Dominican Republic (2001) | Bhutan (2004) | |
Administrative divisions | 29 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, Elias Pina, El Seibo, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, Sanchez Ramirez, San Cristobal, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Valverde | 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:
34.11% (male 1,495,477; female 1,431,406) 15-64 years: 60.99% (male 2,664,679; female 2,569,398) 65 years and over: 4.9% (male 199,240; female 221,277) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 39.3% (male 445,548; female 414,338)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 637,637; female 600,253) 65 years and over: 4% (male 44,298; female 43,495) (2004 est.) |
Agriculture - products | sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
Airports | 29 (2000 est.) | 2 (2003 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total:
13 over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
16 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 10 (2000 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Area | total:
48,730 sq km land: 48,380 sq km water: 350 sq km |
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire | about half the size of Indiana |
Background | A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative, rule for much of the 20th century was brought to an end in 1996 when free and open elections ushered in a new government. | 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 | 24.77 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 34.41 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Budget | revenues:
$2.3 billion expenditures: $2.9 billion, including capital expenditures of $867 million (1999 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 | Santo Domingo | Thimphu |
Climate | tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
Coastline | 1,288 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 28 November 1966 | 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 |
Country name | conventional long form:
Dominican Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republica Dominicana local short form: none |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan |
Currency | Dominican peso (DOP) | ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR) |
Death rate | 4.7 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 13.2 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Debt - external | $4.7 billion (2000 est.) | $245 million (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Charles T. MANATT embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500 telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171 FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437 |
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 Roberto Bienvenido SALADIN-SELIN chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280 FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) consulate(s): Houston, Jacksonville, Mobile, and Ponce (Puerto Rico) |
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 | none | 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 | $239.6 million (1995) | substantial aid from India and other nations |
Economy - overview | The Dominican economy experienced dramatic growth over the last decade, even though the economy was hit hard by Hurricane Georges in 1998. Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer, due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest ten percent enjoy 40% of national income. In December 2000, the new MEJIA administration passed broad new tax legislation which it hopes will provide enough revenue to offset rising oil prices and to service foreign debt. | 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 the visits of upscale, environmentally conscientious visitors. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. |
Electricity - consumption | 6.78 billion kWh (1999) | 379.5 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 1.4 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 16 million kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production | 7.29 billion kWh (1999) | 1.896 billion kWh (2001) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
87.19% hydro: 12.4% nuclear: 0% other: 0.41% (1999) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Lago Enriquillo -46 m highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 m |
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
Environment - current issues | water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation; Hurricane Georges damage | soil erosion; limited access to potable water |
Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | white 16%, black 11%, mixed 73% | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
Exchange rates | Dominican pesos per US dollar - 16.888 (January 2001), 16.415 (2000), 16.033 (1999), 15.267 (1998), 14.265 (1997), 13.775 (1996) | ngultrum per US dollar - 46.5806 (2003), 48.6103 (2002), 47.1864 (2001), 44.9416 (2000), 43.0554 (1999) |
Executive branch | chief of state:
President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16 August 2000); Vice President Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (since 16 August 2000); Vice President Milagros ORTIZ-BOSCH (since 16 August 2000); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year term; election last held 16 May 2000 (next to be held NA May 2004) election results: Raphael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez elected president; percent of vote - Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 49.87%, Danilo MEDINA (PLD) 24.95%, Joaquin BALAGUER (PRSC) 24.6% |
chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Yeshey ZIMBA (since 20 August 2004) 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 | $5.8 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA (2001) |
Exports - commodities | ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices |
Exports - partners | US 66.1%, Netherlands 7.8%, Canada 7.6%, Russia 7.4%, UK 4.5% (1999 est.) | Bangladesh 60.5%, US 11.7%, Malaysia 5.7% (2003) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms is at the center of the cross | 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 - $48.3 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2.7 billion (2002 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
11.3% industry: 32.2% services: 56.5% (1999 est.) |
agriculture: 45%
industry: 10% services: 45% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $5,700 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (2002 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | 7.7% (2002 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 19 00 N, 70 40 W | 27 30 N, 90 30 E |
Geography - note | shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti (eastern two-thirds is the Dominican Republic, western one-third is Haiti) | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
Highways | total:
12,600 km paved: 6,224 km unpaved: 6,376 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%:
1.6% highest 10%: 39.6% (1989) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada | - |
Imports | $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | NA (2001) |
Imports - commodities | foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
Imports - partners | US 25.7%, Venezuela 9.2%, Mexico 4%, Japan 3%, Panama 2.6% (1999 est.) | Japan 36.6%, Austria 14.2%, Sweden 8.3%, China 7.5%, Thailand 6%, Bangladesh 6%, Germany 5.5%, Italy 4% (2003) |
Independence | 27 February 1844 (from Haiti) | 8 August 1949 (from India) |
Industrial production growth rate | 8% (2000 est.) | 9.3% (1996 est.) |
Industries | tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
Infant mortality rate | 34.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 102.56 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 100.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 104.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7.9% (2000 est.) | 3% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, Caricom (observer), ECLAC, FAO, G-11, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (subscriber), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), NAM (observer), OAS, OPANAL, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, 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, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 24 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 2,300 sq km (1993 est.) | 400 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are elected by a Council made up of members of the legislative and executive branches with the president presiding) | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 2.3 million - 2.6 million | NA
note: massive lack of skilled labor (1997 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | services and government 58.7%, industry 24.3%, agriculture 17% (1998 est.) | agriculture 93%, industry and commerce 2%, services 5% |
Land boundaries | total:
275 km border countries: Haiti 275 km |
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
Land use | arable land:
21% permanent crops: 9% permanent pastures: 43% forests and woodland: 12% other: 15% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 3.09%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 96.48% (2001) |
Languages | Spanish | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Legal system | based on French civil codes | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (30 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camara de Diputados (149 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002); Chamber of Deputies - last held 16 May 1998 (next to be held NA May 2002) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 24, PLD 3, PRSC 3; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRD 83, PLD 49, PRSC 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:
73.44 years male: 71.34 years female: 75.64 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 53.99 years
male: 54.27 years female: 53.68 years (2004 est.) |
Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 82.1% male: 82% female: 82.2% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 42.2% male: 56.2% female: 28.1% (1995 est.) |
Location | Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Asia |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 6 NM |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
- |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force, National Police | Royal Bhutan Army, Royal Bodyguard, National Militia |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $180 million (FY98) | $11.2 million (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.1% (FY98) | 1.9% (2003) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
2,281,035 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 544,560 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
1,430,776 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49: 290,843 (2004 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
87,404 (2001 est.) |
males: 23,379 (2004 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 27 February (1844) | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
Nationality | noun:
Dominican(s) adjective: Dominican |
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
Natural hazards | lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic 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 | nickel, bauxite, gold, silver | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide |
Net migration rate | -3.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 96 km; petroleum products 8 km | - |
Political parties and leaders | Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Hatuey DE CAMPS]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Joaquin BALAGUER Ricardo] | no legal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Collective of Popular Organizations or COP | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
Population | 8,581,477 (July 2001 est.) | 2,185,569
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2004 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 25% (1999 est.) | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.63% (2001 est.) | 2.12% (2004 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Barahona, La Romana, Puerto Plata, San Pedro de Macoris, Santo Domingo | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (1998) | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 1.44 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total:
757 km standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge (Central Romana Railroad) narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge (Dominican Republic Government Railway) note: 240 km operated by sugar companies in various gauges (0.558-m, 0.762-m, 1.067-m gauges) (2000) |
- |
Religions | Roman Catholic 95% | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 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 (2004 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age
note: members of the armed forces and police cannot vote |
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:
NA domestic: relatively efficient system based on islandwide microwave radio relay network international: 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 709,000 (1997) | 25,200 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 130,149 (1997) | 8,000 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 25 (1997) | 0 (1997) |
Terrain | rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna |
Total fertility rate | 2.97 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.87 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 13.8% (1999 est.) | NA |
Waterways | none | - |