Bhutan (officially called Kingdom of Bhutan) is a small landlocked country in the Himalaya mountains of South Asia.
It is ruled by King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, who has been king since 2006. Bhutan was founded in 1644 by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel. The Bhutanese people are proud that they have always been an independent country. Bhutan's capital city is Thimphu. The official language is Dzongkha.
Kingdom of Bhutan | |
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Anthem: Druk Tsendhen | |
Capital and largest city | Thimphu 27°28.0′N 89°38.5′E / 27.4667°N 89.6417°E |
Official languages | Dzongkha |
Recognised national languages | |
Demonym(s) | Bhutanese |
Government | Unitary parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy |
• King | Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck |
Tshering Tobgay | |
Formation Early 17th century | |
• Wangchuk Dynasty | 17 December 1907 |
2007 | |
Area | |
• Total | 38,394 km2 (14,824 sq mi) (135th) |
• Water (%) | 1.1 |
Population | |
• 2011 estimate | 708,427 (165th) |
• 2005 census | 634,982 |
• Density | 18.0/km2 (46.6/sq mi) (154th) |
GDP (PPP) | 2010 estimate |
• Total | $3.875 billion |
• Per capita | $5,429 |
GDP (nominal) | 2010 estimate |
• Total | $1.412 billion |
• Per capita | $1,978 |
HDI (2007) | 0.619 medium · 132nd |
Currency | Ngultrum2 (BTN) |
Time zone | UTC+6 (BTT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+6 (not observed) |
Driving side | left |
Calling code | 975 |
ISO 3166 code | BT |
Internet TLD | .bt |
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About 700,000 people live in Bhutan. The people and government of Bhutan are proud of their culture which is based on Tibetan Buddhism. 97% of Bhutan's people are Buddhist.
Until 1974, Bhutan was closed to the outside world. Now people can visit the country, but only in small numbers. The only airport is in Paro District. The country is bordered on the south by the Republic of India and on the north by China. The Indian state of Sikkim separates Bhutan and Nepal. The main export of Bhutan is hydroelectricity which is sold to India. The economy of Bhutan is very small but is growing quickly. The currency is the Ngultrum, which is pegged at par with the Indian rupee.
Bhutan is the only carbon-neutral and carbon-negative country in the entire world.
The Royal Bhutan Army is Bhutan's military service. It includes the Royal Bodyguard and the Royal Bhutan Police. Membership is voluntary, and the minimum age for recruitment is 18. The standing army numbers about 16,000 and is trained by the Indian Army. Being a landlocked country, Bhutan has no navy. It also has no air force or army aviation corps. The Army relies on Eastern Air Command of the Indian Air Force for air assistance.
More than 770 species of bird and 5,400 species of plants are known to occur throughout the kingdom. Bhutan has a rich primate life with rare species such as the golden langur.
Bhutan is divided into 20 districts. Locally these are named dzongkhags. The districts are:
The major cities of Bhutan are:
Bhutan's national sport is archery. Competitions are held regularly in most villages. Cricket has gained popularity in Bhutan, particularly since the introduction of television channels from India. The Bhutan national cricket team is one of the more successful affiliate nations in the region. Football is also an increasingly popular sport.
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