Bhutan

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

agricultural land:

13.6%;

• arable land 2.6%;
• permanent crops 0.3%;
• permanent pasture 10.7%

forest:

85.5%

other:

0.9% (2011 est.)

• violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's Bhutanese 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

noun:

Bhutanese (singular and plural)

adjective:

Bhutanese

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.14 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.16 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

1.1 male(s)/female

total population:

1.09 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

degree of risk:

high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever (2016)

conventional long form:

Kingdom of Bhutan

conventional short form:

Bhutan

local long form:

Druk Gyalkhap

local short form:

Druk Yul

etymology:

• named after the Bhotia, the ethnic Tibetans who migrated from Tibet to Bhutan;
• "Bod" is the Tibetan name for their land;
• the Bhutanese name "Druk Yul" means "Land of the Thunder Dragon"

name:

Thimphu

geographic coordinates:

27 28 N, 89 38 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

history:

previous governing documents were various royal decrees; first constitution drafted November 2001 - March 2005, ratified 18 July 2008

amendments:

• proposed as a motion by simple majority vote in a joint session of Parliament;
• passage requires at least a three-fourths majority vote in a joint session of the next Parliament and assented to by the king;
• amended 2011 (2017)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

the father must be a citizen of Bhutan

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 to his son

head of government:

Prime Minister Tshering TOBGAY (since 27 July 2013)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers or Lhengye Zhungtshog members nominated by the monarch in consultation with the prime minister and approved by the National Assembly; members serve 5-year terms

elections/appointments:

• the monarchy is hereditary but can be removed by a two-third vote of Parliament;
• leader of the majority party in Parliament is nominated as the prime minister, appointed by the monarch

description:

bicameral Parliament or Chi Tshog consists of the non-partisan National Council or Gyelyong Tshogde (25 seats; 20 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 5 members appointed by the king; members serve 5-year terms) and the National Assembly or Tshogdu (47 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

• National Council election last held on 23 April 2013 (next to be held in 2018);
• National Assembly election first round held on 31 May 2013 and second round on 13 July 2013 ((next to be held in 2018)

election results:

• National Council - seats by party - independent 20 (all candidates required to run as independents);
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party in first round - DPT 44.5%;
• PDP 32.5%;
• DNT 17.0%;
• DCT 5.9%;
• percent of vote in second round - PDP 54.9%, DPT 45.1%;
• seats by party - PDP 32, DPT 15

highest court(s):

Supreme Court (consists of 5 justices including the chief justice); note - the Supreme Court has sole jurisdiction in constitutional matters

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court chief justice appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the National Judicial Commission, a 4-member body to include the Legislative Committee of the National Assembly, the attorney general, the Chief Justice of Bhutan and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court;
• other judges (drangpons) appointed by the monarch from among the High Court judges selected by the National Judicial Commission;
• chief justice serves a 5-year term or until reaching age 65 years, whichever is earlier;
• the 4 other judges serve 10-year terms or until age 65, whichever is earlier

subordinate courts:

• High Court (first appellate court);
• District or Dzongkhag Courts;
• sub-district or Dungkhag Courts

• Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party or BKP [Dasho Neten ZANGMO]
• Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa) or DPT [Pema GYAMTSHO]
• Druk Chirwang Tshogpa or DCT [Lily WANGCHUK]
• Druk Nymarup Tshogpa or DNT [Tandin DORJI]
• People's Democratic Party or PDP [Tshering TOBGAY]

• none;
• note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US;
• the permanent representative to the UN is Kunzang C. NAMGYEL (since February 2014);
• address: 343 East 43rd Street, 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 Buddhism, 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:

58%

industry:

20%

services:

22% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%:

2.8%

highest 10%:

30.6% (2012)

general assessment:

urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services

domestic:

• domestic service inadequate, especially in rural areas;
• mobile-cellular service, begun in 2003, is now widely available;
• Internet services widely available

international:

• country code - 975;
• international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India;
• satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2016)

• 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;
• 5 private radio stations are currently broadcasting (2012)

number of registered air carriers:

2; inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 6

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

162,864

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

538,041 mt-km (2015)

total:

10,578 km

paved:

2,975 km (includes 2,180 km of national highways)

unpaved:

7,603 km (2013)

note: a more recent figure for 2015 lists 11,177 km for total roadway length, but no breakdown of paved or unpaved

country comparison to the world: 135

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• militia training is compulsory for males aged 20-25, over a 3-year period (2012)