Geography
Area: 46,500 sq. km.
Cities: Capital--Thimphu (pop. approx. 55,000) Other
significant cities--Paro, Phoentsholing, Punakha, Bumthong.
Terrain: Mountainous, from the Himalayas to lower-lying foothills and
some savannah.
Climate: Alpine to temperate to subtropical with monsoon season from
June to September.
People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Bhutanese.
Population. 2,185,569 note: other estimates range as low as
810,000 (July 2004 est.)
Annual growth rate: 2.12% (2004 est.). Density--14 per sq. km.
Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas -
one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes
15%
Christian singles note-Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75% (state
religion), Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages: Dzongka (official language), English (medium of
instruction), Sharchop, Nepali.
Education: Years compulsory--11 Literacy--54% (est.).
Women's literacy (est.)--20%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--total: 102.56
deaths/1,000 live births; female: 104.89 deaths/1,000 live
births (2004 est.); male: 100.35 deaths/1,000 live births). Life
expectancy--total population: 53.99 years. male:
54.27 years. female: 53.68 years (2004 est.)
Work force (1994): Agriculture--57.2%; government--2%; business--1.4%;
others--1.4%. There is a high unemployment rate.
Government
Type: Evolving from a monarchy to a constitutional monarchy.
Previously, various laws and Buddhist values guided the relationship
between the state and the people, but currently a 39-member Drafting
Committee composed of representatives of the people, judiciary, the
Monastic Order, and the Royal Government are writing a Constitution
which is expected to be presented to the National Assembly for
ratification in 2005.
National Day: December 17 (1907)
Branches: Executive--king or Druk Gyalpo (chief of state),
prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers, Royal
Advisory Council (together they make the Cabinet or Lhengye Zhungtsho).
Advisory--Monastic Order (or Monk Body-Dratshang) Legislative--National
Assembly (Tshogdu). Judicial--High Court (Thrimkhang Gogma),
District Courts, and local area arbitration. Administrative
subdivisions: 20. Political parties: None.
Suffrage: Registered resident with legitimate citizenship, age 21 and
above.
Economy
GDP (2001): U.S.$482 million.
Real growth rate (2002-03): 6.0%.
Per capita GDP (2002): U.S.$1,300.
Natural resources: Hydroelectric power, timber, gypsum, calcium
carbide.
Agriculture and forestry (all figs., 2001): 33.8% of GDP.
Construction: 11.8% of GDP.
Finance: 10.3% of GDP.
Transport and communication: 10% of GDP.
Electricity: 9.9% of GDP.
Government service: 9.9% of GDP.
Manufacturing: 9.8% of GDP.
Trade: Exports (2001-02)--U.S.$ 97.7 million: hydroelectricity,
vegetables and fruits, processed foods, minerals, wood products,
textiles, machinery. Imports (2001-02)--U.S.$188.4 million:
machinery, mechanical appliances and electronics, plastics and rubber
products, textiles, whiskies and prepared foodstuffs, medicines and
pharmaceuticals, vegetable oils and foodstuffs.
Major trade partners: India, Bangladesh, Japan, Singapore, Denmark.
The
people of Bhutan can be divided into three broad ethnic categories--Ngalops,
Sharchops, and Lhotsampas. The Ngalops make up the majority of the
population, living mostly in the western and central areas. The
Ngalops are thought to be of Tibetan origin arriving in Bhutan during
the 8th and 9th centuries A.D. and bringing Buddhism with them. Most
Ngalops follow the Drukpa Kagyupa discipline of Mahayana Buddhism. The
Ngalops predominate in the government, and the civil service and their
cultural norms have been declared by the monarchy to be the standard
for all citizens.
The Sharchops, who live in the eastern section of Bhutan, are
considered to be descended from the earliest major group to inhabit
Bhutan. Most follow the Ningmapa discipline of Mahayana Buddhism.
Sharchop is translated as "people of the east." The Ngalops
and Sharchops are collectively known as Drukpas and account for about
74% of the population. The national language is Dzongka, but English
is the language of instruction in schools and an official working
language for the government.
The Lhotsampas are people of Nepali descent, currently making up
25% of the population. They came to Bhutan in the 19th and 20th
centuries, mostly settling in the southern foothills to work as
farmers. They speak a variety of Nepali dialects and are predominantly
Hindu.
