The Foundation About Bhutan Project About UNICEF UNICEF Germany UNICEF Bhutan Donations Contact Imprint Deutsche Version	About Bhutan?       • Buddhist Kingdom in the Himalaya located between India and China • Population estimate of 750.000, nearly half of it under 15 years of age. • People live on 40.000 square kilometer mainly in remote rural mountainous regions. • Emerging from self-imposed isolation, Bhutan began in 1961 to build its basic     infrastructure and services, establishing roads, schools, hospitals, and a power grid     that tapped the hydro-electric potential of its rapid rivers and streams. • By the mid-1990s, an efficient telecommunications system covered most of its     inhabited valleys. • 80% of the population lives in remote rural mountainous regions hours or even days     walking distance from the nearest road head which means:         > medical care         > education         > communication         > access to drinking water, electricity and sanitary facilities are very difficult to             establish due to extreme mobility constraints. Reasons to support Bhutan: • Happiness is more important than wealth. This is the official policy in Bhutan, where     King Jigme Singye Wangchuck prefers to speak of Gross National Happiness, rather     than Gross National Product, setting the theme for careful development and     gradual change:         > preserving its ancient traditions and its distinct way of life         > protecting and preserving its pristine natural environment, religious heritage, and            cultural identity by developing at a "manageable" pace, emphasizing sustainability            and self-reliance (especially regarding the country's historical monasteries and            temples, controlling tourism, and enforcing environmental laws)         > Basic medical care and education for every Bhutanese through the government • The size of the nation makes it possible that even modest financial means can promise     self-sustaining support.