Bhutan
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General Information
Introduction Bhutan
Background:
 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 to British India. 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. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the government's draft constitution - which would introduce major democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for its approval. In December 2006, the King abdicated the throne to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK, in order to give him experience as head of state before the democratic transition. In early 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty to allow Bhutan greater autonomy in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate policy decisions in this area with New Delhi. In July 2007, seven ministers of Bhutan's ten-member cabinet resigned to join the political process, leaving the remaining cabinet to act as a caretaker regime until a new government assumes power following parliamentary elections. Bhutan will complete its transition to full democracy in 2008, when its first fully democratic elections to a new parliament - expected to be completed by March 2008 - and a concomitant referendum on the draft constitution will take place.
Geography Bhutan
Location:
 Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
 27 30 N, 90 30 E
Map references:
 Asia
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
Elevation extremes:
 lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Natural resources:
 timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate
Land use:
 arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 97.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
 400 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
 95 cu km (1987)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
 total: 0.43 cu km/yr (5%/1%/94%)
per capita: 199 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
 violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season
Environment - current issues:
 soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
 party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
 landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
People Bhutan
Population:
 2,327,849
note: the Factbook population estimate is inconsistent with the 2005 Bhutan census results; both data are being reviewed and when completed, the results will be posted on The World Factbook Web site (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook) later this year (July 2007 est.)
Age structure:
 0-14 years: 38.6% (male 465,340/female 433,184)
15-64 years: 57.4% (male 688,428/female 647,134)
65 years and over: 4% (male 47,123/female 46,640) (2007 est.)
Median age:
 total: 20.5 years
male: 20.4 years
female: 20.7 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate:
 2.082% (2007 est.)
Birth rate:
 33.28 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate:
 12.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate:
 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Sex ratio:
 at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.074 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.064 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.01 male(s)/female
total population: 1.066 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
 total: 96.37 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 94.09 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 98.77 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population: 55.17 years
male: 55.38 years
female: 54.96 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate:
 4.67 children born/woman (2007 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
 less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
 less than 100 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
 NA
Major infectious diseases:
 degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria
water contact disease: leptospirosis (2008)
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
Literacy:
 definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 47%
male: 60%
female: 34% (2003 est.)
Government Bhutan
Country name:
 conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan
local long form: Druk Gyalkhap
local short form: Druk Yul
Government type:
 absolute monarchy; special treaty relationship with India; note - transition to a constitutional monarchy is expected in 2008
Capital:
 name: Thimphu
geographic coordinates: 27 29 N, 89 36 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
 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
Independence:
 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king)
National holiday:
 National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)
Constitution:
 none; note - a draft constitution was unveiled in March 2005 and is expected to be adopted following the election of a new National Assembly in 2008
Legal system:
 based on Indian law and English common law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
 chief of state: King Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK (since 14 December 2006); note - King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK abdicated the throne on 14 December 2006 and his son immediately succeeded him
head of government: Prime Minister Kinzang DORJI (since August 2007)
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; election of a new National Assembly is expected in 2008
Legislative branch:
 unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150 seats; 105 members elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests; to serve three-year terms); note - a new bicameral parliament will be established in 2008
elections: first elections to be held in December 2007 and spring 2008; note - local elections last held August 2005 (next to be held in 2008)
election results: NA
Judicial branch:
 Supreme Court of Appeal (the monarch); High Court (judges appointed by the monarch); note - the draft constitution establishes a Supreme Court, which will serve as chief court of appeal
Political parties and leaders:
 Druk Pheunsum Tshogpa or DPT [Jigme THINLEY]; People's Democratic Party or PDP [Sangay NGEDUP]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
 Buddhist clergy; ethnic Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign; Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)
International organization participation:
 ADB, BIMSTEC, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, SACEP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
 none; note - the Permanent Mission to the UN for Bhutan has consular jurisdiction in the US; address: 763 First Avenue, New York, NY 10017; telephone [1] (212) 682-2268; FAX [1] (212) 661-0551
consulate(s) general: New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
 the US and Bhutan have no formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)
Flag description:
 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
Economy Bhutan
Economy - overview:
 The economy, one of the world's smallest and least developed, is based on agriculture and forestry, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Rugged mountains dominate the terrain and make the building of roads and other infrastructure difficult and expensive. The economy is closely aligned with India's through strong trade and monetary links and dependence on India's financial assistance. The industrial sector is technologically backward, with most production of the cottage industry type. Most development projects, such as road construction, rely on Indian migrant labor. Model education, social, and environment programs are underway with support from multilateral development organizations. Each economic program takes into account the government's desire to protect the country's environment and cultural traditions. For example, the government, in its cautious expansion of the tourist sector, encourages visits by upscale, environmentally conscientious tourists. Detailed controls and uncertain policies in areas such as industrial licensing, trade, labor, and finance continue to hamper foreign investment. Hydropower exports to India drove GDP growth to over 20% in 2007
GDP (purchasing power parity):
 $3.503 billion (2006 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
 $1.164 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
 8.8% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
 $1,400 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
 agriculture: 24.7%
industry: 37.2%
services: 38.1% (2005)
Labor force:
 NA
note: major shortage of skilled labor
Labor force - by occupation:
 agriculture: 63%
industry: 6%
services: 31% (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate:
 2.5% (2004)
Population below poverty line:
 31.7% (2003)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
 lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
 5.5% (2005 est.)
Budget:
 revenues: $272 million
expenditures: $350 million
note: the government of India finances nearly three-fifths of Bhutan's budget expenditures (2005)
Public debt:
 81.4% of GDP (2004)
Agriculture - products:
 rice, corn, root crops, citrus, foodgrains; dairy products, eggs
Industries:
 cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide, tourism
Industrial production growth rate:
 9.3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - production:
 2 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source:
 fossil fuel: 0.1%
hydro: 99.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption:
 380 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports:
 1.5 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports:
 20 million kWh (2005)
Oil - production:
 0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - consumption:
 1,200 bbl/day (2005 est.)
Oil - exports:
 0 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - imports:
 1,138 bbl/day (2004)
Oil - proved reserves:
 0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
 0 cu m (2005 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
 0 cu m (2005)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
 0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Exports:
 $350 million f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities:
 electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones, spices
Exports - partners:
 India 54.5%, Hong Kong 34.6%, Bangladesh 6.9% (2006)
Imports:
 $320 million c.i.f. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
 fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics, rice
Imports - partners:
 India 76%, Japan 5.5%, Germany 3.2% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
 $90.02 million; note - substantial aid from India (2005)
Debt - external:
 $593 million (2004)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
 $NA
Currency (code):
 ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:
 BTN; INR
Exchange rates:
 ngultrum per US dollar - NA (2007), 45.279 (2006), 44.101 (2005), 45.317 (2004), 46.583 (2003)
note: the ngultrum is pegged to the Indian rupee
Fiscal year:
 1 July - 30 June
Communications Bhutan
Telephones - main lines in use:
 31,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
 82,100 (2006)
Telephone system:
 general assessment: urban towns and district headquarters have telecommunications services
domestic: very low teledensity; domestic service is very poor especially in rural areas; wireless service available since 2003
international: country code - 975; international telephone and telegraph service via landline and microwave relay through India; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
 AM 0, FM 9, shortwave 1 (2007)
Radios:
 37,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
 1 (2007)
Televisions:
 11,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
 .bt
Internet hosts:
 9,180 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
 NA
Internet users:
 30,000 (2006)
Transportation Bhutan
Airports:
 2 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
 total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
 total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Roadways:
 total: 8,050 km
paved: 4,991 km
unpaved: 3,059 km (2003)
Military Bhutan
Military branches:
 Royal Bhutan Army (includes Royal Bodyguard and Royal Bhutan Police) (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
 males age 18-49: 483,860
females age 18-49: 453,683 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
 males age 18-49: 314,975
females age 18-49: 296,833 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
 males age 18-49: 23,939
females age 18-49: 21,979 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 1% (2005 est.)
Transnational Issues Bhutan
Disputes - international:
 over 100,000 Bhutanese Lhotshampas (Hindus) have been confined in seven UN Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees camps since 1990; Bhutan cooperates with India to expel Indian Nagaland separatists; lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a boundary alignment to resolve substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lies in Bhutan's northwest
History
History of Bhutan

Stone tools, weapons, and remnants of large stone structures provide evidence that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC. Historians have theorised that the state of Lhomon (literally, "southern darkness"), or Monyul ("Dark Land", a reference to the Monpa – the aboriginal peoples of Bhutan) may have existed between 500 BC and AD 600. The names Lhomon Tsendenjong (Sandalwood Country), and Lhomon Khashi, or Southern Mon (country of four approaches) have been found in ancient Bhutanese and Tibetan chronicles.

The earliest transcribed event in Bhutan was the passage of the Buddhist saint Padmasambhava (also called Guru Rinpoche) in the 8th century. Bhutan's early history is unclear, because most of the records were destroyed after fire ravaged Punakha, the ancient capital in 1827. By the 10th century, Bhutan's political development was heavily influenced by its religious history. Various sub-sects of Buddhism emerged which were patronised by the various Mongol and Tibetan overlords. After the decline of the Mongols in the 14th century, these sub-sects vied with each other for supremacy in the political and religious landscape, eventually leading to the ascendancy of the Drukpa sub-sect by the 16th century.

Until the early 17th century, Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefdoms until unified by the Tibetan lama and military leader Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. To defend the country against intermittent Tibetan forays, Namgyal built a network of impregnable dzong (fortresses), and promulgated a code of law that helped to bring local lords under centralised control. Many such dzong still exist. After Namgyal's death in 1652, Bhutan fell into anarchy. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Tibetans attacked Bhutan in 1710, and again in 1730 with the help of the Mongols. Both assaults were successfully thwarted, and an armistice was signed in 1759.

In the 18th century, the Bhutanese invaded and occupied the kingdom of Cooch Behar to the south. In 1772, Cooch Behar appealed to the British East India Company who assisted them in ousting the Bhutanese, and later in attacking Bhutan itself in 1774. A peace treaty was signed in which Bhutan agreed to retreat to its pre-1730 borders. However, the peace was tenuous, and border skirmishes with the British were to continue for the next hundred years. The skirmishes eventually led to the Duar War (1864–1865), a confrontation over who would control the Bengal Duars. After Bhutan lost the war, the Treaty of Sinchula was signed between British India and Bhutan. As part of the reparations, the Duars were ceded to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in exchange for a rent of Rs. 50,000. The treaty ended all hostilities between British India and Bhutan.

During the 1870s, power struggles between the rival valleys of Paro and Trongsa led to civil war in Bhutan, eventually leading to the ascendancy of Ugyen Wangchuck, the ponlop (governor) of Tongsa. From his power base in central Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck defeated his political enemies and united the country following several civil wars and rebellions in the period 1882–1885.

In 1907, an epochal year for the country, Ugyen Wangchuck was unanimously chosen as the hereditary king of the country by an assembly of leading Buddhist monks, government officials, and heads of important families. The British government promptly recognised the new monarchy, and in 1910 Bhutan signed a treaty which let Great Britain control Bhutan's foreign affairs. After India gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 15, 1947, Bhutan became of one of the first countries to recognize India's independence.

Since Britain was no longer going to be in the region a similar treaty was signed August 8, 1949 with the newly independent India.

After the Chinese People's Liberation Army entered Tibet in 1951, Bhutan sealed its northern frontier and improved bilateral ties with India. To reduce the risk of Chinese encroachment, Bhutan began a modernisation program that was largely sponsored by India. In 1953, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck established the country's legislature – a 130-member National Assembly – to promote a more democratic form of governance. In 1965, he set up a Royal Advisory Council, and in 1968 he formed a Cabinet. In 1971, Bhutan was admitted to the United Nations, having held observer status for three years. In July 1972, Jigme Singye Wangchuck ascended to the throne at the age of 16 after the death of his father, Dorji Wangchuck.

By the 1980s, the government had become acutely conscious not just of widespread illegal immigration of people of Nepali origin into Bhutan, but also of the total lack of integration even of longterm immigrants into the political and cultural mainstream of the country. Most of the immigrants knew very little of the culture of Bhutan and most could not understand any one of the local languages including Dzongkha. They remained so 'nepalese' in their culture they were indistinguishable from new immigrants. For its part, government officials had long ignored the situation assuming that most of these people who were most often observed in non-Bhutanese clothes were in fact non-Bhutanese visitors or residents. Perceiving this growing dichotomy as a threat to national unity, the Government promulgated directives in the 1980s that sought to preserve Bhutan's cultural identity as well as to formally embrace the citizens of other ethnic groups in a "one nation, one people" policy. While the intent of the policy was benign and constructive, the government not totally unreasonably, implied that the 'culture' to be preserved would be that of the northern Bhutanese. This policy therefore required citizens to wear the attire of the northern bhutanese in public places and reinforced the status of Dzongkha as the national language. Nepali was discontinued as a subject in the schools keeping in line with the status of the other languages of Bhutan, none of which are taught. Such policies were criticized at first by human rights groups as well as Bhutan's Nepalese economic migrant community, who perceive the policy to be directed against them. From the perspective of Bhutanese, the issue is one of preserving a Himalayan Buddhist culture and way of life (which has been completely destroyed in nearby Sikkim by an onslaught of over immigration by very same ethnic Nepali people). The Nepali immigrants claim that the Bhutanese are clinging to power at the expense of human rights, pluralism, and democratic principles. However many in Bhutan see ethnic Nepali immigrants cry for pluralism and democracy as just as an excuse to overwhelm and take over a lightly populated Bhutan.

Simmering tensions were heightened in the late 1980s, when the government conducted a census exercise to control the flood of illegal immigration. The basis for the census findings was the 1958 'cut off' year, the year that the Nepali population had first received Bhutanese citizenship. Those individuals who could not provide proof of residency prior to 1958 were adjudged to be illegal immigrants. This was implemented through the 1985 Citizenship Act. A delicate period in the development of the Government and increasingly violent protests by ethnic-Nepali democratic parties, spurred on this act which stated that only those Nepalese immigrants who could show they had resided in Bhutan since 1958,through proof of documents prior to 1958, would be deemed citizens of Bhutan. This act was also implemented as more and more Nepali's were coming through the porous, unguarded southern border, attracted by the growing economy and opportunities. This act led to the increased activity of numerous groups to protest against what was seen as an injustice against resident Nepalis.

Matters reached a head in 1990 after well organized groups comprised of 10,000 or more ethnic Nepalis from the Indian side of the border, organized protest marches in different districts, burned down schools, stripped local government officials of their national attire which they burned publicly, carried out kidnappings and murders of other ethnic Nepalis who did not join their protests. Some of the organizers of the marches were arrested and detained. However the Bhutanese government later released most of them. Those with ties to the groups responsible for the murders and kidnappings were forced to leave, but unfortunately many other innocent ethnic-Nepali citizens were coerced to leave by the angry ethnic-Nepali dissidents.

Thus a group of several thousand left and settled in refugee camps. The UNHCR aid proivded to these people attracted the poor from border areas of Nepal, who claimed to be refugees as well to receive aid. Thus the initial number of people in the camps ballooned in a year to about 100,000. The issue remains unresolved today, with Bhutan unable to repatriate refugees as they are unable to identify who are actual ones and who aren't. The refugees offer ownership of the national citizen identity cards as proof of citizenry. The government contends that there has been widespread forging of these documents.

The crisis of the people in the camps causes some tension between Bhutan and Nepal and is the glaring issue in Bhutan's otherwise good international relations.

In 1998, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck introduced significant political reforms, transferring most of his powers to the Prime Minister and allowing for impeachment of the King by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly. In late 2003, the Bhutanese army successfully launched a large-scale operation to flush out anti-India insurgents who were operating training camps in southern Bhutan.

In 1999, the king also lifted a ban on television and the Internet, making Bhutan one of the last countries to have introduced the television. In his speech, he asserted that the television was a critical step to the modernization of Bhutan as well as a major contributor to the country's Gross National Happiness (Bhutan is the only country to measure happiness) but warned against the misuse of the television that may erode traditional Bhutanese values.

A new constitution has been presented in early 2005, which will be put up for ratification by a referendum before coming into force. In December 2005, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that he would step down as King of Bhutan in 2008. King Wangchuck said he would be succeeded by his son, the crown prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. A group comprised of ethnic Nepalese claiming to be Bhutanese exiles, have criticized the constitution saying that the king is trying to overshadow the refugees problem in the country by introducing "limited democracy".

Culture

Culture of Bhutan

Bhutan remains one of the most secluded nations in the world, and most tourists are required to book packaged tours (offered by the country's numerous tourist agencies) in order to travel around the country. In contrast to Nepal, which is well-known as a budget travel destination, Bhutan imposes a minimum daily fee of US$200 for tourists traveling in groups during high season, or US$240 per day for individual travelers (who still must be accompanied by a guide and driver).

The traditional dress for Ngalong and Sharchop men is the gho, a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera. Women wear an ankle-length dress, the kira, which is clipped at one shoulder and tied at the waist. An accompaniment to the kira is a long-sleeved blouse, the toego, which is worn underneath the outer layer. Social status and class determine the texture, colours, and decorations that embellish the garments. Scarves and shawls are also indicators of social standings, as Bhutan has traditionally been a feudal society. Earrings are worn by females. Controversially, Bhutanese law now requires these Tibetan-style garments for all Bhutanese citizens including the Nepalese, who are not of Tibetan stock.

Rice, and increasingly corn, are the staple foods of the country. The diet in the hills is rich in protein because of the consumption of meat chiefly poultry, yak and beef. Soups of meat, rice, and dried vegetables spiced with chilis and cheese are a favourite meal during the cold seasons. Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and cows, are also popular, despite the scarcity of milk (because all milk is turned to butter and cheese). Popular beverages include butter tea, tea, locally brewed rice wine and beer. Bhutan is the only country in the world to have banned tobacco smoking and the sale of tobacco.

Bhutan's national sport is archery, and competitions are held regularly in most villages. It differs from Olympic standards not only in technical details such as the placement of the targets and atmosphere. There are two targets placed over 100 metres apart and teams shoot from one end of the field to the other. Each member of the team shoots two arrows per round. Traditional Bhutanese archery is a social event and competitions are organised between villages, towns, and amateur teams. There are usually plenty of food and drink complete with singing and dancing cheerleaders comprising of the wives and supporters of the participating teams. Attempts to distract an opponent include standing around the target and making fun of the shooter's ability. Darts (khuru) is an equally popular outdoor team sport, in which heavy wooden darts pointed with a 10cm nail are thrown at a paperback-sized target ten to twenty metres away.

Another traditional sport is the digor, which can be best described as shot put combined with horseshoe throwing. Soccer is an increasingly popular sport. In 2002, Bhutan's national soccer team played Montserrat - billed as 'The Other Final', the match took place on the same day Brazil played Germany in the World Cup Final, but at the time Bhutan and Montserrat were the world's two lowest ranked teams. A documentary of the match was made by the Dutch filmmaker Johan Kramer. Rigsagar is the new emergent style of popular music, played on a a mix of traditional instruments and electronic keyboards, and dates back to the early 1990s; it shows the influence of Indian popular music, a hybrid form of traditional and Western popular influences. Traditional genres include the zhungdra and boedra.

Characteristic of the region is a type of fortress known as dzong architecture.

Bhutan has numerous public holidays, most of which centre around traditional seasonal, secular and religious festivals. They include the winter solstice (around January 1, depending on the lunar calendar), the lunar New Year (February or March), the King's birthday and the anniversary of his coronation, the official start of monsoon season (September 22), National Day (December 17), and various Buddhist and Hindu celebrations. Even the secular holidays have religious overtones, including religious dances and prayers for blessing the day.

Masked dances and dance dramas are common traditional features at festivals, usually accompanied by traditional music. Energetic dancers, wearing colourful wooden or composition facemasks and stylised costumes, depict heroes, demons, death heads, animals, gods, and caricatures of common people. The dancers enjoy royal patronage, and preserve ancient folk and religious customs and perpetuate the ancient art of mask making.

The Kuensel, Bhutan's government-run newspaper, circulates biweekly in Dzongkha, English and Nepali. Beginning in April 2006, it competes with The Bhutan Times, Bhutan's only privately-owned newspaper (although several samizdat periodicals may be found on the internet).

Bhutan has about 15,000 Internet users, 25,200 landline subscribers, and 23,000 mobile phone subscribers. The Bhutan Broadcasting Service was established in 1973 as a radio service, broadcasting in short wave nationally, and on the FM band in Thimphu. The service started television broadcasts in 1999, making Bhutan the last country in the world to introduce television. As part of the King's modernization program, cable television was introduced shortly after. By 2002, however, the crime rate had increased appreciably, and the introduction of cable television is alleged to be responsible for the spurt in crime.

Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche is a well-known filmmaker, who produced and directed The Cup as well as Travellers and Magicians. While The Cup was shot in a Tibetan monastery in northern India, Travellers and Magicians was the first feature film to be filmed entirely in Bhutan, with a cast comprised entirely of Bhutanese people. No professional actors were used in either film.


Last update on 4 March 2008
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