Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II Prime minister: Portia Simpson-Miller
Head of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Population
2,889,187
716,896
Life Expectancy
73.430 years
67.880 years
Capital City
Kingston
Thimphu
Largest city
Kingston (population: 937,700)
Thimphu (population: 98,676)
Human Development Index
0.771
0.613
GDP per capita
$9,100 US
$6,200 US
Literacy Rate
87.9%
47%
Corruption Perception Index
3.1
5.2
Percentage of Women in Parliament
13.6%
13.9%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
12.700%
4.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
constitutional parliamentary democracy
in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Independence date
6 August 1962 (from UK)
1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)
Religions
Protestant 62.5% (Seventh-Day Adventist 10.8%, Pentecostal 9.5%, Other Church of God 8.3%, Baptist 7.2%, New Testament Church of God 6.3%, Church of God in Jamaica 4.8%, Church of God of Prophecy 4.3%, Anglican 3.6%, other Christian 7.7%), Roman Catholic 2.6%, other or unspecified 14.2%, none 20.9%, (2001 census)
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages
English, English patois
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Jamaican dollars (JMD) per US dollar - 72.236 (2008 est.), 69.034 (2007), 65.768 (2006), 62.51 (2005), 61.197 (2004)
ngultrum (BTN) per US dollar - 41.487 (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003) note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.600%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
11
0
Location
Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba
Southern Asia, between China and India
Area
10,991 km sq
38,394 km sq
Coastline
1,022 km
0 km
Climate
tropical; hot, humid; temperate interior
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
