Bhutan

In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign 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 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.

Location: Southern Asia, between China and India

Area: 47000 sq km

Coastline: 0 km

Maritime Claims: none (land-locked)

Environment – Current issues: soil erosion; limited access to portable water

Population: 2232291

Age Structure: 0-14 years: 39.1% (male 452,213/female 420,675), 15-64 years: 56.9% (male 654,109/female 615,431), 65 years and over: 4% (male 45,281/female 44,582) (2005 est.)