Head of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Population
313,847,465
716,896
Life Expectancy
78.490 years
67.880 years
Capital City
Washington, DC
Thimphu
Largest city
New York City (population: 8,008,280)
Thimphu (population: 98,676)
Human Development Index
0.95
0.613
GDP per capita
$49,000 US
$6,200 US
Literacy Rate
99%
47%
Corruption Perception Index
7.3
5.2
Percentage of Women in Parliament
16.6%
13.9%
Wealthiest Citizens
William Gates III ($40.0bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
9.000%
4.000%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished
Political System
Constitution-based federal republic; strong democratic tradition
in transition to constitutional monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Independence date
4 July 1776 (from Great Britain)
1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)
Religions
Protestant 51.3%, Roman Catholic 23.9%, Mormon 1.7%, other Christian 1.6%, Jewish 1.7%, Buddhist 0.7%, Muslim 0.6%, other or unspecified 2.5%, unaffiliated 12.1%, none 4% (2007 est.)
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages
English 82.1%, Spanish 10.7%, other Indo-European 3.8%, Asian and Pacific island 2.7%, other 0.7% (2000 census) note: Hawaiian is an official language in the state of Hawaii
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
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
4.060%
1.000%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
110
0
Location
North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico
Southern Asia, between China and India
Area
9,826,675 km sq
38,394 km sq
Coastline
19,924 km
0 km
Climate
mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
