Appeals Court | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 5 million (1999)
note: a large part of the male labor force migrates annually to neighboring countries for seasonal employment (1999) |
NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 90% (2000 est.) | agriculture 93%, industry and commerce 2%, services 5% |
Land boundaries | total: 3,193 km
border countries: Benin 306 km, Cote d'Ivoire 584 km, Ghana 549 km, Mali 1,000 km, Niger 628 km, Togo 126 km |
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
Land use | arable land: 12.43%
permanent crops: 0.18% other: 87.39% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 3.09%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.48% (2001) |
Languages | French (official), native African languages belonging to Sudanic family spoken by 90% of the population | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Legal system | based on French civil law system and customary law | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (111 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Assembly election last held 5 May 2002 (next to be held NA May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - CDP 57, RDA-ADF 17, PDP/PS 10, CFD 5, PAI 5, others 17 |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 46.11 years
male: 45.45 years female: 46.78 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 54.39 years
male: 54.65 years female: 54.11 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 36% (2001) male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, north of Ghana | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Africa | Asia |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
Military branches | Army, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police, People's Militia | Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $40.1 million (FY01) | $13.7 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (FY01) | 1.8% (2004) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 2,688,072 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 1,379,010 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Republic Day, 11 December (1958) | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
Nationality | noun: Burkinabe (singular and plural)
adjective: Burkinabe |
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
Natural hazards | recurring droughts | 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 |
Natural resources | manganese, limestone, marble; small deposits of gold, antimony, copper, nickel, bauxite, lead, phosphates, zinc, silver | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate |
Net migration rate | -0.84 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | African Democratic Rally-Alliance for Democracy and Federation or RDA-ADF [Herman YAMEOGO]; Confederation for Federation and Democracy or CFD [Amadou Diemdioda DICKO]; Congress for Democracy and Progress or CDP [Roch Marc-Christian KABORE]; Movement for Tolerance and Progress or MTP [Noyabtigungu Congo KABORE]; Party for African Independence or PAI [Philippe OUEDRAOGO]; Party for Democracy and Progress or PDP [Joseph KI-ZERBO]; Union of Greens for the Development of Burkina Faso or UVDB [Ram OVEDRAGO] | no legal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Burkinabe General Confederation of Labor or CGTB; Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights or MBDHP; Group of 14 February; National Confederation of Burkinabe Workers or CNTB; National Organization of Free Unions or ONSL; watchdog/political action groups throughout the country in both organizations and communities | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
Population | 12,603,185
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2002 est.) |
2,232,291
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 45% (2001 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 2.64% (2002 est.) | 2.11% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 17, shortwave 3 (2002) | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) |
Radios | 394,020 (2000) | - |
Railways | total: 622 km (517 km from Ouagadougou to the Cote d'Ivoire border and 105 km from Ouagadougou to Kaya)
narrow gauge: 622 km 1.000-m gauge (1995 est.) |
- |
Religions | indigenous beliefs 40%, Muslim 50%, Christian (mainly Roman Catholic) 10% | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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.) |
Suffrage | universal | each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law |
Telephone system | general assessment: all services only fair
domestic: microwave radio relay, open wire, and radiotelephone communication stations international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
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) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 53,200 (2000) | 25,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 25,200 (2000) | 22,000 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 1 (2005) |
Terrain | mostly flat to dissected, undulating plains; hills in west and southeast | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna |
Total fertility rate | 6.26 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 4.81 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | NA% | NA |
Waterways | none | - |