ign affairs.
This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years
later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan
annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country
received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and
foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in
Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
camps. In March 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the
government's draft constitution - which would introduce major
democratic reforms - and pledged to hold a national referendum for
its approval. A referendum date has yet to be named.
Geography Bhutan
Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
27 30 N, 90 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 47,000 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about half the size of Indiana
Land boundaries:
total: 1,075 km
border countries: China 470 km, India 605 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers
in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain:
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point: Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate
Land use:
arable land: 2.3%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 97.27% (2005)
Irrigated land:
400 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:
violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's
name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent
landslides during the rainy season
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls
several key Himalayan mountain passes
People Bhutan
Population:
2,279,723
note: other estimates range as low as 810,000 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 38.9% (male 458,801/female 426,947)
15-6
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