According to ezinereligion, in 2007, Bhutan had an estimated population of over 700,000 people, composed of multiple ethnic groups including Sharchop, Ngalop and Lhotshampa. The official language was Dzongkha but several other languages were also spoken. The economy was largely based on agriculture and forestry, as well as exports of hydroelectricity to India. In terms of foreign relations, Bhutan had close ties with its neighbor India and maintained diplomatic relations with several other countries such as the United States, United Kingdom and China. Politically, Bhutan was a constitutional monarchy led by King Jigme Singye Wangchuck since 1972 until his abdication in 2006. Following his abdication Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck became king in 2006 and is still in power today.
Yearbook 2007
According to CountryAAH, Thimphu is the capital city of Bhutan. Bhutan and India’s leaders signed a revised version of the countries’ friendship agreement from 1949 in February. Instead, economic cooperation is now emphasized. The changes gave Bhutan greater independence even though the country is still very dependent on India.
In April and May, exercise elections were conducted in two rounds before the real elections in 2008. The interest in the pretense elections, in which four accomplished parties participated, was small; about a third voted. Already on December 31, 2007, elections were held for the parliament’s upper house with 25 seats. The voters were appointed 20 by the members and the king the other five. It was the country’s first free elections after a hundred years of absolute monarchy. More important, however, will be the elections to the lower house in February and March, when new parties are allowed to stand. Four parties had been registered in 2007.
- According to abbreviationfinder: BT is the 2-letter acronym for the country of Bhutan.
To join the new parties, Prime Minister Khandu Wangchuk and six of his ministers had to resign in July. Kinzang Dorji assumed the post of prime minister and formed an interim government to govern the country until the elections. The more than 100,000 Bhutanese refugees who have been living in eastern Nepal since the early 1990s were not allowed to participate in the exercise elections. At the end of May, at least two died and sixty were injured by these refugees as they tried to cross the Indian state of West Bengal to return to Bhutan. Indian police shot at the thousands of refugees trying to cross the Mechi border. Although the governments of Bhutan and Nepal have had a number of talks about the refugees since 1994, the issue remains unresolved. Bhutan does not want to receive the refugees,
A law banning littering and pollution in the capital Thimphu was introduced in October. Anyone who degrades can be sentenced to just fine.
Bhutan weather in March, April and May
Average daily temperatures between 16 ° C and 21 ° C can be expected over the next three months. In Timphu, it gets warmest in May, while March is a little cooler.