Country Profile: Kingdom of Bhutan

Geography

This is a landlocked and mostly mountainous country, about half the size of Indiana, between China and India.

Government

Monarchy established by Britain in 1907. Bhutan independent except in for defense and foreign affairs. After 1947 India assumed control over Bhutan's defense and foreign affairs. Independence from India in 1949. Unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, can remove a monarch with two-thirds vote. Village-level elections with one vote per family. National Assembly consists of 105 members elected at the village level, 10 representative from religious bodies and 35 appointed by the monarch.

Economy

Figures unless otherwise stated are from the CIA Factbook.

Factbook: "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 60% 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."

Estimated per capita GDP (2009 U.S. dollars)

2009: $5,400
2008: $5,300
2007: $4,400

GDP real growth rate:
2009: 5%
2008: 19.7%
2007: 6.4%

Unemployment rate

2009: 4%

Population

Living in an urban area: 35% (2008)

July 2009: 699,847. Growth rate: 1.236% (ranks 102nd)
July 2008: 682,321

Health

Infant mortality (deaths under the age of one for every 1,000 live births)

2009: 46.92 (ranks 55th)
2008: 51.92

Average life expectancy at birth

2009: 66.71 years
2008: 65.53 years

Religion

Lamaistic Buddhist 75 percent, Hinduism 25 percent.

SOURCES:
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/