Spain (2005) | Bhutan (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma)and 2 autonomous cities* (ciudades autonomas, singular - ciudad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta*, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Comunidad Valenciana, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla*, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)
note: the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla plus three small islands of Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, administered directly by the Spanish central government, are all located off the coast of Morocco and are collectively referred to as Places of Sovereignty (Plazas de Soberania) |
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: 14.4% (male 2,994,124/female 2,815,456)
15-64 years: 68% (male 13,762,281/female 13,664,762) 65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,965,859/female 4,138,980) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
15-64 years: 57.1% (male 671,057/female 631,078) 65 years and over: 4% (male 46,217/female 45,623) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish | rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs |
Airports | 156 (2004 est.) | 2 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 95
over 3,047 m: 15 2,438 to 3,047 m: 10 1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 914 to 1,523 m: 23 under 914 m: 28 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 61
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 44 (2004 est.) |
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
Area | total: 504,782 sq km
land: 499,542 sq km water: 5,240 sq km note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera |
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly more than twice the size of Oregon | about half the size of Indiana |
Background | Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986. Continuing challenges include Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment. | 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. A referendum date has yet to be named. |
Birth rate | 10.1 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 33.65 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $383.7 billion
expenditures: $386.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2004 est.) |
revenues: $346.6 million
expenditures: including capital expenditures of $NA note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.) |
Capital | Madrid | name: Thimphu
geographic coordinates: 27 28 N, 89 39 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas |
Coastline | 4,964 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 | no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001, the king commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005 publicly unveiled it; is awaiting national referendum |
Country name | conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain
conventional short form: Spain local short form: Espana |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan local long form: Druk Gyalkhap local short form: Druk Yul |
Death rate | 9.63 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 12.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $771.1 billion (2004 est.) | $593 million (2004) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires J. Robert MANZANARES
embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642 telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200 FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303 consulate(s) general: Barcelona |
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 Carlos WESTENDORP
chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340 FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (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 | in 2003, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to remain a British colony and against a "total shared sovereignty" arrangement while demanding participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar greater autonomy; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and the islands of Penon de Velez de la Gomera, Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco serves as the primary launching site of illegal migration into Spain from North Africa | approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees 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 - donor | ODA, $1.33 billion (1999) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $78 million substantial aid from India and other nations |
Economy - overview | The Spanish economy boomed from 1986 to 1990, averaging five percent annual growth. After a European-wide recession in the early 1990s, the Spanish economy resumed moderate growth starting in 1994. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. The center-right government of former President AZNAR successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment fell steadily under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 10.4%. Growth of 2.5% in 2003 and 2.6% in 2004 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. The socialist president, RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO, has initiated economic and social reforms that are generally popular among the masses of people but that are anathema to religious and other conservative elements. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe, reducing unemployment, and absorbing widespread social changes will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years. | 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 | 218.4 billion kWh (2002) | 250.3 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 4.4 billion kWh (2002) | 1.51 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 9.8 billion kWh (2002) | 10 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 229 billion kWh (2002) | 1.882 billion kWh (2003) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m |
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m |
Environment - current issues | pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification | soil erosion; limited access to potable water |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Ethnic groups | composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types | Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15% |
Exchange rates | euros per US dollar - 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000) | ngultrum per US dollar - 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003), 48.61 (2002), 47.186 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968
head of government: President of the Government and Prime Minister Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (since 17 April 2004); First Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister (and Minister of the Presidency) Maria Teresa FERNANDEZ DE LA VEGA (since 18 April 2004) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy and Finance) Pedro SOLBES (since 18 April 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government, but its recommendations are non-binding elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president election results: Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO (PSOE) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 52.29% |
chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers 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 | 135,100 bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, medicines, other consumer goods | electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices |
Exports - partners | France 19.3%, Germany 11.7%, Portugal 9.6%, UK 9%, Italy 9%, US 4% (2004) | Japan 33.2%, Germany 13.6%, France 13.5%, South Korea 7.8%, US 7.7%, Thailand 5.8%, Italy 5.1% (2005) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar | 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 - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.5%
industry: 28.5% services: 68% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 25.8%
industry: 37.9% services: 36.3% (2002 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $23,300 (2004 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 2.6% (2004 est.) | 5.9% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 40 00 N, 4 00 W | 27 30 N, 90 30 E |
Geography - note | strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
Heliports | 8 (2004 est.) | - |
Highways | total: 664,852 km
paved: 658,203 km (including 11,152 km of expressways) unpaved: 6,649 km (2001) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 25.2% (1990) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | key European gateway country and consumer for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin; money-laundering site for European earnings of Colombian narcotics trafficking organizations | - |
Imports | 1.582 million bbl/day (2001) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods; measuring and medical control instruments | fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice |
Imports - partners | Germany 16.6%, France 15.8%, Italy 8.9%, UK 6.3%, Netherlands 4.8% (2004) | Hong Kong 68.4%, Mexico 20.8%, France 3.9% (2005) |
Independence | the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain | 8 August 1949 (from India) |
Industrial production growth rate | 3% (2004 est.) | 9.3% (1996 est.) |
Industries | textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism, clay and refractory products, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment | cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide |
Infant mortality rate | total: 4.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4.82 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 98.41 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 96.14 deaths/1,000 live births female: 100.79 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.2% (2004 est.) | 7% (2005 est.) |
International organization participation | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BCIE, BIS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINUSTAH, MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC | AsDB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
Irrigated land | 36,400 sq km (1998 est.) | 400 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo | Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch) |
Labor force | 19.33 million (2004 est.) | NA
note: major shortage of skilled labor |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 5.3%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 30.1%, services 64.6% (2004 est.) | agriculture: 93%
industry: 2% services: 5% |
Land boundaries | total: 1,917.8 km
border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km |
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km |
Land use | arable land: 26.07%
permanent crops: 9.87% other: 64.06% (2001) |
arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005) |
Languages | Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%; note - Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally | Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects |
Legal system | civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008); Congress of Deputies - last held 14 March 2004 (next to be held March 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 49%, PSOE 38.9%, Entesa Catalona de Progress 5.7%, CiU 1.99%, PNV 2.8%, CC 1.4%; seats by party - PP 102, PSOE 81, Entesa Catalona de Progress 12, CiU 4, PNV 6, CC 3; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSOE 43.3%, PP 37.8%, CiU 3.2%, ERC 2.5%, PNV 1.6%, IU 3.2%, CC 0.9%; seats by party - PSOE 164, PP 148, CiU 10, ERC 8, PNV 7, IU 2, CC 3, other 8 |
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 August 2005 (next to be held in 2008) election results: NA |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.52 years
male: 76.18 years female: 83.08 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 54.78 years
male: 55.02 years female: 54.53 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.9% male: 98.7% female: 97.2% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47% male: 60% female: 34% (2003 est.) |
Location | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France | Southern Asia, between China and India |
Map references | Europe | Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean) |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 182 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,740,974 GRT/2,157,551 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 10, cargo 22, chemical tanker 16, container 19, liquefied gas 8, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 47, petroleum tanker 20, refrigerated cargo 6, roll on/roll off 25, vehicle carrier 7 foreign-owned: 29 (Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 9, Italy 2, Norway 6, United States 7, Uruguay 2) registered in other countries: 192 (2005) |
- |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force (Ejercito del Aire, EdA), Naval Infantry | Royal Bhutan Army: Royal Bodyguard, Royal Bhutan Police (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $9,906.5 million (2003) | $8.29 million (2005 est.) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (2003) | 1% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | National Day, 12 October | National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907) |
Nationality | noun: Spaniard(s)
adjective: Spanish |
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese |
Natural hazards | 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 | coal, lignite, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, uranium, tungsten, mercury, pyrites, magnesite, fluorspar, gypsum, sepiolite, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate |
Net migration rate | 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 7,306 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,512 km (2004) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Josu Jon IMAZ]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO Baute]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Artur MAS i Gavarro] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Artur MAS i Gavarro] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Entesa Catalonia de Progress (a Senate coalition grouping four Catalan parties - PSC, ERC, ICV, EUA) [leader NA]; Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Anxo Manuel QUINTANA]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Republican Left of Catalonia or ERC [Josep-Lluis CAROD-ROVIRA]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES] | no legal parties |
Political pressure groups and leaders | business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Trade Union Confederation of Workers' Commissions or CC.OO.; Nunca Mas (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) | Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled) |
Population | 40,341,462 (July 2005 est.) | 2,279,723
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.15% (2005 est.) | 2.1% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Algeciras, Barcelona, Cartagena, Gijon, Huelva, La Coruna, Tarragona, Valencia | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2006) |
Railways | total: 14,781 km (7,718 km electrified)
broad gauge: 11,829 km 1.668-m gauge (6,950 km electrified) standard gauge: 998 km 1.435-m gauge (998 km electrified) narrow gauge: 1,926 km 1.000-m gauge (815 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2004) |
- |
Religions | Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% | Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; 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: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons
domestic: NA international: country code - 34; 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries |
general assessment: telecommunications facilities are poor
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 (2005) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 17,567,500 (2003) | 32,700 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 37,506,700 (2003) | 37,800 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)
note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995) |
1 (2006) |
Terrain | large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna |
Total fertility rate | 1.28 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 4.74 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 10.4% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | 1,045 km (2003) | - |