THE GEOGRAPHY (Foreign Office UK)
Area: 47,000 sq km
Population: Estimated to be between
810,000 and 2,095,000
Capital City: Thimphu
People: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35%,
indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Language(s): Dzongkha (official),
various Tibetan dialects, various
Nepalese dialects
Religion(s): Lamaistic Buddhist 75%,
Indian- and Nepalese-influenced
Hinduism 25%
Currency: ngultrum (BTN); Indian
rupee (INR)
Major political parties: No legal parties
Government: Monarchy
GEOGRAPHY
Bhutan is a landlocked country situated
between China and India. The terrain is
mostly mountainous with some fertile
valleys. The climate varies between
tropical in the southern plains to cool
winters and hot summers in the
central valleys with severe winters and
cool summers in the Himalayas. The
violent storms which come off the
Himalayas gave the country its name
which translates as the Thunder
Dragon.
THE HISTORY (Foreign Office UK)
Bhutan is a Buddhist Kingdom and there
are close links between the monarchy
and the priesthood. In 1865, Britain and
Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu,
under which Bhutan would receive an
annual subsidy in exchange for ceding
some border land. The monarchy came
into being in its present form in 1907:
the present King, Jigme Singye
Wangchuck, is the great-grandson of
the founder. 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.
This role was assumed by independent
India after 1947. Two years later, a
formal Indo-Bhutanese accord
returned the areas of Bhutan annexed
by the British, formalised the annual
subsidies the country received, and
defined India's responsibilities in
defence and foreign relations.
BBC Monitoring Timeline
POLITICS
Since the 1950s Bhutan has established
some representative political
institutions, including an indirectly
elected National Assembly (Tshogdu
Chhenmo) and elected village
herdsmen, but there are no political
parties. In 1998 the Assembly elected a
Cabinet for the first time. Ministers
have a five year term after which they
face a vote of confidence. Elections
for the National Assembly were last
held on 28 June 2003. All 6 cabinet
ministers retaining their positions. The
political and economic reform process
continues to move forward rapidly.
Following the creation of a
150-member National Assembly in the
nineties by the King, and devolvement
of all executive power and
responsibilities - barring the armed
forces - to a ten-member cabinet, in
1998 the King gave the Assembly the
theoretical power to dethrone him with
a two-thirds majority. A draft
constitution is now with the King and
his Ministers, and will soon be debated
by the members of the National
Assembly. The preservation of the
environment and distinctive social,
cultural and religious ways of life of
the Drukpas is likely to continue to
dominate policy formulation in Bhutan.
THE ECONOMY (Foreign Office UK)
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$ 2.3bn
GDP per head: US$ 1,100
Annual Growth: 6%
Inflation: 7%
Major Industries: Cement, wood
products, processed fruit, alcohol,
calcium carbide Major trading partners:
Exports - India and Bangladesh;
Imports – India, Japan, UK, Germany,
US
Aid & development: The Government of
India finances nearly three-fifths of
Bhutan's budget expenditures
Exchange rate: ngultrum per Pound
Sterling - 76.80 (June 2003). The
value of the ngultrum is pegged at 1
Indian rupee.
Trade Partners UK Country Profile:
Bhutan
Bhutan has pursued a cautious policy of
modernisation while retaining its
predominantly self-sufficient,
agriculture-based barter economy.
Agriculture employs about 90% of the
workforce and accounts for 40% of
Gross Domestic Product. Bhutan has
one of the world's lowest per capita
incomes, although in part this reflects
the fact that many subsistence
farmers live outside the cash economy.
There is little heavy industry, apart
from a cement plant, a chemical plant
and a timber factory; most
manufacturing is small-scale local
industries. The export of
hydro-electric power to India is an
important source of revenue. India is
by far the largest market for Bhutan's
exports and is still a significant source
of development aid. The emphasis in
Bhutan's current Five Year Plan is on
tackling the high rate of population
growth and promoting rural
development.
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