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(영어로 읽는 글로벌 뉴스) 뇌룡이 다스리는 땅, 부탄
(원제: The Land of the Thunder Dragon, Bhutan)

Bhutan is a country in South Asia near the Himalayan Mountains. It is a country between India and China. It is also near Nepal and Bangladesh. The people of Bhutan call their country the “Land of the Thunder Dragon.” This is why there is a picture of a dragon on the flag of Bhutan. Because Bhutan is near the Himalayan Mountains, which is one of the highest mountain ranges in the world, Bhutan is a very isolated country.
Although Bhutan has recently begun to modernize, they follow the philosophy of increasing the Gross National Happiness of their nation. The leaders of Bhutan believe that this philosophy is better to follow than the economic indicator of 
the Gross National Product or GNP. Because Bhutan is a relatively Buddhist nation, they believe that instead of focusing more on economic indicators on money, the people of Bhutan should focus more on what makes them happy. The leaders of Bhutan believe in sustainable development, promotion and preservation of culture, conservation of the natural environment, and good government based on Bhutan’s strong Buddhist values. The Happy Planet Index, which is an indicator of the average level of life satisfaction, ranks Bhutan in the top ten percent of nations worldwide.

Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy with a king and prime minister and a national assembly. Its capital is Thimpu. After centuries of direct government under a king of the Wangchuck dynasty, Bhutan held its first elections in March 2008. Bhutan is part of the United Nations and has a population of about 697,000 people. Bhutan is a relatively small country with about 38,394 square kilometers. In 2007, Bhutan had the second fastest growing economy with a growth rate of 22.4 percent. This rapid growth of Bhutan’s economy is attributed to the Tala Hydroelectricity project with the sales of hydroelectric power to India. Bhutan’s exports are electricity, gypsum, timber, cement, spices, and fruit.
Bhutan has a rich cultural tradition. Most of its culture comes from Buddhist art and traditions. There are also elements of Hinduism. Hinduism is the second most popular religion in Bhutan. The men of Bhutan wear the gho, a robe and women wear the kira, a dress. The law requires men and women to wear these traditional dresses in public areas and as formal wear. Dzongkha, which is the main language of Bhutan, was made a mandatory language for all people in Bhutan.

When Bhutan tried to incorporate the “one nation one people” idea by requiring formal dress and a mandatory language, the people in Southern Bhutan started a rebellion. They were seen as illegal settlers by the Bhutanese government. The government crushed the rebellion. Many of the people in Southern Bhutan fled to Nepal. They went to United Nations refugee camps. In 2007, when the United States became concerned about the treatment of the refugees, many nations admitted these refugees into their country. The United States resettled around 200,000 people in the US. Canada has accepted around 5,000 people. Norway has accepted 200.

One Stop Summing Up: Vocabs & Expressions
Bhutan 부탄 / the Himalayan Mountains 히말라야 산맥 / India 인도 / Nepal 네팔 / Bangladesh 방글라데시 / isolated 고립된 / modernize 현대화하다(v) / follow 따르다(v) / philosophy 철학(n) / economic indicator 경제 지표 / relatively 상대적으로 / focus on ~에 초점을 맞추다 (중점을 두다) / sustainable 지속 가능한 / development 발전(n) / promotion 성장(n) / preservation 보존, 보전(n) / conservation 보호, 관리(n) / satisfaction 만족(n) / a constitutional monarchy 입헌 군주제 국가 / prime minister 총리 / national assembly 국회 / Thimpu 팀푸 / dynasty 왕국, 왕조(n) / election
선거(n) / the United Nations 국제 연합(유엔) / square kilometers 제곱 킬로미터 / a growth rate of 22.4 percent 22.4퍼센트의 성장률 / be attributed to ~의 덕분이다 / hydroelectricity 수력 발전(n) / hydroelectric power 수력 발전 에너지 / export 수출품(n) / gypsum 석고(n) / timber 목재(n) / Hinduism 힌두교 / require 요구하다(v) / public area 공공 장소 / a mandatory language 필수 언어 / incorporate 포함하다, 만들다(v) / rebellion 반란(n) / ee 달아나다, 도망치다(v) / crush 충돌하다, 맞닥뜨리다(v) / refugee 난민(n) / concern about ~을 신경쓰다 / treatment 처리, 대우(n)

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