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| Bhutan | Plants and Animal | Back to Top |
Crop farming was projected to produce 20 % of GDP in 1991. Only about 15 % of Bhutan's extremely mountainous land was arable, and less than 6 % was under permanent cultivation. Because rainfall and temperatures changed radically from one valley to the next, there were remarkable variations in the kinds of crops that were raised in neighboring communities. Most farms were small, with 91 % of nearly 65,700 landholders having less than 5 hectares. Nearly 50 % of those farms used terraced cultivation; another 18.5 % were in valleys. Although banned by the government, tsheri cultivation accounted for 32 % of the agricultural land use and about 3 % of the total land in the early to 1980s.
The most common farm animal types traditionally and in the late 1980s, in order of numbers of head, were cattle, poultry, pigs, goats, sheep, yaks, and horses. Buffaloes, donkeys, and mules also were raised. Although all types of farm animal were raised throughout the nation, cattle tended to predominate in the east and south, horses in the east, yaks and pigs in the west, and goats and poultry in the south. Milk production stood at 31,100 tons in 1987.
| Bhutan | Communications | Back to Top |
General assessment: NA
Domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use
International: international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
| Bhutan | Culture | Back to Top |
Bhutan's traditional society has been defined as both patriarchal and matriarchal, and the member held in highest esteem served as the family's head. Bhutan also has been described as feudalistic and characterized by the absence of strong social stratification. In premodern times, there were three broad classes: the monastic community, the leadership of which was the nobility; lay civil servants who ran the government apparatus; and farmers, the largest class, living in self-sufficient villages.
Social status is based on a family's economic base. Exclude among the Hindu Nepalese in southern Bhutan, there was no caste system. Although Bhutanese were endogamous by tradition, modern practices and even royal decrees promoted ethnic integration in the late twentieth century. Primogeniture dictated the right of inheritance traditionally, although in some central areas the eldest daughter was the lawful successor. In contemporary Bhutan, inheritance came to be more equally distributed among all children of a family.
orthodox clothing still was commonly worn in the early 1990s, and, indeed, its use was fostered by government decree. Women wore the kira, an ankle-length dress made of a rectangular piece of cloth held at the shoulders with a clip and closed with a woven belt at the waist, over a long-sleeved blouse. Social status was suggested by the amount of decorative details and colors of the kira and the quality of the cloth used. Men wore the gho, a wraparound, coatlike, knee-length garment, with a narrow belt.
| Bhutan | Defence | Back to Top |
Military branches: Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police, Royal Body Guards, Forest Guards (paramilitary)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 504,342 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service: males age 15-49: 269,251 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually: males: 21,167 (2001 est.)
| Bhutan | International Disputes | Back to Top |
refugee issue over the presence in Nepal of around 98,700 Bhutanese refugees, 90% of whom are in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps
| Bhutan | Economy | Back to Top |
The United Nations (UN) classifies Bhutan as one of the world’s least developed nations. The nation is predominantly agricultural with limited industrial activity and services. Agriculture, animal husbandry, and forestry employ 94 % of the workforce and contribute 38 % of gross domestic product (GDP). GDP was $440 million in 1999.
Bhutan itself has been able to finance less than 10 % of its total development expenditures. For the other 90 %, it has depended on external assistance from India, the World Bank, the United Nations, and the Asian Development Bank. The success of the five-year plans has depended largely on the regular flow of funds from India and upon the availability of Indian technical personnel. The Chhukha Hydel project, which harnesses the waters of the Raidak River, is the largest single investment undertaken in Bhutan and represents a major step toward exploiting the nation's huge hydroelectric potential. The surplus energy from the Chhukha project is sold to India, which has financed the entire venture.
The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which offer the main livelihood for more than 90% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links. The industrial area is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Bhutan's hydropower potential and its attraction for tourists are key resources. The Bhutanese Government has made some progress in expanding the nation's productive base and improving social welfare. Model education, social, and environment programs in Bhutan are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the nation's environment and cultural traditions. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas like industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment.
| Bhutan | Education | Back to Top |
Western-style education was introduced to Bhutan during the reign of Ugyen Wangchuck. Until the 1950s, the only formal education available to Bhutanese students, except for private schools in Ha and Bumthang, was through Buddhist monasteries. In the 1950s, several private secular schools were accomplished without government support, and several others were accomplished in major district towns with government backing. By the late 1950s, there were 29 government and 30 private primary schools, but only about 2,550 children were listed. Secondary education was available only in India. Eventually, the private schools were taken under government supervision to raise the quality of education provided. Although some primary schools in remote areas had to be closed because of low attendance, the most remarkable modern developments in education came during the time of the First Development Plan, when some 108 schools were operating and 15,100 students were listed.
Most Bhutanese students being educated abroad received technical training in India, Singapore, Japan, Australia, Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United States. English-speaking countries attracted the majority of Bhutanese students. The large majority returned to their homeland.
The adult literacy rate was around at 48 % in 2000. Until the early 1960s no formal schools existed in Bhutan except for religious ones. Since that time the nation has developed free and noncompulsory schooling that provides both primary and secondary education. Due in part to a deficiency of access to facilities, the attendance rate at Bhutan’s schools is comparatively low.
| Bhutan | Government | Back to Top |
Government: World's only Buddist kingdom. De facto constitutional monarchy with Druk Gyalpo head of state and head of government. Royal family members serve as close advisers and heads of some ministries. administrator comprises Royal Advisory Council and Council of Ministers. Unicameral National Assembly, 2/3 of its 150 members--representatives of general public--indirectly elected every three years, balance are monastic representatives appointed by Buddhist hierarchy and government officials appointed by Druk Gyalpo. administrator comprises Royal Advisory Council and Council of Ministers.
Politics: No legal political parties; political activities carried out by elite factions. Starting in late 1980s unrest among Nepalese minority in south led to government's parallel efforts to accommodate ethnic communities and restrict separatist activities amid increasing discontent and violence.
Administrative Divisions: Four administrative zones offer central government services at local levels; eighteen districts (dzongkhag) separated into either subdistricts (dungkhag, 67) or village groups (gewog, 191). Thimphu District not included in zonal administration. Municipal corporations at Thimphu and Phuntsholing; 4,500 other villages and settlements.
Judiciary: Civil law system heavily determined by Buddhist law based on seventeenth century code. Druk Gyalpo final level of appeal. High Court and district courts; minor civil disputes adjudicated by village heads.
Foreign Relations: Major aid recipient from India, major international organizations, and developed countries. traditionally relied first on Britain and then on India to direct foreign affairs, increasingly asserted freedom since joining United Nations in 1971. In 1991 maintained diplomatic relations with only sixteen nations. Member of Asian Development Bank, Colombo Plan, Coordination Bureau of Non-Aligned Countries, International Civil Aviation Organization, International Development Association, International Monetary Fund, International Telecommunications Union, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, United Nations and its affiliated agencies, and Universal Postal Union.
Media: Kuensel, government-owned weekly newspaper. Bhutan Broadcasting Service offers shortwave programming; daily FM broadcasts in Thimphu; no foreign television reception
| Bhutan | History | Back to Top |
Although knowledge of past history Bhutan has yet to emerge through archaeological study, stone tools and weapons, remnants of large stone structures, and megaliths that may have been used for boundary markers or rituals offer demonstrate of civilization as early as 2000 B.C. The absence of neolithic mythological legends argues against earlier inhabitation. A more certain past history time has been theorized by historians as that of the state of Lhomon or Monyul, possibly a part of Tibet that was then beyond the pale of Buddhist teachings. Monyul is thought to have existed between 550 B.C. and A.D. 620. The names Lhomon Tsendenjong and Lhomon Khashi, found in ancient Bhutanese and Tibetan chronicles, may also have credence and have been used by some Bhutanese scholars when referring to their homeland. Variations of the Sanskrit words Bhota-ant or Bhu-uttan have been suggested by historians as origins of the name Bhutan, which came into common foreign use in the late nineteenth century and is used in Bhutan only in English-language official correspondence. The orthodox name of the nation since the seventeenth century has been Drukyul- -nation of the Drokpa, the Dragon People, or the Land of the Thunder Dragon--a reference to the nation's dominant Buddhist sect.
Some scholars believe that during the early historical time the inhabitants were fierce mountain aborigines, the Monpa, who were of neither the Tibetan or Mongol stock that later overran northern Bhutan. The people of Monyul practiced the shamanistic Bon religion, which emphasized worship of nature and the existence of good and evil spirits. During the latter part of this time, historical legends relate that the mighty king of Monyul invaded a southern region known as the Duars, subduing the regions of modern Assam, West Bengal, and Bihar in India.
| Bhutan | Introduction | Back to Top |
Bhutan, monarchy, southern Central Asia, in the eastern Himalaya, bounded on the north and north-west by Tibet and on the east, south, and south-west by India. It has a total area of 47,000 sq km. The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu.
Official Name- Kingdom of Bhutan| Bhutan | Land | Back to Top |
N/A
| Bhutan | Languages | Back to Top |
the development process has gained considerable momentum in recent years, Bhutan is still grouped by the United Nations (UN) among the least developed countries of the world. The name Bhutan means “Land of the Thunder Dragon” in Dzongkha, the nation’s official language.
| Bhutan | Legal | Back to Top |
Legal system: based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
vote: each family has one vote in village-level elections
Administrator branch: chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
Head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay NGEDUP (since NA 1999)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed, five-year terms; note - there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members nominated by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 give the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)
| Bhutan | Life | Back to Top |
The orthodox practice, arranged marriages based on family and ethnic ties, has been replaced in the late twentieth century with marriages based on mutual affection. Marriages were usually arranged by the partners in contemporary Bhutan, and the minimum age was sixteen for women and twenty-one for men. The institution of child marriage, once comparatively widespread, had largely declined as Bhutan modernized, and there were only remnants of the practice in the late twentieth century. Interethnic marriages, once forbidden, were promoted in the late 1980s by an incentive of a Nu10,000 government stipend to willing couples. The stipend was discontinued in 1991, however. Marriages of Bhutanese citizens to foreigners, have been discouraged. Bhutanese with foreign spouses were not allowed to obtain civil service positions and could have their government scholarships cancelled and be required to repay portions already received. Foreign spouses were not entitled to citizenship by right but had to apply for naturalization.
Polyandry was abolished and polygamy was limited in the midtwentieth century, but the law in the 1990s still allowed a man as many as three wives, providing he had the first wife's permission. The first wife also had the power to sue for divorce and alimony if she did not agree. In the 1980s, divorce was common, and new laws provided better benefits to women seeking alimony.
Family life, both traditionally and in the contemporary time, was likely to offer for a fair amount of self-sufficiency. Families, for example, often made their own clothing, bedding, floor and seat covers, tablecloths, and decorative items for daily and religious use. Wool was the primary material, but domestic silk and imported cotton were also used in weaving colorful cloth, often featuring elaborate geometric, floral, and animal designs. Although weaving was normally done by women of all ages using family-owned looms, monks sometimes did embroidery and appliqué work. In the twentieth century, weaving was possibly as predominant a feature of daily life as it was at the time of Bhutan's unification in the seventeenth century.
| Bhutan | organization | Back to Top |
AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW (signatory), SAARC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTrO (observer)
| Bhutan | People | Back to Top |
When Bhutan's first national census was conducted in 1969, the population officially stood at 930,600 persons. Before 1969 population estimates had ranged between 302,000 and 805,000 people. The 1969 census has been criticized as inaccurate. By the time the 1980 census was held, the population reportedly had increased to around 1,165,800 persons. The results of the 1988 census had not been released as of 1991, but preliminary government projections in 1988 set the total population at 1,375,400 persons, whereas UN estimates stood at 1,451,000 people in 1988. Other foreign projections put the population at 1,598,200 persons in July 1991. It is likely, that Bhutan's real population was less than 1 million and likely as little as 600,000 in 1990. Moreover, the government itself began to use the figure of "about 600,000 citizens" in late 1990.
The annual growth rate in 1990 was 2 %. Although the wide variation in population size makes all projections flawed, experts believe that the population growth rate is valid. The birth rate was 37 per 1,000, and the death rate was 17 per 1,000. In 1988 UN experts had around Bhutan would have a population of 2 million by 2000 and 3 million by 2025. The average annual population growth rate was around at 1.9 % during the time from 1965 to 1970 and 1.8 % during the time 1980 to 1985. Rates of change were projected to increase to 2.1 % by 1990 and 2.3 % by 2000 and to decrease to 1.40 % by 2025. Total fertility rates have declined since the 1950s, however. The rate stood at 6.0 in 1955 and 5.4 in 1985 and was expected to decline to 3.6 by 2005 and 2.5 by 2025. The infant mortality rate was the highest in South Asia in 1990: 137 deaths per 1,000 live births. contempt the declining population growth most of Bhutan's people were young. By the late 1980s, 46 % of the population was under fifteen years of age. the greater number of female infant deaths resulted in one of the world's lowest malefemale ratios.
Population growth is increasing the demand for fuelwood and causing pressure on the small amount of land that can be used for farming or pasture. The more accessible forests have been depleted through overcutting, poor management, and soil erosion. Poor access to potable water and sanitation are also serious problems in Bhutan. Nevertheless, preservation of the environment is part of the nation’s tradition and government policy, and 21 % of the land is protected.
| Bhutan | Politics | Back to Top |
no legal parties Political pressure groups and leaders: Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)
| Bhutan | Provinces | Back to Top |
18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang
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| Bhutan | Time | Back to Top |
| Bhutan | Currency and General Information | Back to Top |
| Butan India Rupees | United States Dollars |
| 1.00 INR | 0.0204858 USD |
| 48.8144 INR | 1 USD |
| Countries Currency Unit | USD/Unit | Units/USD | |
| DZD | Algeria Dinars | 0.0129554 | 77.1877 |
| USD | United States Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| ARS | Argentina Pesos | 0.341293 | 2.93004 |
| AUD | Australia Dollars | 0.533413 | 1.87472 |
| ATS | Austria Schillings ** | 0.0632609 | 15.8076 |
| BSD | Bahamas Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| BBD | Barbados Dollars | 0.502513 | 1.99000 |
| BEF | Belgium Francs ** | 0.0215788 | 46.3417 |
| BMD | Bermuda Dollars | 1.00000 | 1.00000 |
| BRL | Brazil Reals | 0.430318 | 2.32386 |
| GBP | United Kingdom Pounds | 1.42399 | 0.702251 |
| BGL | Bulgaria Leva | 0.447293 | 2.23567 |
| CAD | Canada Dollars | 0.627606 | 1.59336 |
| CLP | Chile Pesos | 0.00152392 | 656.202 |
| CNY | China Yuan Renminbi | 0.120813 | 8.27726 |
| CYP | Cyprus Pounds | 1.49883 | 0.667186 |
| CZK | Czech Republic Koruny | 0.0281883 | 35.4758 |
| DKK | Denmark Kroner | 0.117155 | 8.53568 |
| XCD | East Caribbean Dollars | 0.370370 | 2.70000 |
| EGP | Egypt Pounds | 0.217271 | 4.60255 |
| EUR | Euro | 0.870489 | 1.14878 |
| FJD | Fiji Dollars | 0.447227 | 2.23600 |
| FIM | Finland Markkaa ** | 0.146406 | 6.83034 |
| FRF | France Francs ** | 0.132705 | 7.53550 |
| DEM | Germany Deutsche Marks ** | 0.445074 | 2.24682 |
| XAU | Gold Ounces | 301.977 | 0.00331151 |
| GRD | Greece Drachmae ** | 0.00255463 | 391.447 |
| HKD | Hong Kong Dollars | 0.128215 | 7.79939 |
| HUF | Hungary Forint | 0.00358416 | 279.006 |
| ISK | Iceland Kronur | 0.00999868 | 100.013 |
| INR | India Rupees | 0.0205205 | 48.7319 |
| IDR | Indonesia Rupiahs | 0.000102055 | 9,798.61 |
| IEP | Ireland Pounds ** | 1.10529 | 0.904738 |
| ILS | Israel New Shekels | 0.212386 | 4.70841 |
| ITL | Italy Lire ** | 0.000449570 | 2,224.35 |
| JMD | Jamaica Dollars | 0.0210041 | 47.6099 |
| JPY | Japan Yen | 0.00754183 | 132.594 |
| JOD | Jordan Dinars | 1.41057 | 0.708931 |
| LBP | Lebanon Pounds | 0.000660937 | 1,513.00 |
| LUF | Luxembourg Francs ** | 0.0215788 | 46.3417 |
| MYR | Malaysia Ringgits | 0.263330 | 3.79751 |
| MXN | Mexico Pesos | 0.111007 | 9.00848 |
| NZD | New Zealand Dollars | 0.440474 | 2.27028 |
| NOK | Norway Kroner | 0.113022 | 8.84780 |
| NLG | Netherlands Guilders ** | 0.395011 | 2.53158 |
| PKR | Pakistan Rupees | 0.0166945 | 59.9000 |
| PHP | Philippines Pesos | 0.0196386 | 50.9202 |
| XPT | Platinum Ounces | 510.962 | 0.00195709 |
| PLN | Poland Zlotych | 0.243488 | 4.10699 |
| PTE | Portugal Escudos ** | 0.00434198 | 230.310 |
| ROL | Romania Lei | 0.0000303433 | 32,956.21 |
| RUR | Russia Rubles | 0.0321342 | 31.1195 |
| SAR | Saudi Arabia Riyals | 0.266668 | 3.74998 |
| XAG | Silver Ounces | 4.65692 | 0.214734 |
| SGD | Singapore Dollars | 0.542540 | 1.84318 |
| SKK | Slovakia Koruny | 0.0208441 | 47.9751 |
| ZAR | South Africa Rand | 0.0883340 | 11.3207 |
| KRW | South Korea Won | 0.000759354 | 1,316.91 |
| ESP | Spain Pesetas ** | 0.00523174 | 191.141 |
| XDR | IMF Special Drawing Rights | 1.24862 | 0.800882 |
| SDD | Sudan Dinars | 0.00384615 | 260.000 |
| SEK | Sweden Kronor | 0.0964189 | 10.3714 |
| CHF | Switzerland Francs | 0.593789 | 1.68410 |
| TWD | Taiwan New Dollars | 0.0286531 | 34.9002 |
| THB | Thailand Baht | 0.0230087 | 43.4619 |
| TTD | Trinidad and Tobago Dollars | 0.163399 | 6.12000 |
| TRL | Turkey Liras | 0.000000763622 | 1,309,549.07 |
| VEB | Venezuela Bolivares | 0.00108696 | 920.000 |
| ZMK | Zambia Kwacha | 0.000239866 | 4,169.00 |
| Bhutan : Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E |
| Bhutan : Population growth rate | 2.17% |
| Bhutan : Birth rate | 35.73 births/1,000 population |
| Bhutan : Death rate | 14.03 deaths/1,000 population |
| Bhutan : People living with HIV/AIDS | 100 |
| Bhutan : Independence | 8 August 1949 |
| Bhutan : National holiday | 17 December |
| Bhutan : Constitution | 1953 |
| Bhutan : GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.3 billion |
| Bhutan : GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,100 |
| Bhutan : Electricity - consumption | 191.1 million kWh |
| Bhutan : Exports | $154 million cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement |
| Bhutan : Imports | $269 million fuel and lubricants, grain, machinery and parts. |
| Bhutan : Telephones | 6,000 |
| Bhutan : Mobile cellular | N/A |
| Bhutan : Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 |
| Bhutan : Radios | 37,000 |
| Bhutan : Television broadcast stations | N/A |
| Bhutan : Televisions | 11,000 |
| Bhutan : Internet country code | .bt |
| Bhutan : Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | N/A |
| Bhutan : Internet users | 500 |
| Bhutan : Railways | N/A |
| Bhutan : Highways | 3,285 km |
| Bhutan : Waterways | N/A |
| Bhutan : Pipelines | N/A |
| Bhutan : Ports and harbors | N/A |
| Bhutan : Merchant marine | N/A |
| Bhutan : Airports | 2 |
| Bhutan : Heliports | N/A |
| Bhutan : Military branches | Royal Bhutan Army, National Militia, Royal Bhutan Police |
| Bhutan : Military expenditures | N/A |