Bhutan

At a glance Land People Economy Achievements and challenges Links with Australia Bhutan at a glance Did you know? Television did not arrive in Bhutan until 1999. For years, the country pursued a policy of isolation, fearing that outside influences would undermine its monarchy and culture. Region Southern Asia Population 682,321 (2008 estimate) Land Geography: Mostly mountainous with fertile valleys and savannah Climate: Tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in the north People Religion: Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25% Language: Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects Economy GDP per person (PPP): $5,200 GDP by sector: Agriculture 24.7%, Industry 37.2%, Services 38.1% Government In transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy Land Physical geography Bhutan is a landlocked country which borders China and India. It has 47,000 square kilometres (about two-thirds the size of Tasmania’s 68,401 square kilometres). In the north are the glaciated, snow-capped mountains of the eastern Himalayas, including the highest point of Kula Kangri (7,553 metres). The central area consists of the Himalayan foothills (between 1500-2,700 metres). The Wong, Sankosh, Tongsa and Manas rivers rush through the steep, fertile valleys. Monsoon influences promote dense forestation in this region. In the south, the Duars Plain drops sharply away from the Himalayas to a region of semi-tropical forest, savannah grassland and bamboo jungle. Climate The Bhutanese climate varies according to altitude. There are severe winters and cool summers in the glaciated, permanently snow-capped north. In the centre, Bhutan’s climate is less severe, with warm summers (17°C in July) and cool winters (4.4°C January) and 1000-1250 millimetres rainfall annually. In the south, the climate is tropical with 5000 millimetres rainfall annually. Environment The Bhutanese people are deeply committed to living in harmony with their rich natural environment. The country’s animal life includes elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, musk deer, snow leopards, brown bears, red pandas, takins and blue sheep. Bhutan is a home to one of the most endangered bird species in the world, the white-bellied heron, and a winter resting place for the vulnerable black-necked crane. Bhutan’s rich variety of plant life includes 300 species of medicinal plants, over 50 species of rhododendrons and more than 600 species of orchid. Deforestation is taking place mainly due to infrastructure development, expansion of industrial and agricultural activities, and increasing urbanisation. The strong conservation ethics of the Bhutanese and political will are the greatest contributing factors to the preservation of the forests. Just over 20% of Bhutan's total land area was protected as of 2001. People The population of 682,321 lives predominantly in the central uplands and Himalayan foothills. Roughly 11% live in urban areas: the major towns are Thimphu (15,000 residents) and Phuntsholing (10,000). The rugged, cold northern region is sparsely populated, mostly by nomadic yak herders. People Culture and identity The ethnic composition of Bhutan consists of Bhote (50%), ethnic Nepalese (35%) and indigenous or migrant tribes (15%). Dzongkha, the official language of Bhutan, is derived from the Tibetan language. Southern Bhutan is inhabited mainly by Nepalese farmers who arrived in the country at the end of the nineteenth century. These people speak Nepalese and Hindu. The yellow on the Bhutanese flag represents the monarchy while the orange represents the Buddhist religion. The white dragon superimposed represents Bhutan’s local Tibetan name – Druk or the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’. It is holding jewels to represent wealth. The national dress for men is the gho, a knee-length wrap-around coat tied at the waist. The women’s ankle-length dress is known as kira. It is made of bright-coloured fine woven fabric with traditional patterns. The castle-like dzong dominate the landscape and serve as religious, military, administrative, and social centres. Bhutanese festivals centre on celebrating the harvest or expelling evil spirits. They are colourful, loud and joyous, with plenty of music, dancing and food. Some festivals end with the unveiling and worship of huge religious appliqués or throngdrels. Many include the national sport, archery or other traditional sports such as digor (a kind of shot put), darts and wrestling. Health Over the past decade, infant mortality has dropped to around 52 deaths per 1,000 live births. Life expectancy at birth is 65.53 years (men 64.75 years and women 66.35 years). HIV positive people make up less than 0.1% of the population. Government expenditure on health is about 3% of GDP and health services are provided free to the entire population. Traditional medicines are still commonly used with both Buddhist rituals and village shaman playing an important role. Nearly three in five households throughout the country have access to piped water. The rest rely on a public outdoor tap. Religion and beliefs Bhutan 's state religion is Drukpa Kagyu, a form of Mahayana Buddhism. The leader, an elected lama, has equal rank with the monarch. The Buddhist faith plays a fundamental role in the cultural, ethical and community life of Bhutan . Every major event is marked by a religious ceremony in homes or at the temples. About one-quarter to one-third of the population is Hindu, predominantly in the Nepalese south. Food and shelter Food varies from region to region but rice and curries made with yak meat, vegetables and chilli are common. Special rice-based dishes include desi , a tasty mixture of white rice, butter, sugar, golden raisins and saffron, and zow – fried rice mixed with sugar, butter and sometimes oilseeds. In eastern Bhutan , the staple diet is puta or wheat noodles. In southern Bhutan , kharang is made from ground corn kernels and bamboo shoots. In the north, most people are nomadic yak herders whose diet consists of milk, butter, cheese and yak meat with the addition of some barley, winter wheat and a few root vegetables. The accompanying drink may be suja (butter tea) or ara (a locally made grain wine). With increasing urbanisation and connection to the outside world, western foods are becoming more popular. In rural areas, people live in houses with mud brick or stone walls and metal, wooden shingles or thatch roofs. During the summer the nomadic herders live in black tents woven from yak hair and in winter they live in homes built in the lower valleys. People living in cities live in cement brick apartment blocks Economy Wealth and poverty About one third of the population live below the poverty line. These people live mainly in rural areas, with limited access to roads and lack of farmland and productive skills. Bhutanese families are also responsible for a large number of dependents although they do not have significant assets. Education and work About 5.2% of GDP is spent on public education and the overall literacy rate is estimated at 56% – higher among males (66%) and urban people. While attendance rates have increased, only 82% of children are attending primary school and this drops to 23% for lower secondary. About 20% of children in rural areas take an hour to walk to school. About two-thirds of the population are involved in agriculture, the rest in industry and services. There is an unemployment rate of about 3.7% – higher for females and people in urban areas. Industries and products Agricultural products include rice, corn, root crops, citrus, other food grains, dairy products and eggs. Industries include cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages, calcium carbide and tourism. Trade In 2006, Bhutan exported $350 million worth of electricity, cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones and spices to India (67%) and Hong Kong (29.8%). It imported $320 million worth of fuel and lubricants, grain, aircraft, machinery and parts, vehicles, fabrics and rice from India (60.7%), Japan (9.5%) and Germany (5%). Achievements and challenges Bhutan is slowly opening itself to the outside world and improving its economy while still trying to preserve its environment and culture. In the 1990s, the focus on Buddhist culture and lack of political representation led to violence among the ethnic Nepali community in the south, many of whom fled to refugee camps in Nepal. They are still awaiting repatriation to Bhutan. Links with Australia Australia and Bhutan have traditionally enjoyed warm and friendly relations. Australia’s bilateral aid program was first established under the Colombo Plan and continues today with scholarships for education in governance, health, education and natural resource management. Representatives from the NSW Rural Fire Service went to Bhutan in April 2004 to train forest officials in fire-fighting techniques. In 2005, Bhutan imported $102,000 worth of Australian goods and its exports to Australia totalled $6,000. Main Sources: https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php http://hdr.undp.org/ http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/index.html Map and flag https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/bt.html

Bhutan is heavily forested and loss of tree cover by fire can cause soil to wash into rivers and damage hydro-electric turbines. AusAID has funded a group of Bhutanese fire fighters to visit Australia for training with the NSW Rural Fire Service. AusAID

AusAID and UNICEF have been working together to help Bhutanese children gain access to a quality education. Photo from UNICEF