Flag Emblem Anthem: Druk Tsendhen Kelpay Gyelkhab ("Bhutan where the sandalwood grows")

Capital Thimphu Official languages Dzongkha Demonym Bhutanese Government Parliamentary Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy  -  King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck  -  Prime Minister Jigme Thinley (DPT) Formation Early 17th century   -  Wangchuk Dynasty 17 December 1907   -  Constitutional Monarchy 2008  Area  -  Total 47,000 km² (131st) 18,147 sq mi   -  Water (%) Not available yet Population  -   estimate 672,425 (2005)1   -  Density 45/km² (154th) 117/sq mi GDP (PPP) 2007 estimate  -  Total $3.161 billion[1] (160th)  -  Per capita $4,862[1] (117th) GDP (nominal) 2007 estimate  -  Total $1.197 billion[1]   -  Per capita $1,840[1]  HDI (2007) ² 0.579 (medium) (133th) Currency Ngultrum (BTN) Time zone BTT (UTC+6:00)  -  Summer (DST) not observed (UTC+6:00) Internet TLD .bt Calling code +975 1 The population of Bhutan had been estimated based on the reported figure of about 1 million in the 1970s when the country had joined the United Nations and precise statistics were lacking[2]. Thus using the annual increase rate of 2-3%, the most population estimates were around 2 million in the year 2000. A national census was carried out in 2005 and it turned out that the population was 672,425. Consequently, United Nations Population Division had down-estimated the country's population in the 2006 revision [3]for the whole period from 1950 to 2050. The Kingdom of Bhutan (IPA: /buÐÈtQÐn/) is a landlocked nation in South Asia. It is located amid the eastern end of the Himalaya Mountains and is bordered to the south, east and west by India and to the north by Tibet. Bhutan is separated from Nepal by the Indian state of Sikkim. The Bhutanese call their country `V²tBatc, Druk Yul (land of the thunder dragon).[2] Bhutan used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world, but developments including direct international flights, internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television have increasingly opened the doors. Yet, Bhutan has balanced modernization with its ancient culture and traditions under the guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Rampant destruction of the environment has been avoided. The government takes great measures to preserve the nation's traditional culture, identity and the environment. Accordingly, in 2006 Business Week rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth happiest country in the world citing a global survey conducted by the University of Leicester in 2006 referenced to as the "World Map of Happiness".[3] The landscape ranges from subtropical plains in the south to the Himalayan heights in the north, with some peaks exceeding 7,000 metres (23,000 ft). The state religion is Vajrayana Buddhism, and the population is predominantly Buddhist, with Hinduism being the second-largest religion. The capital and largest city is Thimphu. After centuries of direct monarchic rule, Bhutan held its first democratic elections in March 2008. Among other international associations, Bhutan is a member of the United Nations, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Bhutan is also the last remaining monarchy, constitutional or otherwise, left in South Asia. Bhutan is one of the few countires in Asia never to have been colonized by any other nations.