TOEFL Test Centers in Bhutan

EDU February 16, 2019

Region	Testing Format	Fee	Test Dates
Thimphu (Code: J999)	TOEFL Paper Testing	$180 $180 $180 $180	Sat., Oct 13, 2018 Sat., Nov 10, 2018 Sat., Feb 09, 2019 Sat., Apr 13, 2019

Bhutan Overview

Bhutan (officially Druk-Yul), a kingdom in the eastern Himalayas bordering China (Tibet) to the north and India to the south. The residents, mostly Bhutija (of Tibetan origin), are predominantly followers of Lamaist Buddhism. The main source of income is agriculture. The country is also trying to increase tourism.

History: Bhutan was under British-Indian supremacy from the 19th century, and as a monarchy from 1907. In 1949 India formally recognized its independence from Bhutan, but reserved the right to oversee foreign affairs. In 2007 a friendship treaty was signed with India, through which Bhutan also became fully sovereign in terms of foreign policy. In 2008, parliamentary elections were held for the first time in Bhutan and the country’s first written constitution came into force.

Country facts

• Official name: Kingdom of Bhutan
• License plate: BHT
• ISO-3166: BT, BTN (64)
• Internet domain:.bt
• Currency: 1 ngultrum (NU) = 100 chhetrum
• Area: 38 394 km²
• Population (2019): 763 100
• Capital: Thimphu
• Official language (s): Dzongkha
• Form of government: Constitutional monarchy
• Administrative division: 20 districts
• Head of State: King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk
• Prime Minister: Lotay Tshering
• Religion (s) (2005): 75% Buddhists; 22% Hindus, 3% others
• Time zone: Central European Time +5 hours
• National holiday: December 17th

Location and infrastructure

• Location (geographical): South Asia
• Position (coordinates): between 26 ° 50 ‘and 28 ° 20’ north latitude and 88 ° 50 ‘and 92 ° 05’ east longitude
• Climate: warm, dry winter climate; in the high mountains ice climate
• Highest mountain: Kula Kangri (7 554 m)
• Road network (2017): 12,205 km

Population

• Annual population growth (2020): 1.0%
• Birth rate (2020): 16.3 per 1000 inh.
• Death rate (2020): 6.3 per 1000 residents.
• Average age (2020): 29.1 years
• Average life expectancy (2020): 72.1 years (men 71; women 73.2)
• Age structure (2020): 24.5% younger than 15 years, 6.6% older than 65 years
• Literacy rate (15 year olds and older) (2017): 66.6%
• Mobile phone contracts (pre-paid and post-paid) (2017): 90 per 100 residents
• Internet users (2017): 48 per 100 residents

Economy

• GDP per capita (2018): US $ 3,215
• Total GDP (2018): US $ 2.6 billion
• GNI per capita (2018): US $ 2,970
• Education expenditure (2017): 7.1% of GDP
• Military expenditure: n / a
• Unemployment rate (15 years and older) (2017): 2.4%

History

In the 19th century, when Buddhism was introduced into Bhutan from Tibet and India, the development of the country is largely unknown; however, there has been evidence of colonization for 4,000 years. The Sharchop in particular belonged to the oldest population groups. In the middle of the 8th century, the Indian Buddhist missionary Padmasambhava (better known in Bhutan under the name Guru Rinpoche) introduced Buddhism in the form of the old Tibetan Nyingmapa school and founded rock monasteries in various places (including Taktsang [Tiger’s Nest] in the Parotal). Since around the 9th century, the Ngalong (also Nganlung), who came from Tibet, invaded Bhutan and displaced the indigenous groups to Eastern Bhutan. Several principalities were formed in the valleys of Bhutan, separated from one another by high mountain ranges. In the 12th century, the Tibetan monk Gyelwa Lhanangpa (* 1164, † 1224)the first fortified monasteries in Bhutan. In the early 13th century, followers of the Tibetan Buddhist Drukpa school (Brug-pa, named after the Brug [dragon] monastery north of Brahmaputra) of the Kagyüpa came to Bhutan because they were subjected to persecution by the new Sakyapa school in Tibet were. In 1616 Shabd (r) ung Ngawang Namgyal (* 1594, † 1651) fledto West Bhutan, where over time he established a state system based on Drukpa Buddhism: the lifelong head of state was the reincarnated Shabdrung (Tibetan Zhabs-drung, Dharma Raja), religious head (Je Khenpo) a supreme abbot determined by election; a secular head (Druk Desi, Deb Raja) was elected for a period of 3 years; Subordinate to the latter were governors (pönlop) for the three regions of western, central and southern Bhutan with the centers of Paro, Tongsa and Daga. Other districts were under the direction of district officials (Dzongpön). Ngawang Namgyal issued a code of law (Tsa Yig) based on the Buddhist Dharma(remained in force until the 1960s) and initiated the construction of monastery fortresses (dzongs) as religious and administrative centers. Tibetan Buddhism in the form of the Buddhist school of Drukpa became the state religion; after her, Bhutan received the official name Druk Yul (Dragon Empire). Attempts to invade the Tibetans in the 17th century failed. In 1627 the Portuguese Jesuits Estevão Cacella (* 1585, † 1630) and João Cabral (* 1599, † 1699) were the first Europeans to come to Bhutan. The name Bhutan, the v. a. Spread by the English, it probably goes back to the Indian term “Bhotanta” (“Bhota” for Tibet, “anta” for end; analogously: the area bordering Tibet).

After the invasion of the Principality of Cooch Behar by Bhutanese troops (1772) and the subsequent military defeat by the British (1773), a protracted Anglobhutan border conflict began. In 1774 Bhutan signed a peace treaty with the British East India Company. After renewed fighting (1864/65) with the British, these parts of Bhutan occupied. In the Treaty of Sinchula (1865), Bhutan had to recognize British supremacy (cession of the lowland strip off the Himalayas for an annual English payment). At the end of the 19th century, the Bhutanese government encouraged the immigration of the Nepalese population (mostly Hindus) to the south of the country.