Bhutan

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

total:

0.43 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%)

per capita:

199 cu m/yr (2000)

• 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

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:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

1.13 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.12 male(s)/female

total population:

1.1 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever and malaria

water contact disease:

leptospirosis (2009)

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 29 N, 89 36 E

time difference:

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

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

chief of state:

• King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006);
• note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him;
• the nearly two-year delay between the former King's abdication and his son's coronation on 6 November 2008 was to ensure an astrologically auspicious coronation date and to give the new king, who had limited experience, deeper administrative expertise under the guidance of this father

head of government:

Prime Minister Jigme THINLEY (since 9 April 2008)

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 are nominated by the monarch

; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)

elections:

• the monarchy is hereditary, but democratic reforms in July 1998 grant the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch with two-thirds vote;
• election of a new National Assembly occurred in March 2008;
• the leader of the majority party nominated as the prime minister

• bicameral Parliament consists of the non-partisan National Council (25 seats; 20 members elected by each of the 20 electoral districts (dzongkhags) for four-year terms and 5 members nominated by the King);
• and the National Assembly (47 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote for five-year terms)

elections:

• National Council elections last held on 31 December 2007 and 29 January 2008 (next to be held by December 2012);
• National Assembly elections last held on 24 March 2008 (next to be held by March 2013)

election results:

• National Council - NA;
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party - DPT 67%, PDP 33%;
• seats by party - DPT 45, PDP 2

• Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch);
• High Court (judges appointed by the monarch);
• note - the draft constitution establishes a Supreme Court that will serve as chief court of appeal

• none;
• note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US;
• the permanent representative to the UN is Daw PENJO;
• address: 763 First Avenue, New York, NY 10017;
• telephone [1] (212) 682-2268;
• FAX [1] (212) 661-0551

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;
• the dragon, called the Druk (Thunder Dragon), is the emblem of the nation;
• its white color stands for purity and the jewels in its claws symbolize wealth;
• the background colors represent spiritual and secular powers within Bhutan: the orange is associated with Bhuddism, while the yellow denotes the ruling dynasty

name:

"Druk tsendhen" (The Thunder Dragon Kingdom)

lyrics/music:

Gyaldun Dasho Thinley DORJI/Aku TONGMI

note: adopted 1953

agriculture:

63%

industry:

6%

services:

31% (2004 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.3%

highest 10%:

37.6% (2003)

general assessment:

urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services

domestic:

• low teledensity;
• domestic service is poor especially in rural areas;
• mobile-cellular service available since 2003

international:

• country code - 975;
• international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2009)

• state-owned TV station established in 1999;
• cable TV service offers dozens of Indian and other international channels;
• first radio station, privately launched in 1973, is now state-owned;
• 1 private radio station began operations in 2006 (2007)

total:

8,050 km

country comparison to the world: 141

paved:

4,991 km

unpaved:

3,059 km (2003)

males age 16-49:

198,553

females age 16-49:

176,226 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

153,985

females age 16-49:

140,437 (2010 est.)

male:

7,432

female:

7,153 (2010 est.)

• Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists;
• lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient