Bhutan

Official name: Kingdom of Bhutan (Druk Gyal Khab, meaning the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon).

Area: 38,394 sq km.

Population: 672,425 (official census 2005). Approximately 96,500 Bhutanese of Nepalese origin, live as refugees in seven UNHCR camps in Nepal.

Administrative divisions: 20 dzongkhag (districts); Bumthang, Chukha, Dagana, Gasa, Haa, Lhuentse, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatshel, Punaka, Samdrup Jongkhar, Samtse, Sarpang, Thimphu, Trashigang, Trashiyangse, Trongsa, Tsirang, Wangdue Phodrang and Zhemang.

Capital: Thimphu

System of government: Constitutional Monarchy (absolute monarchy gave way to a "democratic monarchy” in 1969). A Legislative Assemby, Tshogdu, was instituted by Royal decree in 1953. The monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 gave the National Assembly additional power, including the authority to remove the monarch with a two-thirds vote. In 1999, the king created a body called the Lhengye Zhungtshog (Council of Ministers), exercising the executive power. The members were nominated by the monarch and approved by the National Assembly; the members served fixed, five-year terms.
Besides, a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), has existed since 1965. Its members have been nominated by the monarch.
The new democratic system from 2008 comprises an upper and lower house, the latter based on political party affiliations. Elections for the upper house (National Council) were held on December 31, 2007, while elections for the lower house, the 47-seat National Assembly, were held on March 24, 2008. Two political parties, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) headed by Sangay Ngedup, and the Bhutan Harmony Party (DPT – Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) headed by Jigmi Thinley, competed in the National Assembly election. The Royalist party, Peace and Prosperity won the elections taking 44 out of 47 seats.

Chief of state (Druk Gyalpo): King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, since 14 December 2006. He succeeded his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuk to become the country’s Fifth Druk Gyalpo, after the former King through a royal edict, read out at a council of ministers meeting, announce that he abdicated immediately to make way for his son.

Prime Minister: Jigmi Y Thinley, Druk Phuensum Tshogpa

National Day: 17 December (in remembrance of Ugyen Wangchuk becoming the first hereditary king in 1907)

National anthem: Druk tsendhen (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom). Words by Gyaldun Dasho Thinley Dorji. Music by Aku Tongmi. More information.

Elections & Politics: No elections on national level, and no legal parties. Each family has one vote in village-level elections. Bhutanese parties in opposition to the government exist outside the country. R K Budathoki, the leader of the People’s Party, was murdered in his exile in Nepal on 9 September, 2001.

A two-party system will however be introduced with the new constitution. His Majesty the King on December 31, 2005 appointed Auditor General Dasho Kunzang Wangdi as the Chief Election Commissioner.

Legislative Assembly: The unicameral Tshogdu with 150 seats – 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 representing religious bodies and 35 members designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests. The members serve three-year terms.

Judiciary: Civil law system heavily influenced by Buddhist law based on seventeenth century code. The King (Druk Gyalpo) final level of appeal.

Ethnic groups: 65 percent Bhutanese – of Tibetan (Ngalop), Indo-Mongoloid (Sharchop), and aboriginal (Drokpa, Lepcha and Doya) origin. 35 percent Lhotshampas, of Nepalese origin.

Religions: Lamaistic Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyupa sub-sect of Mahayana Buddhism) 70 p.c, Hinduism 24 p.c, Muslims 5 p.c, Christians 1 p.c. A small number of Bon adherents. The Buddhist state religion has been institutionalised in the Dratshang (Central Monk body), headed by the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot) who is chosen from among the most learned lamas of the country. He enjoys an equal rank the King.

Languages: Dzongkha is official national language using chhokey (Tibetan script) used for written expression. Ngalopkha (on which Dzongkha is based) is spoken in west; Sharchopkha in east; Nepali is used in the southern part of Bhutan.

Population growth rate: 2,12 p.c. (est. 2004)

Life expectancy: 63.4 years (Human Development Index, 2004)

GDP purchasing power parity – 2.7 billion US-dollars (est. 2002)

GDP by sector: Agriculture: 45 p.c, Industry: 10 p.c, Services: 45 p.c (est. 2002)

Economy: The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for 90 p.c of the population and account for about 40 p.c of GDP. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Only 2 p.c of the land is suitable for cultivation.

Hydro-energy has developed into becoming a major source of income for the country, drawing royalty from power station projects in the country built by India. A limited tourism industry also gives valuable income to the country.

Export commodities: Cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, electricity (to India), precious stones, spices. India is main trading partner (94 p.c)

Currency: 1 ngultrum = 100 chetrums. Equivalent to Indian rupees.

Recent history: Bhutan was unified as a nation by the Buddhist monk Ngawang Namgyal in the early 17th Century. The country retained its independence even though it was hard pressed by its powerful neighbours, Tibet (later China) and (Brittish) India. Parts of the Bhutanese territory was grabbed by the Brittish in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Great Britain took power over Bhutan’s foreign policy through the Treaty of Sinchulu signed in 1865. According to this treaty Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a new treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate, 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.
Bhutan attained full independence in 1949, but India continued to guide foreign relations for several decades. Up till the 1970s the country was isolated, but the present king has slowly opened up its doors to to the outside world, but has on the other hand fought hard to preserve the traditional Bhutanese culture.

A serious internal threat to Bhutan's traditional identity started peacefully in the 1950s and 1960s among the growing Nepalese minority and emerged as a violent prodemocracy movement in the late 1980s, which led to some democratization in 1998.
An uprising by the Nepalese minority broke out in 1989, because of a national policy of forcing non-ethnic Bhutanese to adopt Bhutanese Buddhist traditions. An expulsion of thousands of ethnic Nepalese regarded by the government as illegal aliens were a source of tension within Bhutan, and with Nepal and India, in the 1990s. Negotiations between the Bhutanese and the Nepalese governments on a possible repatriation of the 100 000 Lhotshampa refugees living in Nepal is ongoing.

Also, Assamese and West Bengali separatist guerrillas established bases in Bhutan during the 1990s, from which they made attacks into India. After attempts to negotiate the Assamese guerrillas' withdrawal failed, Bhutan mounted attacks (2003) on these bases.
Parliamentary democracy will be introduced in 2008, works are in full swing and political parties are now legal. The new democratic system comprises an upper and lower house, the latter based on political party affiliations. There are currently two political parties, following a recent merger. Elections for the upper house were held on 31st of December 2007, while elections for the lower house, the 47-seat National Assembly, were held on March 24, 2008. The king remains the head of state.

More information on Bhutan

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Bhutan

BBC News Country Profile Bhutan

The Human Development Report 2009 data on Bhutan

World Bank Group/Bhutan: Constantly updated data reports, publications, statistics, projects etc, for Bhutan

Department of Tourism official web site. Useful facts about Bhutan.

United Nations Development Programme in Bhutan offers lots of information on the country, including the Bhutan National Development Report from 2003.

CIA – The World Factbook: Bhutan

The Library of Congress, USA, offers through its Country Studies Web site detailed Information on all Aspects of Countries round the Globe. Look for Bhutan. Information contained in the Country Studies On-Line is not copyrighted and thus is available for free and unrestricted use by researchers. As a courtesy, however, appropriate credit should be given to the series. Unfortunately, though, the information on Bhutan is not updated since September 1991.

The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advice on safety aspects on travelling to Bhutan

The Swedish Government’s Division for Democratic Issues, based at the Ministry of Justice, regularly publishes reports about the human rights situation in countries all over the World. Read the 2007 Report on the Human Rights Situation in Bhutan (in Swedish only).