Bhutan
Following Britain’s victory in the 1865 Duar War, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding land to British India. Ugyen WANGCHUCK - who had served as the de facto ruler of an increasingly unified Bhutan and had improved relations with the British toward the end of the 19th century - was named king 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. Bhutan negotiated a similar arrangement with independent India in 1949. The Indo-Bhutanese Treaty of Friendship returned to Bhutan a small piece of the territory annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. Under a succession of modernizing monarchs beginning in the 1950s, Bhutan joined the UN in 1971 and slowly continued its engagement beyond its borders. In 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the draft of Bhutan's first constitution - which introduced major democratic reforms - and held a national referendum for its approval. The King abdicated the throne in 2006 in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK. In 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be "guided by" India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. In 2008, Bhutan held its first parliamentary election in accordance with the constitution. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following a parliamentary election in 2013, which resulted in the defeat of the incumbent party. In 2018, the incumbent party again lost the parliamentary election. Of the more than 100,000 ethnic Nepali - predominantly Lhotshampa - refugees who fled or were forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s, about 6,500 remain displaced in Nepal.

geography

location

27.30° N, 90. 30° E
Southern Asia, between China and India

area

38,394 sq km
land
38,394 sq km
water
0 sq km

land boundaries

1,136 km

coastline

0 km

climate

varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

terrain

mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

elevation

2,220 m
lowest point
Drangeme Chhu
97 m
highest point
Gangkar Puensum
7,570 m

natural resources

  • timber
  • hydropower
  • gypsum
  • calcium carbonate

land use

arable land
2.6 %
permanent crops
0.3 %
permanent pasture
10.7 %
forest
85.5 %
other
0.9 %

people

population

  • 782,318
  • 165
    global rank

nationality

  • Bhutanese (singular and plural)
    noun
  • Bhutanese
    adjective

ethnic groups

Ngalop
50 %
ethnic Nepali
35 %
indigenous or migrant tribes
15 %

languages

  • Sharchhopka
  • Dzongkha
    official
  • Lhotshamkha
  • other
    includes foreign languages

religions

Lamaistic Buddhist
75.3 %
Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism
22.1 %
other
2.6 %

birth rate

  • 16.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 106
    global rank

death rate

  • 6.3
    per 1,000 population
  • 147
    global rank

urban population

42.3 %

major urban areas

  • Thimphu
    pop. 203,000

life expectancy

  • 72.1
    total population
  • 154
    global rank
71
male
73.2
female

adult obesity rate

  • 6.4%
    percent of adults
  • 167
    global rank

government

country name

    conventional

  • Kingdom of Bhutan
    long form
  • Bhutan
    short form

    local

  • Druk Gyalkhap
    long form
  • Druk Yul
    short form

government type

constitutional monarchy

capital

Thimphu
27.28 N, 89.38 E

independence

national holidays

  • National Day
    17 December

legal system

civil law based on Buddhist religious law

age of suffrage

18

flag description

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; the dragon, called the Druk (Thunder Dragon), is the emblem of the nation; its white color stands for purity and the jewels in its claws symbolize wealth; the background colors represent spiritual and secular powers within Bhutan: the orange is associated with Buddhism, while the yellow denotes the ruling dynasty

national colors

  • orange
  • yellow

national anthem

"Druk tsendhen" (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom)

economy

overview

Bhutan's small economy is based largely on hydropower, agriculture, and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than half the population. Because rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive, industrial production is primarily of the cottage industry type. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and is dependent on India for financial assistance and migrant laborers for development projects, especially for road construction. Bhutan signed a pact in December 2014 to expand duty-free trade with Bangladesh. Multilateral development organizations administer most educational, social, and environment programs, and take into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government is cautious in its expansion of the tourist sector, restricing visits to environmentally conscientious tourists. Complicated controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Bhutan’s largest export - hydropower to India - could spur sustainable growth in the coming years if Bhutan resolves chronic delays in construction. Bhutan’s hydropower exports comprise 40% of total exports and 25% of the government’s total revenue. Bhutan currently taps only 6.5% of its 24,000-megawatt hydropower potential and is behind schedule in building 12 new hydropower dams with a combined capacity of 10,000 megawatts by 2020 in accordance with a deal signed in 2008 with India. The high volume of imported materials to build hydropower plants has expanded Bhutan's trade and current account deficits. Bhutan also signed a memorandum of understanding with Bangladesh and India in July 2017 to jointly construct a new hydropower plant for exporting electricity to Bangladesh.

GDP

7,205,000,000 USD
2017

agriculture products

  • rice
  • corn
  • root crops
  • citrus
  • dairy products
  • eggs

poverty level

12%
2012

budget

  • 655,300,000
    revenue (USD)
  • 737,400,000
    expenditures (USD)

communications

telephones

    fixed lines

  • 22,015
    total subscriptions
  • 173
    global rank

    mobile cellular

  • 703,554
    total subscriptions
  • 165
    global rank

broadcast media

state-owned TV station established in 1999; cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels; first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned; 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012)

internet

.bt
country code

    users

  • 368,714
    total
  • 48.11
    % of population
  • 160
    global rank

energy

electricity access

100%
2016

transportation

air transport

    national system

  • 2
    registered air carriers
  • 162,864
    annual passenger traffic

    airports

  • 2
    total
  • 2
    paved

roadways

12,205 km
total length

military

service age

18