Under British influence a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later a treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate. Independence was attained in 1949, with India subsequently guiding foreign relations and supplying aid. A refugee issue of some 100,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of these displaced persons are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions.
Location
Southern Asia, between China and India
Area Comparative
About half the size of Indiana
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
Natural Hazards
Violent storms coming down 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, Nuclear Test Ban
Signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Geography Note
Landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
