conventional long form: Kingdom of Bhutan
conventional short form: Bhutan

BT

monarchy; special treaty relationship with India

Thimphu

18 districts (dzongkhag, singular and
plural); Bumthang, Chhukha, Chirang, Daga, Geylegphug, Ha, Lhuntshi,
Mongar, Paro, Pemagatsel, Punakha, Samchi, Samdrup Jongkhar, Shemgang,
Tashigang, Thimphu, Tongsa, Wangdi Phodrang

8 August 1949 (from India)

National Day, 17 December (1907) (Ugyen WANGCHUCK
became first hereditary king)

no written constitution or bill of rights
note: Bhutan uses 1953 Royal decree for the Constitution of the
National Assembly; on 7 July 1998, a Royal edict was ratified giving
the National Assembly additional powers

based on Indian law and English common law; has not
accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

each family has one vote in village-level elections

chief of state: King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK (since 24 July 1972)
head of government: Foreign Minister Jigme Yoeser THINLEY (since NA
June 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers (Lhengye Shungtsog) nominated by the
monarch, approved by the National Assembly; members serve fixed,
five-year terms
note: there is also a Royal Advisory Council (Lodoi Tsokde), members
nominated by the monarch
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary, but democratic reforms in
July 1998 give the National Assembly authority to remove the monarch
with two-thirds vote

unicameral National Assembly or Tshogdu (150
seats; 105 elected from village constituencies, 10 represent religious
bodies, and 35 are designated by the monarch to represent government
and other secular interests; members serve three-year terms)
elections: last held NA (next to be held NA)
election results: NA

the Supreme Court of Appeal is the monarch; High
Court, judges appointed by the monarch

no legal parties

Buddhist clergy; ethnic
Nepalese organizations leading militant antigovernment campaign;
Indian merchant community; United Front for Democracy (exiled)

AsDB, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,
IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFAD, IMF, Intelsat, IOC, ITU, NAM, OPCW, SAARC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

none; note - Bhutan has a
Permanent Mission to the UN; address: 2 United Nations Plaza, 27th
Floor, New York, NY 10017; telephone  (212) 826-1919; the Bhutanese
mission to the UN has consular jurisdiction in the US
consulate(s) general: New York

the US and Bhutan have no
formal diplomatic relations, although informal contact is maintained
between the Bhutanese and US Embassy in New Delhi (India)

divided diagonally from the lower hoist side corner;
the upper triangle is yellow and the lower triangle is orange;
centered along the dividing line is a large black and white dragon
facing away from the hoist side