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
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
People ::Bhutan
Population:
699,847 country comparison to the world: 164 note: the Factbook population estimate is consistent with the first modern census of Bhutan, conducted in 2005; previous Factbook population estimates for this country, which were on the order of three times the total population reported here, were based on Bhutanese government publications that did not include the census (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0–14 years: 30.2% (male 106,410/female 102,164)
15–64 years: 64.3% (male 235,988/female 208,484)
65 years and over: 5.5% (male 20,169/female 17,926) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 24.3 years
male: 25 years
female: 23.7 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.236% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Birth rate:
19.62 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 95
Death rate:
7.25 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 88
Urbanization:
urban population: 35% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 4.9% annual rate of change (2005–10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female
total population: 1.1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 46.92 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 55 male: 47.8 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 45.99 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 66.71 years country comparison to the world: 158 male: 65.89 years
female: 67.57 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.29 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
less than 0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
fewer than 100 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 162
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese
Ethnic groups:
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several
Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Religions:
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages:
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47%
male: 60%
female: 34% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 12 years
female: 11 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5.1% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 63
Government ::Bhutan
Country name:
conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
local short form: Druk Yul
Government type:
constitutional monarchy
Capital:
name: Thimphu
geographic coordinates: 27 29 N, 89 36 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha,
Chirang, Daga, Gasa, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro,
Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang,
Tashi Yangtse, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
Independence:
1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)
National holiday:
National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17
December (1907)
Constitution:
ratified 18 July 2008
Legal system:
based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him; the nearly two-year delay between