Bhutan

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Bhutan is located in the Himalayan Mountains of South Central Asia. It is surrounded by two giant neighbors, China and India. Bhutan occupies 47,000 square kilometers (18,142 square miles) and is about half the size of the U.S. state of Indiana. Its population was estimated to be 2,185,569 in July 2004, but other estimates place its population at less than half that size. Bhutan's per capita income was estimated to be $1,300 in 2003, about the same as Nepal, Côte d'Ivoire, and Rwanda.

Ethnically, Bhutan's population is primarily Bhote (50%) or Nepalese (35%); religiously, it is Buddhist (75%) and Hindu (25%). With a life expectancy of sixty-three years and an adult literacy rate estimated at 47 percent, the United Nations's Human Development Report 2004 ranked Bhutan 133 out of 177 nations for whom it calculated its Human Development Index.

Founded as a Tibetan Buddhist theocracy in 1616, Bhutan became a secular hereditary monarchy under British influence in 1907. In 1910, the British agreed to leave Bhutan autonomous in its internal affairs while continuing to be responsible for its defense and external affairs. India assumed the responsibilities of the British when it became independent from Britain in 1947. Bhutan's relations with India continue to be extremely important.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck (b. 1955) has served as Bhutan's king since 1972, when he succeeded his father. He is the official and effective supreme authority in the country. Although recent kings have set up power-sharing institutions such as a Royal Advisory Council, a National Assembly, and a Council of Ministers and have accepted some limits on their power, Bhutan has no formal constitution, and there is no doubt about the king's continuing authority. Legislation in the form of a kingly order does not have to be approved by the National Assembly, but the Assembly can reject or modify it. The Council of Ministers is nominated by the king for 5 year terms, if approved by the Assembly. The Royal Advisory Council is chosen solely by the king. Although the king's position is hereditary, reforms adopted in 1998 allow the National Assembly to remove the king by a two-thirds vote.

The National Assembly has 150 members who serve three-year terms. One hundred and five of these are selected by village constituencies, ten by religious bodies, and thirty-five by the monarch to represent government and other secular interests. The previous king gave up the right to veto decisions of the National Assembly in 1968, so it is able to legislate on its own. There are no political parties and the government discourages their formation.

The regular Bhutanese judiciary consists principally of District Courts (twenty in number) and a High Court. It is possible to appeal a High Court decision to the king, who normally assigns such appeals to be processed by his Royal Advisory Council.

Bhutan's status as a monarchy with little citizen participation and the strict limitations on civil liberties its government imposes have led to its being rated as "Not Free" by Freedom House.

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