Page 61 - Bhutan: Hidden Kingdom of the Himalayas

Instability lasted until 1907, when Ugyen Wangchuck was elected, by a unanimous vote of
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crowned and the Wangchuck Dynasty began. In 1910, King Ugyen and the British signed
the Treaty of Punakha which provided that British India would not interfere in the internal
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Ugyen Wangchuck died in 1926, his son Jigme Wangchuck became the next ruler, and when
India gained independence in 1947, Bhutan recognized the new Indian Government as an
independent country.

In 1949, India and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship, which provided that
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its foreign policy. Wangchuck was succeeded in 1952 by his son Jigme Dorji Wangchuck,
and Bhutan began to slowly emerge from its isolation and began a program of planned
development. In 1958 Bhutan abolished slavery. When China took control of Tibet, Bhutan’s
policy of total isolation lost its appeal and the country was formally admitted to the United
Nations in 1971.

Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who took the throne from 1974-2005 after his father’s death,
continued the policy of controlled development with particular focus on the preservation of
the environment and Bhutan’s unique culture. Among his ideals are economic self-reliance
and what he nicknamed “Gross National Happiness”. He emphasized modern education,
decentralization of governance, the development of hydroelectricity and tourism and
improvements in rural developments.

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allowed to enter the kingdom, and marked Bhutan’s debut appearance on the world stage.
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democratization process, Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated in December 2005 rather than
wait until the promulgation of the new constitution in 2008. His son, Jigme Khesar Namgvel
Wangchuck, became king upon his abdication. In October 2011, the king married one of his
subjects, student Jetsun Pema.

Nepal

Facts & Figures

• Area: 56,827 square miles

• Capital: Kathmandu

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Magar, and Awadhi are also spoken.

• Ethnicity: Chhettri 16.6%, Brahman-Hill 12.2%, Magar 7.1%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.8%,
Newar 5%, Kami 4.8%, Muslim 4.4%, Yadav 4%, Rai 2.3%, Gurung 2%, Damai/Dholii
1.8%, Thakuri 1.6%, Limbu 1.5%, Sarki 1.4%, Teli 1.4%, Chamar/Harijan/Ram 1.3%,
Koiri/Kushwaha 1.2%, other 19%

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