|
Location:
|
Between
260 45’N
and 280
10’N latitudes, and
between 880
45’E and 920
10’E longitudes.
Altitude ranges
from
about 150 m to
7,550 m.
|
|
Time
zone:
|
Add
six hours to Greenwich
Mean Time; add 30
minutes to
Delhi
time; subtract one
hour from
Bangkok
time.
|
|
Currency:
|
Ngultrum
(Nu) = 100 chetrum.
The Ngultrum is
pegged at parity to
the Indian rupee.
The exchange
rate was Nu 44:US$1
and Nu 57:Euro 1 in
mid-January 2007. For
updates, please
consult: www.rma.gov.bt.
|
|
Area:
|
38,394sq
km
|
|
Land
boundaries
|
1,075
km (border with
India
extends 605 kms;
border with
China
470 km)
|
|
Population:
|
634,982
(Population and
Housing Census of
Bhutan 2005:
www.bhutancensus.gov.bt)
Female:
47.5%; Male: 52.5%
|
|
Population
density
|
16
inhabitants per sq km
|
|
Capital:
|
Thimphu
|
|
Government
|
Monarchy.
From 2008,
Bhutan
will become a
Constitutional
Monarchy.
|
|
Administrative
divisions known as
Dzongkhags
|
20
Dzongkhags: Bumthang, Chhukha,
Dagana,
Gasa, Haa, Lhuntse,
Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel,
Punakha, Samdrup
Jongkhar, Samtse,
Sarpang,
Zhemgang,
Thimphu,
Tsirang,
Trashigang,
Trashi Yangtse,
Trongsa and
Wangdiphodrang.
|
|
Principal
languages:
|
Dzongkha
(official language);
Sharchopkha (east);
Nepali (south - but
spoken widely
elsewhere), English
widely spoken &
understood
|
|
Principal
religions:
|
75%
of the population
practises Bhuddism;
25% are Hindus.
|
|
Information
technology
|
Mostly
dial-up. Broadband
being introduced.
Ministries expect to
be on broadband
network by mid-2007.
Druknet is the only
ISP under the
supervision of the
Bhutan
Telecommunications
Authority.
Two private
ISPs exist: Drukcom
and Samden Tech.
www.dit.gov.bt/bips
|
|
Mobile
phones
|
Currently
one provider: B-Mobile
(operated by the
national Authority).
Tashi Commer-cial Co,
a large Bhutanese
firm, recently won the
tender (auction) for
the second mobile
licence.
80,000 users at
end-2006.
Spectrum
availability tight.
|
|
Literacy
rate:
|
National
literacy rate: 59.5% .
Female: 48.7%; Male:
69.1%
(people aged 6
years and above).
(Population and
Housing Census 2005).
|
|
Measures
|
Metric
system
|
|
Business
hours:
|
Business
hours: summer:
0900-1700
Monday - Friday
(government offices);
+ half day Saturday
(banks, post offices).
Winter hours
(1/11-1/3): 0900-1600
(government).
|
|
Holidays:
|
21
February: Fifth
King’s birthday. 17
December: National
Day.
2 June:
Coronation Day.
Various
Buddhist Festivals
throughout the year
(dates vary).
|
|
Credit
cards:
|
Visa,
MasterCard and
American Express are
accepted in a few
selected shops and
hotels; a 5-7 % fee is
often passed on to the
cardholder.
|
|
Airlines:
|
Druk
Air (www.drukair.com.bt)
flies between
Paro
International
Airport
and
Delhi
,
Bangkok
, Kathmandu,
Gaya
and Kolkata several
times a week.
|
|
Airports:
|
Paro
International
Airport
(1.5 hours’ drive
from
Thimphu
, the capital)
|
|
Road
network
|
Road
network: 4153 km
(2004). New
Thimphu
- Phuentsholing
highway, to open
around 2010, should
cut travel time from 6
hours to 3.
Phuentsholing: main
border crossing with
India
.
|
|
Shipping:
|
Bhutan
is landlocked. Up to 3
dry ports are planned
on the border with
India
. Kolkata (
India
) is the most commonly
used port.
Limited air
cargo space available
on Druk Air.
|
