Bhutan
Area: 18, 147 square miles
Population: 1,660,000
Capital: Thimphu (pop. 20,000)
Languages: Dzongkha (official) Gurung,
Assamese
Ethnic make-up: Bhote 60%, Napalese 25%
Religion: Buddhist (state religion 75%)
Hindu 25%
Currency: Indian rupee
Literacy rate: 15%
Imports: gasoline, fabrics, light equipment
Exports: timber, rice, coal, fruit
Trading partners: India
(Bhutan, 740)
Climate and Geography
Bhutan is a small country located in the Himalayas. It does have a richly scenic land though. There are broad, grassy valleys; forested mountain ranges, and heavily wooded jungle areas. There are three geographic regions in which the country is divided. Northern Bhutan lies in the Great Himalayas where the mountains reach as high as 24,000 ft. and the weather is cold. Central Bhutan is in the middle of the Himalayan region where there are several fertile valleys. The Duars plain, along the southern border of Bhutan is a hot, humid, and rainy area. This jungle region is filled with malaria infested swamps. (Karan, 224)
Economy
Bhutan is the poorest of all the Himalayan countries. It's underdeveloped, but has the potential to develop it's economy. Farming is Bhutan's chief economic activity. Different crops are grown depending on it's elevation. Rice and buckwheat are grown up to 5000 ft. Barley and wheat are grown up to 9000 ft. Coal is the only mineral mined. It's economy hasn't been able to develop due to it's remoteness, lack of convenient markets, qualified technicians, and transportation facilities. In 1974 Bhutan began to welcome tourists. In 1990, more than 1500 tourists visited Bhutan, and tourism was the largest source of foreign exchange. There are no railroads, but by 1990 there were about 2336 km of roads linking...
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