Bhutan, an independent kingdom of India under British rule, is situated in the eastern Himalayas between 26° 45' and 28° N. lat, and 89° and 92° E. long. It is bounded north and east by Tibet, west by Sikkim, and south by British India. The kingdom has an area of about 18,000 sq. mi. and a population of 300,000 chiefly of the original Tephus extraction. The people are partly Buddhists, greatly influenced by the Tibetan scriptures. Rice, Indian corn and millet are extensively cultivated. Elephants and ponies are raised. Valuable forests flourish throughout the country. The natives manufacture muzzle-loading guns and swords of finely tempered steel. The chief exports are gold dust, salt, woolens, silk, musk, and horses. The Kingdom is ruled by a hereditary Maharaja, Jig-me Wang-chuk, who receives from the British Government an annual subsidy of 1,000,000 rupees in accordance with a Treaty made in 1910. By the terms of this Treaty, the Kingdom of Bhutan is guaranteed its independence, but agrees to be represented by Great Britain in its foreign affairs.
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