About Bhutan

Nestled amid the Himalayan mountains, Bhutan history dates back to 1616AD when His Holiness Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyal visited Bhutan from Tibet and established a government system in Bhutan. Prior to that, Bhutan was ruled by multiple feudal lords having their own area of rule. Zhabdrung unified and started the political and religious form of governance.

In 1907, Bhutan was unified as a Kingdom by His Majesty Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck under one banner and till 2008 Bhutan was a monarch when His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the great fourth king of Bhutan stepped down to pave the path for democracy in Bhutan.

Presently, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the fifth King of Bhutan is the supreme commander along with the democratically elected Prime Minister that makes the political form of Government and His Holiness the Je Khenpo is the spritual head in Bhutan

Bhutan has come around to be a developing country from a land locked least developed country even though Bhutan was a late starter in development. It is the unwavering and dedicated efforts of Bhutan's monarchs that has taken Bhutan to where it is today.

GNH is a philosophy that guides the government of Bhutan in its policies and day to day governance. It was conceptualised by the fourth King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck and implemented it in all its policy making and in daily governance in Bhutan. It includes an index used to measure a population's collective happiness and well-being. The Gross National Happiness Index was instituted as the goal of the government of Bhutan in the Constitution of Bhutan, enacted on 18 July 2008. GNH is a concept that revolves around its four main pillars:

1. Sustainable and equitable socio-economic development
2. Environmental conservation;
3. Preservation and promotion of culture
4. Good governance.

The concept of GNH got world wide acclaim and The United Nations general assembly recognised it as a way forward for others country to adopt it for a better world. Bhutan established the GNH center in Thimphu from where one can study this ground breaking concept in detail.

Bhutan is a sovereign country at the crossroads of East Asia and South Asia, located towards the eastern extreme of the Himalayas mountain range. It is fairly evenly sandwiched between the sovereign territory of two nations: first, the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the north and northwest. There are approximately 477 kilometres (296 mi) of border with the country's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), or simply Tibet. The second nation is the Republic of India on the south, southwest, and east; there are approximately 659 kilometres (409 mi) with the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, and Sikkim, in clockwise order from the kingdom. Bhutan's total borders amount to approximately 1,139 kilometres (708 mi). The Indian state of Sikkim to the west, the India to the south, and the Assam state of India to the southeast are other close neighbours; the former two are separated by only very small stretches of Indian territory.

The highlands are the most populous part of the nation; the capital Thimphu lies in the western region. The region is characterised by its many rivers (flowing into India's Brahmaputra), its isolated valleys that house most of the population, and the expansive forests that cover seventy per cent of the nation. The highlands have Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests at higher elevations and Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests at lower elevations. Winters are cold, summer are hot; the rainy season is accompanied with high-frequency landslides.

Bhutan's population of around 7,50,000 in total is divided by its region.
* Western region has the Ngalops speaking Dzongkha (the official language of Bhutan) and forms the main beaurocratic society of Bhutan concentrated in the Thimphu, Paro, Punakha, Wangdue & Haa dzongkhags (districts) of Bhutan.
* Eastern part of Bhutan in dzongkhags: Trashigang, Pema Gatshel, Trashiyangtshe, Mongar has the Sharchops speaking sharchopkha or refined version of Tshangla. They are a mix of farmers, herders, business class and also public service holder.
* Central part of Bhutan in dzongkhags: Bumthang, Zhemgang, Trongsa, Tsirang has multi language speaking society like the people of Bumthang speak Bhumthap, Zhemgang people speak Khengkha etc.They also form a mix of farmers, herders, business class and also public service holder.
* Southern part of Bhutan in Dzongkhags: Samtse, Chukha, Gelephu, Samdrupjonkhar has the Lhotshampa speaking Lhotshamkha. They also form a mix of farmers, herders, business class, scholars and also public service holder.

Religion: Bhutan is a Buddhist country and Buddhism plays a vital role in the cultural and spiritual heritage of the nation

The official religion in Bhutan is Buddhism, which is practiced by 74.7% of the population;. The rest of the population is mainly Hindu around 22.6% of the population. Hinduism is the second largest & most significant religion in Bhutan after Buddhism.

In the past, approximately 75% of the population of 770,000 followed either the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school, the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism or another school of Buddhism."

Culture: Modern Bhutanese culture derives from ancient culture. Dzongkha and Sharchop, the principal Bhutanese languages, are closely related to Tibetan, and Bhutanese monks read and write the ancient variant of the Tibetan language, known as chhokey.

Cultural Festivals: Once every year, a dzong holds a religious festival, or Tsechu. Villagers from the surrounding district come for several days of religious observances and socializing while contributing auspicious offerings to the lama or monastery of the festival. The central activity is a fixed set of religious mask dances, or cham, held in a large courtyard.

Monastery: Monks join the monastery at six to nine years of age and are immediately placed under the discipleship of a headmaster. They learn to read chhokey, the language of the ancient sacred texts, as well as Dzongkha and English. Eventually they will choose between two possible paths: to study theology and Buddhist theory, or take the more common path of becoming proficient in the rituals and personal practices of the faith.

In December 2023, during the 116th National Day celebration, fith King of Bhutan, His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck unveiled a project to establish a Special Administrative Region in Gelephu called the Gelephu Special Administrative Region or the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC). Gelephu located in the southern central region of Bhutan is a dream project of His Majesty which spans around 1,000 square kilometers covering most of the Gelephu and nearby Sarpang. It will be one of its kind city in the world that has been inspired by Bhutanese culture and Gross National Happiness principles. The plan includes an international airport, railways connectivity, a hydroelectric dam, and diverse public spaces for business, studies, tourism, religious and mindfulness activities.

The economy of Bhutan is based on export of electricity, tourism, agriculture and forestry products, which provide the main livelihood for more than 60% of the population. Agriculture consists largely of subsistence farming and animal husbandry. Bhutan's gross domestic product (nominal) per capita in South Asia is at $3,491 as of 2022, but it still places 153rd, and among the poorest in the world. The total gross domestic product is only $2.898 billion, and 178th according to IMF.