Bhutan is a Himalayan nation located in South Asia with a population of over 750,000 people. The majority of the population is ethnically Bhutanese, with a notable minority of Nepalese and other ethnicities. Buddhism is the predominant religion, with over 75% of citizens identifying as Buddhists while the remaining 25% are followers of Hinduism or other religious groups. The official language is Dzongkha, but Nepali and English are also commonly spoken. Most Bhutanese live in rural areas and work in agriculture rather than industry or services. Poverty levels have been steadily decreasing since 2010, with the unemployment rate currently at 3%. Check hyperrestaurant to learn more about Bhutan in 2009.
Social conditions
The Buddhist monasteries have traditionally meant much political and economic, but the country is now undergoing a cautious secularisation. The living property was abolished in 1956, and the state has bought monastic land and distributed it among farmers without land. The country welcomes grants provided that the development does not damage the country’s cultural and religious values. The largest contributors are India, various UN agencies and international development banks. Swedish SIDA has preferably contributed to the expansion of health care. Check to see Bhutan population.
In order to protect the country’s culture and traditions, tourists in Bhutan are referred to arranged tours led by authorized guides at state-fixed prices. Visit AbbreviationFinder to see the definitions of RUB and acronym for Bhutan. The medical shortage is large and there is less than one doctor per 10,000 residents according to WHO (2007) and only 17 hospital places per 10,000 residents (2005). A total of 4.5 percent of the country’s GDP was spent on the healthcare sector (2006). An extensive vaccination program has been implemented in children, but malaria and tuberculosis still occur.
Bhutan
A state in south-central Asia, located on the southern slope of the eastern Himalayan mountain range. It borders to the North with China and to the South with India.
Physical characteristics
The territory consists of three longitudinal sections: a hilly one, on the border with India (Assam) to the South, and two mountain ranges, corresponding to the mid-Himalayan flank and to a summit band culminating over 7500 m, which divides it from Tibet. The climate is affected by the influence of monsoon air masses which in summer discharge up to 7000 mm of rain on the southern hills, then continuing, less humid, towards the internal plateau, with significantly lower rainfall (1000-1500 mm), making it more conducive to human settlement. The vegetation is stratified with tropical evergreen formations in the lower and humid areas, followed, around 1800 m, by broad-leaved and coniferous forests, and above 4000 m, by grasslands. The fauna is also varied (elephants, rhinos, leopards, deer, bears), with some characteristic species, such as the tangan (high mountain horse).
Population
The population of Bhutan is probably of Tibetan origin, but immigration has brought large groups of Nepalese to the country, especially in the southern regions. A greater density occurs in the medium Himalayan valleys, while it thins out at altitudes above 2000 m and in the low and unhealthy southern areas. The village is the prevailing form of settlement (wooden houses), with a certain tendency to dispersion in the central area, in correspondence with intense agricultural activities. Center with urban character is Punakha.
The most followed religion is Buddhism (74.6%).
Economic conditions
The country presents conditions of great backwardness, despite during the last years of the 20th century. the gross domestic product has increased compared to the past, reaching 840 million dollars in 2005. Agriculture employs over 90% of the total workforce (rice, oranges, corn), while contributing only 33.2% to GDP (2003); industry, on the other hand, employs about 1% of the population, but contributes 39.5% to the GDP (2003). The production of electricity has taken on considerable importance, a share of which is exported to India. Since 1998 the country has opened its borders, albeit cautiously, to international investors and multinational companies.