Bhutan

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Bhutan is a country in South Asia located in the Himalayas and landlocked. It borders to the north with the People's Republic of China and to the south with India. It is a nation governed by a constitutional monarchy, whose organs and seat of government are in the capital, Timbu. With an area of 40,994 km² and a population of less than 800,000, Bhutan is one of the smallest and most sparsely populated countries on the planet. Its territory is divided into twenty districts.

The origins of the country date back to the VIII century AD, with the introduction of Buddhism by the Tibetans and the expansion of his empire into what is now Bhutan. Until the 17th century the population of the territory was always in continuous wars, but the Tibetan chief Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal unified them and began to extend the territory. Later, some of the conquered lands passed to the British East India Company, in order to help drive out the invaders. This was resolved by a peace agreement whereby Bhutan would withdraw to its 1730 borders, although fighting continued. After that, defeated, they joined the British Raj, which became independent from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947, giving rise to India. Two years later, the kingdom of Bhutan gained independence from the Raj, signing an agreement with the Indians to maintain their foreign relations.

The Wangchuck dynasty has ruled ever since and introduced various economic and political measures, such as the Gross National Happiness index as the main indicator of development instead of the economy, based on agriculture. In 2006, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated in his son Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck's, but he was not crowned until 2008. The country's first parliamentary elections had been held a year earlier, and the first constitution came into force some time later.. Most of the population works for the agricultural and livestock sector, although the industrial and service sectors have more economic weight.

Etymology

Numerous names similar to "Bhutan" began to emerge in Europe around the 1580s. Jean-Baptiste Tavernier was the first to record a similar term, "Boutan", in 1676 in his work Six Voyages . However, this did not seem to refer to the country itself, but to a kingdom of Tibet. The modern distinction between the two places was not made until 1774, when on an expedition the Scottish adventurer and diplomat George Boogle explained the cultural and governmental differences between the two regions in a report he delivered to the British East India Company. Thus, Boogle proposed to rename the kingdom ruled by a Druk Desi as "Boutan" and the one ruled by a Panchen Lama as "Tibet". With this, the inspector general of the India Company, James Rennell, adapted the French term as "Bootan" into English, in addition to promoting the distinction between these two territories.

The origin of the word "Bhutan" is still unknown, although it probably comes from the Tibetan exonym "Bod", used as a word to refer to Tibet. However, there is another current that considers that the origin of the name comes from Sanskrit, "Bhota-anta" - भोट - अन्त; end of Tibet—, referring to the country's location, which is at the edge of the plateau, and the Tibetan culture.

Locally, Bhutan has been known by many names. One of the oldest western words was recorded by the Portuguese Jesuits Estêvão Cacella and João Cabral in various ways: as "Cambirasi" —among the inhabitants of Koch Bihar—, "Powerful" and "Mon" —exonyms used to refer to the south of the plateau. The first time the kingdom of Bhutan appeared on a western map, it did so under the local name "Broukpa". Other names included "Lho Mon" - southern dark lands - "Lho Tsendenjong" - southern cypress lands - "Lhomen Khazhi" - southern cypress lands of the four southern accesses— and “Lho Men Jong” —lands of southern herbology—.

History

Prehistory and arrival of Buddhism

Songtsen Gampo, Tibetan emperor who began the expansion of Buddhist philosophy into Bhutan.

The presence of numerous remains of tools and weapons prove that the present territory of Bhutan has been populated for more than 4,000 years. Despite the paucity of archaeological studies, some historians have theorized that the Lhomon States existed during prehistoric times. —literally: darkness of the south— and Moyul —dark earth, a reference to the Monba population, the aborigines of Bhutan. It is estimated that the latter populated those territories between the years 500 a. C and 600 AD. Thus, it is possible that the names "Lhomon Tsendenjong" and "Lhomon Khashi", found in the ancient chronicles of Bhutan and Tibet, may also have credibility as historical names and have been used by some Bhutanese scholars to refer to to his homeland.

Buddhism entered the country in the 7th century. The Tibetan Emperor Songtsen Gampo, a convert to this philosophy and that he had extended his empire to Sikkim and Bhutan, he ordered the construction of two Buddhist temples in Bumthang and Paro. From there, Buddhism spread especially from the year 746 under the Sindhu emperor Rāja, an Indian exile who established a government in Bumthang from the Chakhar Gutho palace.

The Buddhist saint Padma Sambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche, arrived in Bhutan in 747. With the destruction of most records following a fire in 1827 in the ancient capital, Punakha, much of the history early in the country is little known. It is known that around the X century the political development was marked by its religious history. Various small sects of Buddhism began to emerge and were heavily used for religious practice by the Mongolian warlords. After the fall of the Yuan dynasty in China in the 14th century, these sectarian groups began to compete for supremacy in the world. political and religious —fruit of the absence of a government to control the situation—, with the subsequent victory of the Drukpa group in the XVI century.

Clashes and British intrusion

Map of the British Empire in South Asia in 1909, which in addition to Bhutan covered the current territories of Bangladesh, Burma, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Until the early 17th century, Bhutan was nothing more than a collection of minor warring fiefdoms, until the territory was unified by the Tibetan lama and military leader Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, who had fled religious persecution in Tibet. To defend the country from the periodic incursions of the Tibetans, Namgyal ordered the construction of a series of fortified buildings called "dzong", still present today. The Portuguese Jesuits Estêvão Cacella and João Cabral were the first Europeans on record to visit Bhutan. They met with Ngawang Namgyal, handed him weapons and gunpowder to fight armed insurrections, but ultimately refused him. After a stay that lasted almost eight months, Cacella wrote a letter from the Chagri monastery describing his journeys, a report on Shabdrung. Although Ngawang's death occurred in 1651, this fact was unknown to the public. society for 54 years. After a period of consolidation, the country fell into internal conflict. In 1711, they went to war against the Mughal Empire and the Subedars, their allies who recaptured Koch Bihar. During the time of the chaos, the Tibetans attacked Bhutan in 1714, but the operation was unsuccessful.

The Bhutanese also occupied what is now the Koch Bihar district. The leaders of the newly captured area turned to the British East India Company, which helped drive out the invaders and even attacked some Bhutanese areas. Faced with this pressure, Bhutan signed a peace treaty pledging to withdraw to its pre-1730 borders. The peace, however, was weak, with continued border fighting for the next hundred years. These eventually led to the Bhutanese War of 1864-65, a conflict over the dominance of the Duars of Bengal. After the defeat of the Bhutanese, the Treaty of Sinchula was signed between the Bhutanese and British India. As one of the conditions of peace, the duars were ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for 50,000 rupees. The treaty ended all hostilities between these two countries.

During the 1870s, there were power struggles between the Paro and Trongsa valleys, whose populations were in conflict. This led to a civil war, leading to the ascendancy of Ugyen Wangchuck, the penlop—governor—of Trongsa. From his base of power in the center of the country, Ugyen defeated his political enemies and united the nation after numerous conflicts between 1882 and 1885.

Independence and monarchical formation

Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck, first king of Bhutan (1907–1926).

1907 was a momentous year for the country, as Ugyen Wangchuck was unanimously elected as the land's crown king by an assembly of Buddhist monks, government officials, and heads of prestigious families. Immediately, the British government recognized the new monarch, so the Punakha Treaty was signed, by which the United Kingdom was in charge of the country's foreign affairs and that it would be a State linked to India. This really had little effect, given Bhutan's historical reticence and that it did not seem to affect relations with Tibet. After the new union with India, it became independent from the British on August 15, 1947, as Bhutan became one of the first states to recognize Indian breakup. On August 8, 1949, a treaty similar to that of 1910 was signed, but with India, by which India undertook to maintain the international relations of the Himalayan country, independent since that date.

In 1953, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck established the country's legislature, a 130-member National Assembly, to promote a more democratic form of government. In 1965, the Royal Consultative Council was created and in 1968 it was formed. a cabinet. Bhutan was later admitted to the United Nations in 1971, having held observer status for three years. On the king's death, his 16-year-old son, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, ascended the throne. in July 1972.

Political reform and news

The Bhutanese political system has evolved since the 2000s from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. King Jigme Singye transferred part of his administrative powers to a council of ministers, allowing the impeachment of the the monarch himself, provided there is a two-thirds majority of the assembly. In 1999 the ban on the use of television and the Internet was lifted, making this country one of the last to introduce both media. In a speech, the The king claimed that the introduction of television was an important step in Bhutan's modernization, as well as a major contributor to gross national happiness—Bhutan is the only country that measures this indicator—but warned that its misuse could jeopardize the traditional values of the nation.

A draft constitution was announced in early 2005, but it was not published or entered into force until three years later. In addition, in December of that same year the king announced that he would abdicate in his son by 2008, although he finally resigned two years earlier. This event was followed by parliamentary elections in December 2007 and March 2008. On November 6, 2008, Jigme Khesar's son Namgyel Wangchuck was crowned king. On February 5, 2016, the kings had their first son, Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck, heir to the throne. Their second son, Jigme Ugyen Wangchuck, was born on March 19, 2020.

Government and politics

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King and Head of State since 2006, but crowned in 2008.

Dr. Lotay Tshering, Prime Minister and Head of Government.

The Bhutanese system of government is based on a constitutional monarchy, in which the king—locally known as Druk Gyalpo, the dragon king—is the head of state and the prime minister is the head of the government. government. In turn, there is a council of ministers, the Lhengye Zhungtshog, whose members are appointed by the monarch himself with the recommendation of the prime minister and approved by a national assembly. These members are fixed for a period of five years. The government is elected by the people, who is in charge exclusively of the executive power, since Bhutan enjoys a division of powers. In addition, there is universal suffrage for people of legal age, which is 18 years. The legal system consists of a civil code based on the Buddhist religion. The nation has had a Constitution since 2008, and although it was proposed in 2005, for its preparation, more than a hundred constitutions from different countries were read to gather ideas and, thus, shape, make your own.

Legislative power resides in the Parliament of Bhutan, which is made up of the monarch and two chambers: the National Council and the National Assembly. As for the judicial power, it is vested in the Royal Court of Justice, which is made up of the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Dzongkhag Court and the Dungkhag Court. In turn, all justice is administered by a National Judicial Commission.

Also noteworthy is the fact that the government considers happiness as important as the economy, which also has its own indicator, gross national happiness. It considers social well-being as a support for economic growth to achieve the happiness of the population. This concept is based on nine pillars, which are psychological well-being, health, education, culture, distribution of time, quality of government, social relations, ecology and housing. In 2010, a survey was carried out in this regard, with the result that the majority of the population was in the average or above in the degree of satisfaction with their lives. In fact, Transparency International places Bhutan ranked 27th among the least corrupt of the 168 countries on the list, with a score of 6.5 out of 10 in 2016. It should also be noted at this point that Bhutan is considered a "partly free" country, according to a study conducted in 2017.

Foreign Relations

In 1949, an agreement was created with India whereby it would be in charge of the country's foreign affairs, but would not intervene in internal affairs in any case. Bhutan maintains bilateral relations with 53 countries, thanks to a network of embassies and consulates in Bangladesh, India, Kuwait and Thailand. However, very few countries have embassies or consulates in their territory. It should also be noted that it has no relationship with any member of the Security Council of the United Nations, not even with the United States or the People's Republic of China. However, there are contacts between the American country and Bhutan through the embassies in New Delhi. For its part, there are territorial disputes with China, because the relief makes it difficult to calculate the boundaries of the two countries accurately. In contrast, India has strong economic, strategic and military relations, along with the signing of a treaty in 2007 in which the country returned would agree to continue maintaining Bhutan's international relations.

Embassy of Bhutan in New Delhi, India.

On the other hand, Bhutan has been a member of the United Nations (UN) since 1971 and has two permanent diplomatic missions there, one in Geneva and another in New York. In addition to this, it is member of the Group of 77 (G-77), the Non-Aligned Movement (MPNA) and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), in order to participate in projects with other countries and foster relations. It is also an observer member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It is also adhered to numerous treaties and conventions, to highlight the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural Heritage and Natural and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Armed Forces

The armed forces are provided by the Royal Bhutanese Army, which is divided into the King's Defense Corps and the Police. It has neither an air force nor a navy, being a landlocked country: it is only limited to land. Personnel have evolved rapidly over the years, from 6,000 men in 2000 to more than 14,000 serving in 2010, including a paramilitary force, with the goal of supporting or replacing regular forces. The latter has similar equipment and training. The constitution establishes that the monarch of the country is the supreme commander and head of the armed forces and militias, and that the State is in charge of maintaining them financially, although it only invests in it. 1% of GDP. It is important to mention that military service is not compulsory but can only be done by people who are at least 18 years old.

The foundation of the Bhutanese armed forces dates back to the 1950s, in connection with actions in Tibet by the People's Liberation Army. With Indian backing, the national government planned to raise a standing army of 2,500 soldiers to defend against enemy attacks. Bhutan has not been involved in any military operations for the century XX. His first action dates back to 2003, when he had to use force to deal with rebellions by Indian separatist groups in the south of the country. According to analysts With the Chinese, India is increasing its military influence in areas such as Nepal and Bhutan, which could make the Himalayan kingdoms victims of the Sino-Indian conflict.

Human Rights

In terms of human rights, regarding membership of the seven bodies of the International Bill of Human Rights, which include the Human Rights Committee (HRC), Bhutan has signed or ratified:

Status of major international human rights instruments

Bhutan	International treaties
	CESCR		CCPR			CERD	CED	CEDAW		CAT		CRC			MWC	CRPD
	CESCR	CESCR-OP	CCPR	CCPR-OP1	CCPR-OP2-DP			CEDAW	CEDAW-OP	CAT	CAT-OP	CRC	CRC-OP-AC	CRC-OP-SC		CRPD	CRPD-OP
Pertenence
Signed and ratified, signed, but not ratified, neither signed nor ratified, without information, it has agreed to sign and ratify the body concerned, but also recognizes the competence to receive and process individual communications from the competent bodies.

Territorial organization

The territory of Bhutan is divided into 20 districts called dzonkhags. These are administered by a body called Dzongkhag Tshogdu and there is also a municipal administration for the localities —< i>thromdes— which is directly subordinated to district management. In the vast majority of constituencies, rural gewogs—blocks of small villages—are managed by teams called Gewog Tshogde. The constituency base in Bhutan is the chiwog, a subdivision of the gewogs demarcated by the Election Commission. Below is the table with the map and the dzongkhags from Bhutan:

N.o	District	Capital	Area (km2)	N.o	District	Capital	Area (km2)
1	Bumthang	Jakar	2831	11	Samdrup Jongkhar	Samdrup Jongkhar	2312
2	Chukha	Chukha	1791	12	Samtse	Samtse	1585
3	Dagana	Dagana	1387	13	Sarpang	Sarpang	2362
4	Gasa	Gasa	4561	14	Timbu	Timbu	2067
5	Haa	Haa	1746	15	Trashigang	Trashigang	2316
6	Lhuntse	Lhuntse	3022	16	Trashiyangtse	Trashiyangtse	1643
7	Mongar	Mongar	1946	17	Trongsa	Trongsa	1807
8	Paro	Paro	1310	18	Tsirang	Damphu	641
9	Pemagatshel	Pemagatshel	518	19	Wangdue Phodrang	Wangdue Phodrang	4046
10	Punakha	Punakha	977	20	Zhemgang	Zhemgang	2126

Geography

Topographic map of Bhutan.

View of some Himalaya mountains in Bhutan.

Although there is no exact measurement of the surface of Bhutan, due to territorial disputes with China, it is officially recognized as having an area of 40,994 km², similar to that of Switzerland, and bordered on the north by China and on the south with India, along a 1,075-kilometre border. The greatest distance on the east-west axis is 306 km, while from north to south it is only 145. Located in South Asia, the The country is dominated by deep valleys and steep mountains that make up the Himalayas, whose peaks reach over 7,000 meters of altitude. The highest point in Bhutan is Gangkhar Puensum (7,570 m), while the lowest point is located on the Drangme Chhu River at 97 m altitude. The peak of Bhutan has not yet been climbed.

The numerous glaciers and rivers that exist throughout the country are what make up the local hydrography. The main streams are the Drangme Chhu, Puna Tsang Chhu, Wang Chhu and Torsa Chhu. These are mainly fed by monsoon rain and snow. Glaciers are also a good source of river feeding and They are found in the north of the country, causing the course of the rivers to exit the mountain range, mainly towards Bangladesh or India.

Climate

Bhutan has a very diverse climate, depending on altitude and monsoons. In the southern regions, the tropical climate persists, with temperatures of 15 °C in winter and above 30 °C in summer., while in the most mountainous areas the thermometers can drop to temperatures below zero in January and not exceed ten degrees in summer. Rainfall also varies by area, since if less than 500 mm falls each year in the Himalayas, in the south it can reach 5,000. In the winter months, the skies are usually clear. The monsoon season lasts from June to September.

Average Timbu climate parameters
Month	Ene.	Feb.	Mar.	Open up.	May.	Jun.	Jul.	Ago.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Annual
Average temperature (°C)	12.3	14.4	16.4	20	22.5	24.4	18.9	25	23.1	21.9	17.9	14.5	19.3
Average temperature (°C)	4.9	7.5	10.2	13.6	17.8	19.8	16.2	20.4	19.1	16.2	11.5	6.7	13.7
Temp. medium (°C)	-2.6	0.6	3.9	7.1	13.1	15.2	13.4	15.8	15	10.4	5	-1.1	8
Total precipitation (mm)	15	41	23	58	122	246	373	345	155	38	8	3	1427
Days of precipitation (≥)	2	7	4.11	8.22	11.36	16	21.18	20.18	16	5.78	3	2.5	117.3
Hours of sun	248	196	248	240	217	180	155	155	150	217	240	217	2463
Relative humidity (%)	50	58	62	66	69	76	81	82	79	68	57	47	66.3
Source: MyWeather2.com, World Meteorological Service,(1)Weather Data Base, Weather2Travel.com. (4 June 2014) (1) The given values are average of Paro, locality close to Timbu.

Flora, fauna and environment

A leopard of snow, endogenous species living in Bhutan.

Bhutan has 6,216 registered species of amphibians, birds, mammals, reptiles and vascular plants, making it one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet. In particular, it has 625 species of birds and 5,468 of plants vascular. Among the flora, there are more than 300 species of medicinal plants, as well as 46 rhododendrons, as well as a large number of magnolias, junipers and orchids, and trees such as pines and oaks. The forest layer, which occupies approximately 72% of the total area, is divided into three distinct zones: the alpine —with little or no floral cover—, the temperate —where conifers and other broad-leaved plants live— and the subtropical, which It is home to typical tropical vegetation. The Himalayan blue poppy is considered the national flower and grows at elevations between 3,500 and 4,500 m on causeways in the eastern part of the territory.

On the other hand, numerous indigenous species live in the country, such as the golden langur, the red panda, the black-necked crane, the snow leopard or the takin. The latter is considered the national animal. It should be noted that Bhutan has 16 endangered bird species, in addition to the raven, recognized as the national bird. As for aquatic life, some 41 native species are known to live in the country's lakes and rivers, including eight exotic species and seven cyprinids introduced for aquaculture in temperate waters. Brown trout were introduced in the 1930s and until the 1980s they were raised in two fish farms before being transferred to the country's streams and bodies of water.

Caring for ecology and the environment is very important in Bhutan, as it is one of the pillars that support the idea of Gross National Happiness. In fact, there is a national commission for such purposes, whose objective is protect natural spaces, strengthen the conscious consumption of resources and promote social responsibility with nature. 60% of the country is protected by a network of ten natural parks. There is a policy for water care, although the Institutions have weak functional links at the policy, planning and programming level. Despite everything, climate change also affects Bhutan, especially the glaciers.

Economy

Reverse and reversed from a 1 ngultrum ticket, the official currency of Bhutan.

By 2019, it was estimated that Bhutan is the 163rd largest economy in the world in terms of nominal GDP, since according to the International Monetary Fund its value would stand at 2.84 billion dollars. In other variants of GDP for the same year, the value of Bhutan in purchasing power parity is 8.2 billion dollars and its PPP GDP per capita is 9,876.21 USD, while its nominal GDP per capita is 3,423.05 USD. The national currency is the Bhutanese ngultrum and as of March 2018, 1 US dollar equals 64.93 ngultrum. The Indian rupee is also accepted.

Agriculture is the sector that employs the most people and its rice, corn, wheat and buckwheat crops stand out. The Bhutan Chamber of Commerce and Industry was founded in 1980 and is a non-profit organization, which has with members of the national business community, and is organized to control the products of private companies. In addition, it coordinates business with foreigners through the delegations of other countries —including Canada and China— and member nations of the SAARC. In the field of industry, artisanal manufacturing stands out, especially products made with cotton, wool and silk. The use of wood and metals, such as copper or iron, is also widespread. For its part, other sectors are gaining strength in the national economy, such as the production of hydroelectric power and electronic commerce. However, economic relations continue to weigh when proposing businesses, due to problems in access to finance, hiring immigrants, tax rates or transportation. Of all the above, the sectors that contribute the most to the economy are industrial and services.

In 2013, the Bhutanese economy was the fifth fastest growing in the world, with 8.5%, behind only Mongolia, Macao, Libya and China. It was also ranked 97th in the Competitiveness Index Global in the 2017-2018 period, while in the 2018 Economic Freedom Index it was ranked 87th, which is why it is considered a moderately free country. All of this it also contributed to an increase in inflation, which for 2017 stood at 5.1%. On the other hand, in 2017 Bhutan had international reserves of USD 1,206 million, while its foreign direct investment in the same year fell by USD 16.55 million. USD. In trade, exports generated a benefit of USD 580 million, while imports cost USD 1.1 billion, according to a 2017 estimate.

Tourism

The Taktshang, one of the most popular places in Bhutan.

The tourism industry in Bhutan began in 1974, after several years of isolation from the outside. Since then, it has been a great contributor to the country's economy, creating numerous jobs and adding additional revenue for the government. The tourism policy, launched in 1991, is based on the principles of sustainability, avoiding mass arrivals. of tourists that can cause consequences in their heritage, and that is viable for nature, culture and society.

Among the country's attractions are its landscapes, architecture and religious festivals, but in particular, the Taktshang is very popular —a monastery located next to a cliff—, whose translation means "tiger's nest". However, Bhutan has no World Heritage sites or monuments. All foreign citizens need a visa to stay in Bhutan, except for tourists from Bangladesh, India or the Maldives.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Paro International Airport, the most important of Bhutan and one of the most dangerous on the planet.

By 2013, Bhutan had more than 10,000 km of roads across the country, ranking it as the 135th country with the longest road length. Of these, almost 5,000 km are paved, including the It has more than 600 km of highways. However, the country lacks railways, although there is an agreement with the Indian Railways to expand the network from the neighboring country to within the nation. In this way, Bhutan would strengthen its connections with neighboring countries as well, such as Bangladesh and Nepal. It also has two airports with paved runways, the most important being the Paro International Airport, in the town of the same name, very close to the capital. Airline company base The national airline, Druk Air, has one of the most dangerous runways in the world due to its location between mountains and its climatic conditions. The airline connects the country with the main points of India, as well as other countries in South Asia.

For the control of vehicles and licenses issued to drivers, the Royal Bhutan Transport and Highway Safety Authority was established in 1997. According to December 2016 statistics, there were a total of 84,297 vehicles and 111,342 driver's licenses. However, between July 2015 and June 2016, 86 fatal accidents were recorded.

Media

TV and internet did not reach Bhutan until 1999, making it one of the last countries to have introduced these technologies. In 2014, there were about 203,100 registered Internet users, as well as 14,590 servers in 2012. In addition, it has 23,800 telephone lines and 628,300 mobile lines, according to 2014 statistics. The country has practically total coverage in the localities, although it has low intensity for domestic calls and international calls are diverted to India, where connect with the receiving country. The Bhutan Broadcasting Service company is the main television and radio station, although in the latter there are two other private channels: Kuzoo FM and Radio Valley.

In print, there are five main newspapers: Bhutan Today, Kuensel, The Bhutan Times, Bhutan Observer and The Bhutanese. It is noteworthy that press freedom is still partly restricted and according to Reporters Without Borders, the monarchy "makes few concessions for pluralistic news". It also has a mail service run by the parastatal company Bhutan Post and is widely used by the population to send messages. However, there is no office of the multinationals Federal Express and DHL.

Energy

Thanks to its hydroelectric plants, the country produces 7.75 billion kWh, of which it consumes 2.06 billion. To a lesser extent, the electrical energy consumed also comes from fossil fuels, but it is only 0.5% of the total. On the other hand, it does not produce oil or natural gas, although its carbon dioxide emissions are estimated at 0.26 million metric tons, of the least expelled in the world. Consumption of renewable energy has been stable since 1980, similar to that of countries such as Australia or the United Kingdom, but much lower than that of the United States. For the regulation and control of the consumption of electrical energy, in 2001 the Electricity Authority was created from Bhutan.

Demographics

Demographic developments in Bhutan (1960–2013).

In 2018, a population of 790,215 inhabitants was estimated, of which 409,474 are men and 380,741 are women. According to the estimates of that same year, 25.35% are under fourteen years of age, 18.4% were between the ages of 15 and 24, 43.73% between 25 and 54, 6.13% between 55 and 64, and the remaining 6.39% were older than 65. In 2016, life expectancy was in the 70.2 years —69.93 for men and 70.46 for women—, while the population growth rate stands at 1.05% for 2018.

Internal migrations occur towards the cities or to the western regions; 51% of the population has been displaced. There are still tens of thousands of refugees in Nepal, but due to the political conditions in that country they have been resettling in countries such as Australia, Canada, Denmark, the United States, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands or the United Kingdom. It is an ethnically heterogeneous nation, made up of two main groups, the Bhutanese and the Nepalese. The former are the majority group, while the latter occupies approximately 25% of the total population. The predominant and official religion is vajrayāna Buddhism, although there are small populations that practice Hinduism. Religious freedom is present in the country. There are about thirty languages in Bhutan, but the official one is Dzongkha, and English is used for publications and at work. In 2012, about 12% of the inhabitants lived below the poverty line, a rate that has been significantly reduced since 2007, when 23.2% of the country was in that situation.

Main towns

Education

Class of a school in Timbu.

The literacy rate has been increasing progressively since 1982, when it was at 10%, up to 60% today. According to studies from 2005, 52.8% of the population knows reading and writing. Teaching is in English and Dzonghka is the second language in all schools. The Royal University of Bhutan is located in the east, in Kanlung, in addition to the existence of two technical schools and two teacher training institutes. In total, in 2016 there were 1,876 educational centers, of which 106 were private, along with with more than 10,000 teachers.

The education process begins in preschool at the age of two, which lasts a total of three if an undergraduate degree is included before entering primary education, which begins at the age of six and is when they begin to learn math, science or art subjects. It lasts six years. Next, secondary education follows, which is another six more years —it is divided into three parts of equal duration— and that is when the primary subjects begin to be divided and become more specific and complete. At each end of the secondary stage, final exams are carried out where different academic certificates are obtained. After that, higher education begins, which includes universities and other professional training centers.

Health

Health coverage in Bhutan is not fully extended, since although it has an average of 1.8 hospital beds for every 1,000 inhabitants, it only has 0.26 doctors for every 1,000 people. The center The most important medical center in the country is the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Reference Hospital, which has the largest health infrastructure in the nation, since it can cover both free basic care and operations of a certain magnitude. The Ministry of Health is the public body in charge of supervision of sanitary needs, as well as the maintenance of the facilities dedicated to this purpose. Spending per inhabitant on sanitary matters was $281 annually, while government investment in health funds represented 3.6% of the total. GDP, approximately.

The infant mortality rate is 36 per 1,000 inhabitants and around 12.8% of children under five years of age had weight problems due to malnutrition. The fertility rate is at an average of 2.3 children for each woman. On the other hand, in Bhutan there are very few cases of people affected by HIV, accounting for about 0.2% of the population. Thanks to the strict government policies on tobacco, the number of smokers in Bhutan is almost null. Obesity is also very low there, since only 5% of the inhabitants suffer from it, while people who have increased blood pressure or glucose represent around 30% and 10%, respectively.

Culture

Bhutanese languages.

Bhutanese culture is greatly influenced by the Buddhist tradition, which is very present in the daily life of the local population. It also influences architecture, made up mainly of monasteries and other religious institutions, as well as traditional clothing and local festivals. Women often wear a kera which is a long tunic made of fine stitching. and with bright colors, while the males also wear a gho which is a belt made of cloth that holds the kera. The arts of Bhutan are divided into thirteen types that include painting, architecture, sculpture, costume jewelery and the elaboration of small craft objects.

Gastronomy

Traditional dish made with chicken, rice, spicy and spinach.

The local gastronomy is characterized by the great use of spicy. In fact, the majority of the population does not usually take a menu that does not include it. The main animal products consumed are pork, beef, goat, chicken, yak, in addition to fish, which also plays a large role in Bhutanese cuisine.. Cheese also plays a leading role. In vegetables and cereals, rice and chili are widely used, but also potatoes, pumpkin, spinach and tomato. Among the drinks, tea, sweet or with salt and butter, ara stand out. which is a liquor distilled from rice and chang, a cereal-based beer.

Among various local dishes, the Ema datshi stands out, which is the best-known dish and consists of a mixture of cheese and chili, to which is added a garnish of green beans, potatoes or mushrooms. Other important dishes are the Momos, which is a pork or beef meatball mixed with cabbage and cheese, and the Jasha Maru, which consists of minced chicken, accompanied by spicy, tomato and rice. Continental, Chinese and Indian dishes are also served in hotels.

Architecture

View of the dzong by Gasa, example of the traditional architecture of Bhutan.

Architecture is an important hallmark of the country's culture, due to its unique colors and patterns that the structures follow. The buildings are generally covered with a layer of wood, while the edges of doors and windows are often decorated with floral, animal or religious motifs. It is also noteworthy that traditional structures lack prior planning and paper description, so the building is built directly without preparation. In addition, the style has changed very little from its cultural roots, which are in Tibet, and it has Chinese and Persian distinctions due to the ideas left by the merchants who walked the Silk Road.

There are two types of buildings typical of the country. One of them is the lhakhang, which consist of small one-story buildings with an enclosed courtyard, which also have a red band on the upper part of their outer walls and a gilt copper ornament on the roof.. The interior part is dominated by paintings and an antechamber where a sanctuary is usually located. The other important building is the dzong, fortresses that were built in strategic places for political reasons. They contain monasteries and the regional administrative offices.

Music and dance

Traditional dance in Paro.

In the musical world of the country, the religious and folk music stands out. In the first case, chant is given special importance and deals mainly with spiritual biographies of saints —known locally as namtar. It also tends to have a strong monastic tradition and is not often heard by the general public. The use of the classical Tibetan language is very popular. this derives from the Drukpa. There are many varieties of folklore in Bhutan, to highlight the zhungdra, the boedra, the tsangmo and the lozey. The most widely used instruments are the lingm —six-hole flute—, the chiwang —two-string solo violin— and the dramyen. —similar to a rebec with three strings but larger.

Cham dance is one of the most prominent religious musical subgenres and the dancers are usually financed by a monastery or a patron. Masks are frequently used in dances and are often especially relevant in local traditional festivals. Dance festivals usually last about five days and the population usually visits them because they think it brings good luck and purifies their souls. Many young people are trained to carve the masks, generally made from wood or cardboard, and often have some religious details painted on them.

Festivities

Sports

A Bhutanese citizen practicing archery, the national sport of Bhutan.

Archery is the national sport of Bhutan and is practiced by a large part of the population. There are different types of competitions organized by the Bhutan Archery Federation, both individually and as a team. of a soccer league, although its national team is among the worst in the world according to FIFA, due to the results obtained in international matches of previous years. Another sport that is also popular is cricket. There are more than 75 teams throughout the country, both male and female. His team's best year was 2010 in the Cricket World League competition, after defeating Suriname in the group stage and in the play-off over the Bahamas.

Bhutan has participated in the Olympic Games since 1984, at the Los Angeles Olympics, and is represented by the Bhutan Olympic Committee, although it has yet to win a medal. As a member of the Olympic Council of Asia since 1983, Bhutan Bhutan has participated in seven of the competitions that this organization has held since the entry of the country, although no medals have been achieved either.