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Introduction:BHUTAN
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps.
GEOGRAPHY
Country name: conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
Capital: Thimphu
Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic Coordinates: 27 30 N, 90 30 E
Area: total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area Comparative: about half the size of Indiana
Land Boundaries: total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime Claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Elavation Extremes: lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Natural Resources: timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
GOVERNEMENT
Governement Type: monarchy; special treaty relationship with India
Administratives Divisions: 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
Independence 8 August 1949 (from India)
National Holiday: National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
Constitution: no written constitution or bill of rights; note - in 2001 the King commissioned the drafting of a constitution, and in November 2004 presented a draft to the Council of Ministers
Legal System; based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage each family has one vote in village-level elections; note - in late 2003 Bhutan's legislature passed a new election law
Executive Branch: chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Chairman of the Council of Ministers Lyonpo Yeshey ZIMBA (since 20 August 2004)
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
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)
elections: local elections last held November 2002 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: NA
Judicial Branch: Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch)
Political parties and Leaders: no legal parties
PEOPLE
Population: 2,185,569
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2004 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 39.3% (male 445,548; female 414,338)
15-64 years: 56.6% (male 637,637; female 600,253)
65 years and over: 4% (male 44,298; female 43,495) (2004 est.)
Median age: total: 20.2 years
male: 20 years
female: 20.3 years (2004 est.)
Nationality: noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Bhutanese
Ethnic groups: Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas - one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Religions: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
COMUNICATIONS
Telephones - main lines in use: 25,200 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 8,000 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment: NA
domestic: domestic telephone service is very poor with few telephones in use
international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service is by landline through India; a satellite earth station was planned (1990)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 0, FM 1, shortwave 1 (1998)
Television broadcast stations: 0 (1997)
Internet country code: .bt
Internet hosts: 985 (2003)
Internet users: 15,000 (2003)
TRANSPORT
Railways:  
Highways: total: 3,690 km
paved: 2,240 km
unpaved: 1,450 km (1999 est.)
Waterways:  
Pipelines:  
Ports and harbors: none
Merchant marine:  
Airports: 2 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Heliports:  
 
 
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