home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
/
Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
/
B
/
Bhutan
/
INFOTEXT
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1992-09-02
|
1KB
|
36 lines
Kingdom of (Druk-yul) area 46,500 sq
km/17,954 sq mi capital Thimbu (Thimphu)
physical occupies S slopes of the Himalayas
and is cut by valleys of tributaries of the
Brahmaputra head of state and government
Jigme Singye Wangchuk from 1972 political
system absolute monarchy political parties
none, illegal Bhutan People's Party (BPP)
exports timber, talc, fruit, cement currency
ngultrum (28.50 = 1 Feb 1990); also Indian
currency population (1989) 1,500,000; annual
growth rate 2% life expectancy men 44, women
43 language offical Dzongkha (a Tibetan
dialect), Nepali, and English religion 75%
Lamaistic Buddhist, 25% Hindu literacy 5% GDP
$300 million (1986); $210 per head of
population chronology 1865 Trade treaty with
Britain signed. 1907 First hereditary monarch
installed.
1910 Anglo-Bhutanese Treaty signed.
1945 Indo-Bhutan Treaty of Friendship signed.
1952 King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk installed.
1953 National assembly established.
1959 4,000 Tibetan refugees given asylum.
1968 King established first cabinet.
1972 King died and was succeeded by his son
Jigme Singye Wangchuk.
1979 Tibetan refugees told to take Bhutanese
citizenship or leave; most stayed.
1983 Bhutan became a founding member of the
South Asian Regional Cooperation organization
(SARC). 1988 King imposes `code of conduct'
suppressing Nepalese customs.
1989 People's Forum of Human Rights founded.
1990 Pro-democracy demonstrations take place.