The name Bhutan appears to derive from the ancient Indian term “Bhotanta” which means the end of the land of the “Bhots” (Tibet). The Bhutanese themselves refer to their country as Druk Yul or the “Land of the Thunder Dragon”. Druk means dragon and extends from the predominant Drukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Bhutan
was not unified under a central authority until the 17th century, although
the Buddhist religion in the country had provided some sort of cohesion
during the middle Ages. It was in 747 AD that Padma Sambhava, who is known
as Guru Rinpoche, brought Buddhism to Bhutan. He made his legendary trip
from Tibet across the mountains to Bhutan flying on a tigress's back.
Guru Rinpoche is not only recognised as the founder of the Nyingmapa religious
school but he is also considered to be the second Buddha. Many of Bhutan's
most celebrated ancestors descend from the Nyingmapa School, including
the ancestors of the present day Royal family.
Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal, a Tibetan lama of the Drukpa School, designed the present
system of intertwined religious and secular government. He came to Bhutan
in 1616. At that time no central authority existed and regional conflict
has persisted for centuries. In his quest to unify the country, he gained
the support of many powerful families of his school and constructed dzongs
in the main valleys of western Bhutan. The Shabdrung fought and won a
battle against the Tibetans in 1639 and assumed the title Shabdrung,
meaning “at whose feet one submits”. In effect he became the first secular
and religious leader in Bhutan. During the next two centuries civil wars
intermittently broke out and the regional penlops became more increasingly
more powerful. At the end of the 19th century the Penlop (local
chieftian) of Trongsa (who controlled central and eastern Bhutan) overcame
his greatest rival the Penlop of Paro (who controlled western
Bhutan), and was soon afterwards recognised as the overall leader of Bhutan.
The Penlop of Trongsa, Ugyen Wangchuck, was elected as the first
King of Bhutan in 1907 by an assembly of representatives of the monastic
community, civil servants and the people.
This monarchy has thrived ever since and the present King, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the first King's great grandson, receives an overwhelming support of his people. After assuming the throne in 1974, the present King continued his father's policy of pragmatic development. He actively pursues industrial progress, countrywide education and medical care and ensures, at the same time, Bhutan's culture remains intact. In 1998, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck empowered the National Assembly to make all legislative decisions independent of Royal decree. In 1999 television and internet were first introduced to Bhutan. In December 2005, His Majesty the King of Bhutan announced that he would abdicate the throne in 2008. (Top)
Development came to Bhutan in the early 1960s, when she opened her doors to the world for the first time in her history. Until then, Bhutan was a country enshrouded in mystery, untainted by any foreign influence. What still keeps Bhutan striking even today is that much of the country's culture and tradition and the environment is still thriving. What has sustained Bhutan is its vision to be a self-reliant country where its rich legacy of culture and tradition are intact and people live in harmony with nature and the environment.
After centuries of self-imposed isolation, Bhutan opened its doors to the outside world in 1961. The Wangchuck dynasty led Bhutan into a era of peace, stability and order. Under the monarchy, sweeping reforms were initiated abolishing serfdom, creating an independent judiciary, building the social and economic infrastructure of a modern state and establishing representative institutions at all levels of Government to enable popular participation in the governance the Kingdom. The most profound changes took place in 1998 when His Majesty the King dissolved his Cabinet and devolved all executive authority and power to an elected Council of Ministers who would serve for five-year terms. He also established a mechanism for a vote of confidence in the King whereby the National Assembly (the parliament of Bhutan) can remove a Monarch by a two-thirds majority vote. The institution of monarchy thus has been instrumental in modernizing the Kingdom within a remarkable short span of time without undermining its rich religious and cultural heritage and has enabled Bhutan to occupy its rightful place in the comity of nations.
Modernization
of the economy began in the late 1950s with the establishment of a communications
infrastructure, together with the social infrastructure of schools and
hospitals. The per-capita GDP in 2000 was US$ 712.8 (Statistical Yearbook
of Bhutan 2001), even though economic growth fell to a still-robust 5.7%
from 7.4% in 1999. Despite the growth of “modern” sectors, particularly
hydropower generation and manufacturing, the Bhutanese economy remains
based on renewable natural resources, with 79% of the population engaged
in farming, animal husbandry and agro-forestry.
Under
His Majesty’s distinctively Bhutanese concept of Gross National Happiness,
environmental conservation is one of the four pillars for steering the
process of change. This approach aims development not simply in terms
of income growth but also views it in terms of happiness, contentment
and the spiritual and emotional well being of the people. It exemplifies
a holistic approach to development through equitable socio-economic development,
environmental conservation, preservation and promotion of culture, and
the strengthening and exercise of good governance. (Top)
Bhutan is a small mountainous country situated on the southern slopes of the eastern Himalayas. It is bounded by Tibet (China) in the north and the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam in the south, and Arunachal Pradesh in the east; geographical coordinates: 26.70 degrees- 28.35 degrees N latitudes and 88.00 degrees- 92.00 E longitudes. With the approximate size of Switzerland at 38,394 sq. km, the terrain contains some of the most formidable regions in the world- mostly rugged and mountainous with elevations ranging from about 100 m in the foothills to over 7500m towards the north.
Over
60% of the total land area is forested, much of which is primary forest,
with over 28% protected areas; the remaining 7.8% is used for agriculture
. Due to tremendous range of altitude and inherent micro climates, Bhutan
is identified as an international global hot spot for biodiversity where
the richest flora and fauna, including many globally threatened mammalian
species such as golden languor, snow leopard and red panda of the Himalayan
region are indigenous to Bhutan.
The population of Bhutan is about 7,50,000; although the population density at 12 persons per square km is the lowest in south Asia and the growth rate of 2.5-3% is among the highest in the world. Bhutan's population has dramatically increased from an estimated 452,000 in 1984 to over 600,000 in 1996 . Recent improvements in health care have reduced child mortality rate by over 50%, and average life expectancy have increased by over 20 years in the last decade. Since the country has a young population with 39.1% of the population estimated below the age of 15, the kingdoms population is expected to double in the next 23 years . As a result it is estimated that 270,000 new jobs will have to be created, and rural to urban migration will reach about 400,000 in the next 20 years. (Top)
Agriculture
is the dominant sector in Bhutan providing livelihood, income and employment
to 79% of it?s population living in the rural areas. The majority of the
people practice subsistence farming on marginal lands with average land
holdings ranging from 1-4 acres . They also own some cattle for FYM and
draught power, kitchen garden and some poultry for diet supplement.
Bhutan's main export earnings are from hydro-power generation. While it is estimated that the country has the potential to generate upto 30,000 MW of electricity, barely 3% have been harnessed so far. Much of the electricity is exported to India to generate income to finance development of the other sectors. In the 8th Plan period, earnings from hydropower constituted 45% of the country?s revenue and it is the main engine of growth in the current 9th Five-Year Plan. While it is the backbone of the economy it is highly vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change; heavy monsoon floods in the year 2000 affected economic growth by more than 2%; mainly from effects in the southern industrial areas of Phuntsholing, Pasakha and Samtse. (Top)
The
country can be divided into three distinct climate zones corresponding
to the three main geographical divisions. Bhutan's climate is as varied
as its altitude and, like most of Asia, it is affected by the monsoons.Western
Bhutan is particularly affected by monsoons that bring between 60 and
90 percent of the region's rainfall. The climate is humid and subtropical
in the southern and central regions, and cold in the north, with year-round
snow on the main Himalayan summits.
Temperatures vary according to elevation. Temperatures in Thimphu, located at 2,200 meters about sea level in west-central Bhutan, range from approximately 15 - 26 degree celsius during monsoon season of June through September but drop to between about -4 and 16 degree celsius in January. Most of the central portion of the country experiences a cool, temperate climate year round. In the south, a hot, humid climate helps maintain a fairly even temperature range of between 15 - 30 degree celsius year-round, although temperatures sometimes reach beyond 35 degree celsius in the valleys during the summer.
Annual precipitation ranges widely in various parts of the country. In the severe climate of the north, there is only about forty millimeters of annual precipitation - primarily snow. In the temperate central regions, a yearly average of around 1,000 millimeters is more common, and 7,800 millimeters per year has been registered at some locations in the humid, subtropical south, ensuring the thick tropical forest.
Bhutan's
generally dry spring starts in early March and lasts until mid-April.
Summer weather commences in mid-April with occasional showers and continues
through the early monsoon rains of late June. The summer monsoon lasts
from late June through late September with heavy rains from the southwest.
The monsoon weather, blocked from its northward progress by the Himalayas,
brings heavy rains, high humidity, flash floods and landslides, and numerous
misty, overcast days. Autumn, from late September or early October to
late November, follows the rainy season. It is characterized by bright,
sunny days and some early snowfalls at higher elevations. From late November
until March, winter sets in, with frost throughout much of the country
and snowfall common above elevations of 3,000 meters. The winter northeast
monsoon brings gale-force winds down through high mountain passes.
There is a pronounced difference in the vegetation cover in three different zones of the country and it is mostly due to the prevalence of varied climatic conditions across the kingdom. The southern foothills are mostly covered by the dense and thick deciduous trees while the inner regions of fertile vallyes are dotted by an infinite variety of plants, flowers and trees including birch, pine, chestnut, oak, apples, peaches and plums. The northern part with the tundra type of climate allows the growth of coniferous trees and other alpine growths like magnolia, rhododendrons, birch, fir, spruce, etc. (Top)
