Bhutan

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Official name:
Area:
Government:
Official languages:
Monetary unit:
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DEMOGRAPHY
Population: 2.3 million
Population density:

ECONOMY
GDP (PPP):
per person:
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  • LIFE & LIBERTY

HDI

Contents

[edit] Geography

[edit] Location

  • The mountain nation of Bhutan is a country nestled in the eastern Himalayas. It borders India and China. It has been called the last place on the “Roof of the World.” Bhutan is one of the most isolated and least developed nations in the world. Foreign influences and tourism are heavily regulated by the government to preserve the country's traditional culture and national identity.

[edit] Climate

[edit] Natural Resources

[edit] History

  • In 1865 Bhutan signed an agreement with Britain agreeing to receive an annual subsidy in exchange for some land bordering British India, and by 1907 a monarchy was established in Bhutan under British influence. In 1910 a treaty was signed where Britain agreed not to interfere in the internal affairs of Bhutan, and the country gave Britain the right to direct its foreign affairs. India assumed that role after 1947.

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Peoples

[edit] Provinces

[edit] Life

[edit] Economy

[edit] Government

  • Type of Government: Absolute monarchy. King Jigme Singye Wanchuck began preparing the country for major democratic reforms in 2005 and abdicated the throne to his son in 2006 so that he would gain experience as chief of state before the democratic transition which is anticipated in 2008.
  • Until just a few decades ago, the secluded and mountainous country was a medieval agrarian society, with no paved roads, no electricity, no hospitals and no telephones. Goods were bartered rather than bought. But much has changed in recent years — television, for example, was introduced in 1999. March 08 was the historic parliamentary elections, in which the country’s first elected prime minister should take office. Under a draft constitution, the king, 27-year-old Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, will become head of state, but Parliament will have the power to impeach him by a two-thirds vote.
  • PRAISE GOD, the first ever democratic elections in Bhutan were held in the beginning on 24 March 2008 and went off peacefully. The Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party took 44 of the 47 seats in the new parliament. The People's Democratic Party won three seats. Turnout was about 79 percent of the 320,000 registered voters. Even in remote corners of the largely rural country — in tiny hamlets where voting machines were delivered by yak — the election went smoothly, officials said. A new day is dawning in this Buddhist Kingdom! Pray with us that it will also herald a new opening for the Gospel.

[edit] Religion

[edit] Islam

[edit] Buddhism

  • Buddhism (72%) is growing, making inroads in the traditional ethnic religions.

[edit] Christianity

  • Bhutan is one of the world’s least evangelized nations. The strongly isolationist policies of the government further reinforce the hold of Tantric Buddhism with much that is demonic and occultic. Pray for true spiritual liberation for this land of the Dragon (Druk Yul).
  • Although Christianity is growing at a rate twice as fast as Buddhism, the very small church (est. 10,000 members) is still a tiny minority, 0.5% of population is Christian.

[edit] History

[edit] Churches

[edit] Challenges for Christians:

  • Many Christian children are able to go to school but face much discrimination. Higher education in most cases is denied when officials find out that the student is a Christian. For Christians with government jobs, discrimination is also the main issue, although there are cases of believers being deprived of government jobs simply because of their faith.

[edit] Church and State Relations

  • The law provides for freedom of religion. However, the government limited this right in practice by barring non-Buddhist missionaries from entering the country, limiting construction of non-Buddhist religious buildings, and restricting the celebration of some non-Buddhist religious festivals and limiting others, according to International Christian Concern (ICC). The government also prohibits religious conversion from Buddhism to other religions. Foreign missionaries were not permitted to proselytize, ICC said.

[edit] Mission

  • The Christian believers have to operate under such heavy restrictions. They are a tiny minority, just 0,5% of the population, need courage and wisdom, how they can add to their numbers.

[edit] Broadcasting

[edit] Councils and Networks

[edit] Persecution

  • Officially, the Christian faith does not exist and Christians are not allowed to pray or celebrate in public. Non-Buddhist religions are barely tolerated and all evangelistic activity is banned. Even house gatherings involving several families are forbidden by the government. Religious workers are denied visas to enter Bhutan and the import of printed religious matter is restricted, with only Buddhist texts allowed in. Community exerts strong pressure to comply with Buddhist norms. Harassment and pressure by Buddhist zealots occurs in certain areas.

[edit] Future Trends

[edit] For More Reading

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