Bhutan

1
Bhutan

• Country profile of society, economics, and the
  government.

2
Introduction

• Shares a history of influence by Tibet, China,
  India, and an interlude of British colonial
  guidance.
  
• Ruled by hereditary monarchs.
• Legal system based on Buddhist law and English
  common law
  
• Kingdom for more than 1500 years
• Autocracy has been replaced by democracy

3
Country Profile

• Formal name - Kingdom of Bhutan
• Citizens - Bhutanese
• Capital - Thimpu
• Date of Independence - August 8, 1949

4
Geography

• Landlocked between China and Tibet
• Total land area of 46,500 square km.
• Topography is rugged mountains with foothills and
  unnavigable rivers
  
• Climate varies year round snow to north,
  monsoons in west, temperate in central and
  eastern areas, subtropical in south

5
Society

• Population is 1.6 million with 97 in rural
  areas
  
• Religion is 70 Buddhist, 25 Hindus, and 5
  Muslim
  
• Literacy rate at 12
• As of 1980s, life expectancy at 45.9 for men and
  women

6
Economy

• Predominantly agricultural with a fair amount of
  tourism
  
• GNP is 3.9 Billion, agricultural is 46.2
• Industry is 26.4 of GNP
• Foreign trade principally with India
• Foreign Aid is chiefly from India with smaller
  amounts from U.N. and private sources

7
Government and politics

• Worlds only Buddhist kingdom
• Defacto constitutional monarchy
• Unicameral national assembly , some members
  appointed by monarch and public representatives
  elected every three years
  
• No legal political parties
• Central government with country divided into four
  administrative zones

8

• Civil law system influenced by Buddhist law based
  on 17th century code
  
• Minor civil disputes handled by village heads
• Government-owned newspaper and television, No
  foreign television reception
  

9
National Security

• Armed forces - Royal Bhutan Army at 6000
• Modern small arms and obsolete Indian supplied
  equipment
  
• Military budget unknown
• India is protector, weapons supplier, and
  provider of advanced training
  
• Village, Royal, and Forest police along with
  modern militia

10
Chronology of Important Events

• 500 B.C. to 600 A.D. - State of Monyul
  Established
  
• 630-640 - First Buddhist temple built
• 910 - Independent monarchies develop
• 1100s- occupied by Tibetan-Mongul forces
• 1629 - First westerners visit (Portuguese)
• 1629-47 - Wars with Tibet

11

• 1651 - Theocratic Buddhist state rules unify
  Bhutan and joint civil-religious administration
  established
  
• 1714 - Tibetan-Mongol invasion thwarted
• 1772-73 - Britain invades
• 1774 - sign peace treaty with Britain
• 1834-35 - Britain again invades
• 1864 - Civil war, Britain seeks peace with both
  sides
  
• 1865 - War with Britain

12

• 1883-85 - Civil war leads to united Bhutan
• 1907 - Theocracy ends - hereditary monarch
• 1910 - Invaded by China, Britain defends
  controlling Bhutan
  
• 1947 - British rule ended
• 1949 - Treaty of Friendship with India
• 1953 - National assembly established as part of
  government reform
  
• 1966 - Thimpu made year-round capital
• 1971 - Admitted as united nations

13

• 1989 - Ethnic clashes
• 1990 - Anti government terrorist clash with Royal
  Bhutan Army, violence and crime increase, citizen
  militias formed