Location / Map
Bhutan is nestled within the continent of Asia between two of the world’s largest nations, China to the North, and India to the South, East and West. Although the Kingdom sits high up in the Himalayas, it is roughly at the latitude of Florida.
Geography
Bhutan is a land-locked country with an area of 18,000 square miles.
The rugged east, visited by few western travelers, borders the sparse and largely unknown Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. The high Himalaya in the northern steppes separates the kingdom from Tibet.
Altitude in the south ranges from 1,000 to 4,500 feet. Altitudes in the more populated central regions range from 4,000 feet in the east around Trashigang to a high of 17,000 feet over the highest pass. The altitude at Thimphu, the capital, is 7,200 feet. Until roads were built in the 1960’s, it took travelers at least 5 days to make a journey from the Indian border at Phuntsholing to Thimphu. Today, that trip takes 6 hours.
History
Bhutan’s history parallels Buddhism’s following in the Himalayas, and to properly understand Bhutan’s history one also needs to understand its religion. Mystery surrounds Bhutan’s distant past, as books and papers were lost in fires and earthquakes throughout the 1800’s.
Bhutan was born in 747 AD when Padma Sambhava, who is known as Guru Rinpoche, made his legendary trip from Tibet across the mountains, flying on a tigress’s back. He arrived in the Paro valley at Taktsang Lhakhang, also known as “Tiger’s Nest”. A mystical and awe inspiring monastery now perches precariously on the cliff’s face as a permanent memory to his name.
Bhutan was not unified under a central authority until the 17th Century; however, the religious presence in the country has been acting as a spiritual cohesion for many years.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, civil wars intermittently broke out, and the regional Penlops (or Governors) became increasingly more powerful. At the end of the 19th century the Penlop of Tongsa (who controlled central and eastern Bhutan) overcame his greatest rival, the Penlop of Paro (who controlled western Bhutan), and was soon afterwards recognized as the overall leader of Bhutan. In 1907, an assembly of representatives of the monastic community, civil servants, and the people, elected the Penlop of Tongsa, Ugyen Wangchuk, the first king of Bhutan.
The monarch has thrived ever since, and, the most recent and beloved king his Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuk, just recently abdicated his thrown to his first born son, Jigme Gesar Namgayel Wangchuk.
People / Population
Bhutan’s indigenous population is the Drukpa. Three main ethnic groups, the Sharchops, Ngalops and the Lhotshampas, make up today’s Drukpa with a total population of over 750,000.
Bhutan’s earliest residents, the Sharchops, reside predominantly in eastern Bhutan. Their origin can be traced to the tribes of north Burma and northeast India. The Ngalops migrated from the Tibetan plains and are the importers of Buddhism to the kingdom. Most of the Lhotshampas migrated to the southern plains in search of agricultural land and work in the early 20th century.
More than 90% of the people live on subsistence farming, scattered in sparsely populated villages across the rugged terrain of the Himalayas. The geography of the land kept each ethnic group separate until the middle of the 1900’s when roads were built between the east and the west.
Climate
Bhutan has four distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are arguably the most beautiful times of the year in the kingdom. The fierce cold that characterizes the winter months tends to subside towards the end of February. In the spring, Rhododendron and Magnolias begin to bloom and by the end of March and the whole kingdom comes to life with the spectacular flaming red, pink, and white of the rhododendron blossom.
The annual summer monsoon from the Bay of Bengal affects the south and central regions. The end of monsoon, also a popular time to visit, marks cobalt skies and warm weather. The autumn months of September bring shorter days and cooler evenings. The days remain lovely with crisp, clear skies.
Come the beginning of December, the weather takes on its winter coat. The days remain crisp and the nights turn cold. The southern areas, at lower elevations, have a more temperate climate and considerably warmer winters.
Cultural Heritage
Just as the kingdom's history is characterized by religious landmarks, the influence of religion is highly visible in every day life of the lay population. The hundreds of sacred monasteries, stupas, religious institutions, prayer flags and prayer wheels which dot the countryside provide a strong infrastructure and atmosphere for the teachings of their living faith.
In both urban and rural Bhutan, religious ceremonies and rituals are performed regularly and with reverence. On auspicious days Bhutanese families make pilgrimages to monasteries to offer prayers and butter lamps. The horoscope of Bhutanese life is drawn from the scriptures. National and regional festivals, coinciding with the seasons, are major events for the entire population year round.
The relevance of culture also lies in the sense of identity and unity, which is invaluable to a small country like Bhutan. The efforts to foster the country’s cultural heritage will also continue to ensure thatit is not eroded in the process of development.
Gross National Happiness
Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define quality of life in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. The term was coined by Bhutan's King Jigme Singye Wangchuck in 1972. It signaled his commitment to building an economy that would serve Bhutan's unique culture based on Buddhist spiritual values. Like many worthy moral goals it is somewhat easier to state than to define, nonetheless, it serves as a unifying vision for the Five Year planning process and all the derived planning documents that guide the economic and development plans to the country.
While conventional development models stress economic growth as the ultimate objective, the concept of GNH claims to be based on the premise that true development of human society takes place when material and spiritual development occur side by side to complement and reinforce each other. The four pillars of GNH are the promotion of equitable and sustainable socio-economic development, preservation and promotion of cultural values, conservation of the natural environment, and establishment of good governance.
Religion / Spirituality
Bhutan has been home to many sages and saints over the centuries since Guru Rinpoche brought Buddhism in the 8th century. Today, Buddhism is practiced throughout the country. The male protective deity of the country, Yeshey Gonpo, or Mahakala, is a tantric Buddhist form of raven. Prior to the advent of Buddhism, various forms of animistic religions, including Bon, were followed in Bhutan. In some parts of the country these traditions and rituals are still practiced by minority groups.
The Buddhist faith has played and continues to play a fundamental role in the cultural, ethical, and sociological development of Bhutan and its people. It permeates all strands of secular life, bringing with it a reverence for the land and its well-being. Annual festivals (Tshechus and Dromchoes) are spiritual occasions in each district. They bring together the population of the district and are dedicated to either Guru Rinpoche or other deities. Bhutan is the only country in the world to retain the tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism as its official religion.
Earlier this century, an ethnic Nepalese minority, settling in the southern regions of the country, brought Hinduism, which is regarded in Bhutan as being closely related to Buddhism.
To ensure the perpetuation of Buddhism in the kingdom, one son from each family normally attends monastic school.
Social Equity
Bhutan is relatively egalitarian society where social inequity has never been a major issue. Bhutan is a gender balanced country, which partly explains why there have been no specific policies or strategies targeting the upliftment of women. Women enjoy equality under the law and in the society and their active involvement in all spheres of socio-economic development have contributed immensely to the rapid progress achieved in the country.
Art & Architecture
Bhutan’s artistic tradition has its roots in Buddhism with almost all representation in the arts running along the prevailing theme of struggle between good and evil. A rare blend of Tibetan, Indian, and Chinese styles in a characteristic Bhutanese setting, Bhutanese art is mostly symbolic. It is highly decorative and ornamental.
The castle-like Dzongs with their gently tapering walls, classic lines, large courtyards and beautiful galleries are among the finest examples of Bhutanese architecture. Containing large monasteries, these impressive buildings, set in commanding positions on hilltops or at the confluence of rivers, are also the administrative centers of their regions. Small fortresses called Ta Dzongs (literally meaning watchtowers) overlook the main buildings and were built for defense. The most common architectural sight in Bhutan, however, is not these majestic buildings, but chortens or stupas, which are small shrines built originally to house sacred relics.
Currency
The currency in Bhutan is Ngultrum (Symbol - Nu.). It is divided into 100 Cheltrum. Ngultrum is pegged to the Indian Rupee on par, meaning 1 Ngultrum = 1 Indian Rupee. The Indian Rupee is also widely accepted in Bhutan.
U.S. dollars and Euros are typically accepted in most hotels and stores.
Language
The official language is Dzongkha. Additionally three other languages are also spoken Bumthangkha in the central region, Sharchopkha in the eastern region and Nepalese in the southern region. Many educated Bhutanese are, in addition to their native language, also fluent in Hindi and English.
Dress
Bhutanese men wear a Gho, which is a long robe tied around the waist by a small belt known as a Kera. The women wear ankle length dresses called Kira’s, which are brightly colored, finely woven fabrics with traditional patterns.
Nature Conservation
Flora
More than 60% of the endemic plant species of the eastern Himalayas can be found within Bhutan. Of this 5,500 known species of plants, 50 or more are endemic to Bhutan itself. Although a comprehensive description of Bhutanese flora is yet to be formulated, it is accepted that several species are highly valuable for their conservation properties.
Bhutanese forests are divided into the alpine zone (4,000m and above) where there is no forest cover, the temperate zone (between 2,000m to 4,000m) with conifer/ broad leaf forests, and the sub tropical zone with tropical/sub tropical vegetation (from 1,500m to 2,000m). Three ecological units may be distinguished within Bhutan: high altitude, temperate, and tropical.
Fauna
Seven hundred and seventy (770) bird species in Bhutan have been recorded and much still remain unknown. Approximately 73% of these are resident to Bhutan.
Snow leopard, blue sheep, red panda, tiger, takin (the national animal), marmot and musk deer are some of the species found in the high altitude. Temperate zone fauna include tiger, leopard, goral, gray langur, Himalayan black beer, red panda, sambar, wild pig, and barking deer. The tropical forests in the south have tiger, clouded leopard, elephants, one horned rhinoceros, water buffalo, golden langur, gaur, swamp deer, hog deer, and horn bills.
Sports
Archery
Archery is the national sport of Bhutan, and every village has it own archery range. High spirited competitions, usually accompanied by a banquet, are a part of all festive occasions. Using bamboo bows (although modern compound bows are finding their way into the kingdom) teams of archers shoot at targets only 30 centimeters in diameter from a distance of 140 meters (approximately the same length as an American football field). Each team has a noisy crowd of supporters who, as well as encouraging their own side, try to off the opposition.
The game of archery is not exactly a sport that draws frenzied supporters. There are no die-hard fans, and no follow-the-team-kingdom-come fanatics. If anyone is all pumped up, it is the archers themselves. Archery is much about tradition- songs, dances, jeers and near-primitive howls.
Golf
The Royal Thimphu Golf Course is the only public golf course in Bhutan. It is nestled in a valley in the Himalayas, and is a challenging nine-hole (par 33) course set up between Thimphu’s Tashicho Dzong (the High Court) and the mountainous views. The course’s water hazards are manmade and are strategically placed for a challenging game on the narrow fairways. A different set of tees for the back nine make it a great double round of 18 holes. The restaurant at the golf course is said to be one of the best in Thimphu. The course is about 35 years old, has about 100 members and is open all year.