Bhutan

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

• violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon;
• frequent landslides during the rainy season

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes

signed, but not ratified:

Law of the Sea

• landlocked;
• strategic location between China and India;
• controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.07 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.01 male(s)/female

total population:

1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

noun:

Bhutanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Bhutanese

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:

Bhutan

local long form:

Druk Gyalkhap

local short form:

Druk Yul

name:

Thimphu

geographic coordinates:

27 28 N, 89 39 E

time difference:

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural);
• Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Dagana, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi, Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang, Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang

note: there may be two new districts named Gasa and Yangtse

• no written constitution or bill of rights;
• note - in 2001, the king commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in March 2005 publicly unveiled it;
• is awaiting national referendum

chief of state:

King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)

head of government:

Chairman of the Council of Ministers Sangay NGEDUP (since 5 September 2005)

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 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote

• Buddhist clergy;
• ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign;
• Indian merchant community;
• United Front for Democracy (exiled)

• none;
• note - Bhutan has a Permanent Mission to the UN;
• address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10017;
• telephone [1] (212) 826-1919;
• FAX [1] (212) 826-2998;
• the Bhutanese mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US

consulate(s) general:

New York

• 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

agriculture:

93%

industry:

2%

services:

5%

lowest 10%:

NA%

highest 10%:

NA%

revenues:

$346.6 million

expenditures:

including capital expenditures of $NA

note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (FY95/96 est.)

general assessment:

telecommunications facilities are poor

domestic:

• very low teledensity;
• domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas;
• wireless service available since 2003

international:

• country code - 975;
• international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
• satellite earth station - 1 (2005)

total:

8,050 km

paved:

4,991 km

unpaved:

3,059 km (2003)

males age 18-49:

483,860

females age 18-49:

453,683 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

314,975

females age 18-49:

296,833 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

23,939

females age 18-49:

21,979 (2005 est.)

• approximately 105,000 Bhutanese have lived decades as refugees in Nepal, 90% of whom reside in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps;
• Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian separatists