Compare Congo, Republic of the (2002) - Bhutan (2003)

Compare Congo, Republic of the (2002) z Bhutan (2003)

	Congo, Republic of the (2002)	Bhutan (2003)

Administrative divisions	9 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune; Bouenza, Brazzaville, Cuvette, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha	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: 42.4% (male 630,985; female 622,024) 15-64 years: 54.3% (male 783,238; female 823,882) 65 years and over: 3.3% (male 39,369; female 58,950) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 39.6% (male 438,784; female 407,919) 15-64 years: 56.4% (male 621,666; female 585,550) 65 years and over: 4% (male 43,262; female 42,368) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products	rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs
Airports	33 (2001)	2 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2002)	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 27 1,524 to 2,437 m: 6 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 11 (2002)	total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
Area	total: 342,000 sq km land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km	total: 47,000 sq km land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly smaller than Montana	about half the size of Indiana
Background	Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.	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. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions.
Birth rate	37.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	34.82 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	revenues: $870 million expenditures: $970 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)	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	Brazzaville	Thimphu
Climate	tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator	varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Coastline	169 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	constitution approved by referendum in January 2002	no written constitution or bill of rights; note - the King commissioned a committee to draft a constitution in 2001, but has yet to be approved
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of the Congo conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo	conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan conventional short form: Bhutan
Currency	Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States	ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)
Death rate	16.1 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	13.47 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	$5 billion (1999 est.)	$245 million (2000)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Robin R. SANDERS embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)	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 Serge MOMBOULI chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860	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; the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international	most of the Congo River boundary with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)	approximately 100,000 Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps, place decades-long strains on Nepal
Economic aid - recipient	$159.1 million (1995) (1995)	substantial aid from India and other nations
Economy - overview	The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. Given a fragile peace, agreements with the IMF and the World Bank, and general international support for reconstruction and development, prospects for structural reform and 4% growth in 2002-03 appear strong.	The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, providing 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. The government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. 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. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.
Electricity - consumption	406.9 million kWh (1999)	379.5 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (1999)	1.4 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	126 million kWh (1999)	16 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	302 million kWh (1999)	1.896 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 1% hydro: 99% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999)	fossil fuel: 0.1% hydro: 99.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m	lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Environment - current issues	air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation	soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997	Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Exchange rates	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) 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 XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro	ngultrum per US dollar - 48.61 (2002), 47.19 (2001), 44.94 (2000), 43.06 (1999), 41.26 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%	chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972) head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Jigme Y. THINLEY (since 30 August 2003) 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	$2.6 billion f.o.b. (2001)	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	petroleum 90%, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds	electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices
Exports - partners	US 20.9%, South Korea 15.5%, China 6.7%, Germany 3.2% (2000)	US 24.1%, UK 23.9%, Pakistan 23.1%, France 13.9% (2002)
Fiscal year	calendar year	1 July - 30 June
Flag description	divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; 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 - $2.5 billion (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 10% industry: 48% services: 42% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 45% industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $900 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	4.2% (2001 est.)	7.7% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 S, 15 00 E	27 30 N, 90 30 E
Geography - note	about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them	landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
Highways	total: 12,800 km paved: 1,242 km unpaved: 11,558 km (1996)	total: 3,690 km paved: 2,240 km unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	$725 million f.o.b. (2001)	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	petroleum products, capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs	fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice
Imports - partners	France 20.5%, US 9.8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 3.8% (2000)	Japan 44.5%, Germany 12.2%, UK 8.5%, Singapore 6%, South Korea 5%, US 4.2% (2002)
Independence	15 August 1960 (from France)	8 August 1949 (from India)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	9.3% (1996 est.)
Industries	petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes	cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide
Infant mortality rate	97.91 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 104.68 deaths/1,000 live births male: 102.49 deaths/1,000 live births female: 106.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	3% (2001 est.)	3% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	1 (2000)	NA
Irrigated land	10 sq km (1998 est.)	400 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme	Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)
Labor force	NA	NA note: massive lack of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 93%, services 5%, industry and commerce 2%
Land boundaries	total: 5,504 km border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km	total: 1,075 km border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km
Land use	arable land: 0.5% permanent crops: 0.13% other: 99.37% (1998 est.)	arable land: 2.98% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.59% (1998 est.)
Languages	French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo has the most users)	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	bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held NA July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45	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: 47.71 years male: 44.27 years female: 51.24 years (2002 est.)	total population: 53.58 years male: 53.9 years female: 53.25 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 74.9% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (1995 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.)
Location	Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon	Southern Asia, between China and India
Map references	Africa	Asia
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 200 NM	none (landlocked)
Military branches	Army, Air Force, Navy, Gendarmerie, National Police	Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Forest Guards
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$84 million (FY01)	$9.3 million (FY02)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	2.8% (FY01)	1.9% (FY02)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 702,048 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 530,860 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 356,388 (2002 est.)	males age 15-49: 283,493 (2003 est.)
Military manpower - military age	20 years of age (2002 est.)	18 years of age (2003 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	males: 32,350 (2002 est.)	males: 22,755 (2003 est.)
National holiday	Independence Day, 15 August (1960)	National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
Nationality	noun: Congolese (singular and plural) adjective: Congolese or Congo	noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural) adjective: Bhutanese
Natural hazards	seasonal flooding	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	petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, natural gas, hydropower	timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines	crude oil 25 km	-
Political parties and leaders	the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]	no legal parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC	Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)
Population	2,958,448 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.)	2,139,549 note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA%
Population growth rate	2.18% (2002 est.)	2.14% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Brazzaville, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire	none
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)	AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios	341,000 (1997)	-
Railways	total: 894 km narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2000 est.)	0 km
Religions	Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%	Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 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 (2003 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	each family has one vote in village-level elections
Telephone system	general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out-of-order domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)	general assessment: NA domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
Telephones - main lines in use	22,000 (1998)	6,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	3,300 (1998)	NA
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	0 (1997)
Terrain	coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin	mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Total fertility rate	4.94 children born/woman (2002 est.)	4.94 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	NA%
Waterways	1,120 km note: the Congo and Ubangi (Oubangui) rivers provide 1,120 km of commercially navigable water transport; other rivers are used for local traffic only	none

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