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Former Phillips student named king of Bhutan
If you've lived in town for awhile, it's possible that one day at CVS or the Andover Bookstore you might have rubbed elbows with someone who is now the world's newest king.
On Nov. 7, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, a 28-year-old man who spent some of his teenage years in Andover, was crowned king of Bhutan last by his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
In 1997, then-Prince Wangchuck attended Phillips Academy for a period of time, said Stephen Porter, director of public information at Phillips.
He attended Phillips before transferring to Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Mass., from which he graduated in 1999.
"He did go to school here at Phillips Academy for a short time in 1997 before moving onto Cushing Academy to continue his education. I'm told he still values his association with PA and that there are alums that he keeps in touch with," said Porter in an e-mail.
As far as he knows, Wangchuck is the first king to attend Phillips, Porter said. The campus has educated other future rulers, though, including two of the last three American presidents. George Bush, Phillips Class of 1942, was the 41st president, and his son, George W. Bush, Phillips Class of 1964, is the country's current president.
For college, Wangchuck attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts and later transferred to Oxford University in England, according to published reports. He is the fifth crowned king of Bhutan.
Where in the world is Bhutan?
Bhutan is a tiny, remote and impoverished country surrounded by China, India, Bangladesh and Nepal. Violent storms coming off the Himalaya mountains gave the country its name, meaning "Land of the Thunder Dragon."
This conservative Buddhist kingdom high in the Himalaya had no paved roads until the 1960s, was off-limits to foreigners until 1974, and launched television service only in 1999. Fertile valleys that make up less than 10 percent of the land feed all the Bhutanese. Bhutan's ancient Buddhist culture and mountain scenery make it attractive for tourists, whose numbers are limited by the government.
Population: 970,000
Area: 46,500 square kilometers (17,954 square miles)
Life Expectancy: 66
GDP per capita: U.S. $1,300
Literacy percent: 42
Industry: cement, wood products, processed fruits, alcoholic beverages
Agriculture: rice, corn, root crops, citrus; dairy products
Exports: electricity (to India), cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts
Source: The National Geographic Society, www.nationalgeographic.com
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