How long has bhutan been a country

Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 2 est. International disputes: lacking any treaty describing the boundary, Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the largest of which lie in Bhutan's northwest and along the Chumbi salient.

Major sources and definitions. Mountainous Bhutan, half the size of Indiana, is situated on the southeast slope of the Himalayas, bordered on the north and east by Tibet and on the south and west and east by India.

The landscape consists of a succession of lofty and rugged mountains and deep valleys. In the north, towering peaks reach a height of 24, ft 7, m. Bhutan's first national elections in March marked the country's shift from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. Although archaeological exploration of Bhutan has been limited, evidence of civilization in the region dates back to at least B.

Aboriginal Bhutanese, known as Monpa, are believed to have migrated from Tibet. The traditional name of the country since the 17th century has been Drukyul, Land of the Drokpa Dragon People , a reference to the dominant branch of Tibetan Buddhism that is still practiced in the Himalayan kingdom.

For centuries, Bhutan was made up of feuding regions until it was unified under King Ugyen Wangchuck in The British exerted some control over Bhutan's affairs, but never colonized it.

Until the s, Bhutan was largely isolated from the rest of the world, and its people carried on a tranquil, traditional way of life, farming and trading, which had remained intact for centuries. After China invaded Tibet, however, Bhutan strengthened its ties and contact with India in an effort to avoid Tibet's fate.

Thromdes municipalities elect Thrompons to lead administration, who in turn represent the Thromde in the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. Likewise, gewogs elect headmen called gups , vice-headmen called mangmis , who also sit on the Dzongkhag Thshogdu, as well as other members of the Gewog Tshogde. The basis of electoral constituencies in Bhutan is the chiwog , a subdivision of gewogs delineated by the Election Commission. Bhutanese people primarily consist of the Ngalops and Sharchops, called the Western Bhutanese and Eastern Bhutanese respectively.

The Lhotshampa, meaning "southerners," are a heterogeneous group of mostly Nepalese descent. The Ngalops primarily consist of Bhutanese living in the western part of the country. Their culture is closely related to that of Tibet. Much the same could be said of the Sharchops, the dominant group, who traditionally follow the Nyingmapa rather than the official Drukpa Kagyu form of Tibetan Buddhism.

In modern times, with improved transportation infrastructure, there has been much intermarriage between these groups. In the early s, intermarriage between the Lhotshampas and mainstream Bhutanese society was encouraged by the government, but after the late s, the Bhutanese government forced about , Lhotshampas from their homes, seized their land, and expelled them to refugee camps.

The literacy rate in Bhutan is The country has a median age of Bhutan has a life expectancy of There are 1, males to every 1, females in the country. It is estimated that between two-thirds and three-quarters of the Bhutanese population follow Vajrayana Buddhism, which is also the state religion. About one-quarter to one-third are followers of Hinduism.

The current legal framework, in principle guarantees freedom of religion; proselytism, however, is forbidden by a royal government decision and by judicial interpretation of the Constitution. Buddhism was introduced to Bhutan in the 7th century AD.

The national language is Bhutanese, or Dzongkha, one of 53 languages in the Tibetan language family. The script, here called Chhokey "Dharma Language" , is identical to classical Tibetan. In the schools English is the medium of instruction and Dzongkha is taught as the national language. Ethnologue lists 24 languages currently spoken in Bhutan, all of them in the Tibeto-Burman family, except Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language.

Until the s, the government sponsored the teaching of Nepali in schools in Southern Bhutan. However, after the armed uprising in the south, Nepali was dropped from the curriculum.

The languages of Bhutan are still not well-characterized, and several have yet to be recorded in an in-depth academic grammar. However, during the s, after the Bhutanese government instituted a policy of one language and one culture, these Lhotshampas were forced to wear the national costume of Bhutan, which is not well-suited to the high temperatures of the southern region.

This cultural discrimination led to protests which eventually resulted in the eviction of more than , Lhotshampas throughout the s. These Lhotshampas took refuge in Nepal via India. Tshangla, the language of the Sharchop and the principal pre-Tibetan language of Bhutan, is spoken by a greater number of people.

It is not easily classified and may constitute an independent branch of Tibeto-Burman. Bhutan has a rich and unique cultural heritage that has largely remained intact because of its isolation from the rest of the world until the early s.

One of the main attractions for tourists is the country's culture and traditions. Bhutanese tradition is deeply steeped in its Buddhist heritage. Hinduism is the second dominant religion in Bhutan, being most prevalent in the southern regions. The government is increasingly making efforts to preserve and sustain the current culture and traditions of the country.

Because of its largely unspoiled natural environment and cultural heritage, Bhutan has been referred to as The Last Shangri-la. While Bhutanese citizens are free to travel abroad, Bhutan is viewed as inaccessible by many foreigners.

Another reason for it being an unpopular destination is the cost, which is high for tourists on tighter budgets. The national dress for Bhutanese 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. Differently coloured scarves and shawls are important indicators of social standing, as Bhutan has traditionally been a feudal society. Jewellery is mostly worn by women, especially during religious festivals tsechus and public gatherings.

To strengthen Bhutan's identity as an independent country, Bhutanese law requires all Bhutanese citizens to wear the national dress in public areas and as formal wear.

Rice, buckwheat, and increasingly maize, are the staples of Bhutanese cuisine. The local diet also includes pork, beef, yak meat, chicken, and mutton. Soups and stews of meat and dried vegetables spiced with chillies and cheese are prepared. Ema datshi, made very spicy with cheese and chilies, might be called the national dish for its ubiquity and the pride that Bhutanese have for it.

Dairy foods, particularly butter and cheese from yaks and cows, are also popular, and indeed almost all milk is turned to butter and cheese.

Popular beverages include butter tea, tea, locally brewed ara rice wine and beer. Bhutan is the first country in the world to have banned the sale of tobacco under its Tobacco Act of Bhutanese architecture remains distinctively traditional, employing rammed earth and wattle and daub construction methods, stone masonry, and intricate woodwork around windows and roofs.

Traditional architecture uses no nails or iron bars in construction. Characteristic of the region is a type of castle fortress known as the dzong. Since ancient times, the dzongs have served as the religious and secular administration centres for their respective districts.

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 end of monsoon season September 22 , National Day December 17 , and various Buddhist and Hindu celebrations.

Masked dances and dance dramas are common traditional features at festivals, usually accompanied by traditional music. The dancers enjoy royal patronage, and preserve ancient folk and religious customs and perpetuate the ancient lore and art of mask-making. The music of Bhutan can generally be divided into traditional and modern varieties; traditional music comprises religious and folk genres, the latter including zhungdra and boedra.

The modern rigsar is played on a mix of traditional instruments and electronic keyboards, and dates back to the early s; it shows the influence of Indian popular music, a hybrid form of traditional and Western popular influences. In Bhutanese families, inheritance generally passes through the female rather than the male line.

Daughters will inherit their parents' house. A man is expected to make his own way in the world and often moves to his wife's home. Love marriages are common in urban areas, but the tradition of arranged marriages is still common in the villages. Although uncommon, polygamy is accepted, often being a device to keep property in a contained family unit rather than dispersing it. The previous king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who abdicated in , had four queens, all of whom are sisters.

Bhutan's national sport is archery, and competitions are held regularly in most villages. It differs from Olympic standards in technical details such as the placement of the targets and atmosphere. There are two targets placed over meters 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 organized between villages, towns, and amateur teams. There are usually plenty of food and drink complete with singing and dancing. 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 10 cm nail are thrown at a paperback-sized target 10 to 20 meters away.

Another traditional sport is the Digor , which resembles the shot put and horseshoe throwing. Cricket has gained popularity in Bhutan, particularly since the introduction of television channels from India. The WBG under this results area made good progress in supporting government reforms to increase revenues, lower deficit and stronger public financial management and procurement systems.

The WBG deepened its engagement in this area through a series of Development Policy Credits and analytical activities to promote policy measures that enabled government to improve revenue mobilization and expenditure performance. The Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability PEFA assessment confirmed that Bhutan has good fiscal discipline through comprehensive coverage of the budget execution, good control of expenditure commitments and oversight over fiscal risk and the quality and timeliness of budget reports.

Increasing Private sector growth and competitiveness. The private sector in Bhutan is in its early stages of development. Its potential to engage in sectors that are currently dominated by the state is yet to be realized with an appropriate regulatory and policy environment. The government, with the support of the WBG, has taken important steps in formulating policy reforms to simplify business procedures and spur private investment.

The CPS program made progress in improving efficiency of and access to financial services and streamlining institutional process to improve the business environment. The programmatic DPC series and ASA supported various reforms and systems enhancement to simplify business procedures. However, progress on these fronts have not yet been fully translated into private sector development. Supporting Green Development. The WBG supported the promotion of improved irrigation and agroeconomic practices and the rehabilitation of productive assets for key commodities.

Despite implementation challenges, the program helped to increase agricultural productivity in key commodities such as paddy. Thimphu Municipality witnessed improved access to urban infrastructure in addition to increased revenue generation. Ongoing ASAs are looking into the causes of deforestation and forest degradation as well as prospects for improved forest management and natural capital accounting.

In collaboration with the RGoB, the Bank also prepared a forestry note. Find out what the Bank Group's branches are doing in Bhutan. This site uses cookies to optimize functionality and give you the best possible experience. If you continue to navigate this website beyond this page, cookies will be placed on your browser. To learn more about cookies, click here.

At this stage, they first came into contact with the British in India. The East India Company were anxious to secure the northern frontiers of their domain at the time, and looked upon Bhutanese activities with disfavour. In , a small British force was dispatched to the area with the connivance and financial backing of the pretender to the Cooch Behari throne, Khagenda Naryan.

This force defeated the Bhutanese and captured two forts in the foothills. This alarmed the Bhutanese, who called on the Panchen Lama to intercede with Warren Hastings, the governor general of India at the time.

This led to the signing of a treaty between the Bhutanese and the British, and a period of increased contact. Meanwhile, the Bhutanese desire for expansion turned elsewhere, particularly to the east. In Assam, still independent of the British, the Ahom dynasty was in disarray, and Bhutan found no difficulty in increasing its influence there.

By , the Bhutanese had gained control over all of the duars passes into Assam. In , however, the British occupied Assam and once again came into contact with the Bhutanese. For several years, there were minor clashes as the British gradually regained control of the Duars, and eventually, this turned into the second Anglo-Bhutanese war.

By , the British were in total control of all the passes in Bengal and Assam, and were in a position to push the Bhutanese back on all fronts. The war ended in with the Treaty of Sinchaula, which signalled the end of hostilities and provided for conditions of mutual peace and friendship.

Trade became open and duty free, Bhutan ceded all claims to the 18 Duars, and received an annual payment of 50, rupees from the British government. This agreement has continued with independent India since the signing of a treaty in In the latter half of the 19th century, chaos fairly reigned in Bhutan, and the power factions had become centerd predominantly upon the Penlops of Paro and Tongsa, who had become the most powerful men in Bhutan. These two factions battled for power, with considerable disagreement between them on whether to maintain their traditional ties with Tibet or to side with the new force, Britain.

The British inadvertently helped to end the conflict and establish the hereditary monarchy that rules Bhutan today. In , the Younghusband expedition passed through Bhutan on the way to Tibet. The Paro Penlop remained aloof whilst the Tongsa Penlop, Ugyen Wangchuck, welcomed them and offered them every assistance. He accompanied the expedition and helped negotiate a favourable Anglo-Tibetan agreement.

Shortly after his return, having not only assisted the British but also secured enormous respect from the Tibetan's for himself, Ugyen Wangchuck was awarded the K.