The Country: Bhutan is also known as Druk-yul,or Land of Thunder Dragon.Bhutan,with the mighty Himalayas towering over it,the lush green forests covering the hills and picturesque valleys with rivers flowing through them,has a history which dates back to the times of Gautama Buddha.Bhutan is beautiful in every sense of the word.Land of culturally diverse people,flora & fauna,home to unique species such as red panda,the black neck cranes,blue sheep, snow leopard and the Himalayan beer along with the snowy peaks, mountains,roaring white water rivers,gentle streams & mighty falls,monasteries giving solace to mind & souls,all these make Bhutan a wonderful heaven on the earth.No idea about where the Bhutan is?click here
Location: Drukyul or the country of the Drukpas lays Hidden in the folds of the eastern Himalayas. Bhutan is sandwiched between the two giant countries: India in the south and China in the north. With a total area of 38,398 sq kilometers, approximately the size of Switzerland, Bhutan lies between 88° 45’ and 92°10’ longitude east and 26°40’ and 28°15 ’ north.It is a mountainous country except for hits the target the other team members sing and dance to celebrate.Other traditional sports also include dart (khuru), javelin thrown towards a target (suksom),etc.Today, most of the international sports which include football, basket ball, tennis, volley ball, golf, crickets etc. are also played.
Area and Population: The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan lies along the lofty ridges of the eastern Himalayas,bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and northwest,and by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh,Assam, West Bengal and Sikkim on the east,south and west respectively.Bhutan is a small mountainous country approximately 300km long and 150km wide with an area of 38,394 square kilometers. Bhutan is comparable to Switzerland both in its size and topography.The Altitude ranges from 160meters in the southern foothills to 7541 meters high in the northern high mountains.With a population of 650,000 (October 2005) Bhutan is one of the sparsely populated counties in the world.
Bhutanese People Bhutanese are friendly and hospitable people.The large mojority of them are a homo-geneous group divided linguistically into three broad sub-groups.These are Sarchops, Ngalong and Lhotshampa.Besides,there are a number of smaller groups,many with their own language which form about 1% of the population.Some of these groups are:Bumthap in Bumthag,Tsangho in the east,Layapas in the north-west,Brokpas in the north-east and the Doyas in the south-west of Bhutan.
Bhutanese Culture and Tradition: The traditional dress for men is the gho, a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera. Women wear an ankle-length dress, the kira, which is clipped at one shoulder and tied at the waist.An accompaniment to the kira is a long-sleeved blouse, which is worn underneath the outer layer.Social status and class determine the texture, colors, and decorations that embellish the garments. Scarves and shawls are also indicators of social standings, as Bhutanhas traditionally been a feudal society. One of the main attractions of the kingdom is its annual religious festivals, the tsechus celebrated to honor Guru Padmasambhava (more commonly referred to as "Guru Rinpoche"). For local people, tsechus are an occasion for reverence and blessing, feasting and socializing. Two of the most popular tsechus are held at Paro and Thimphu, in spring and autumn respectively, but others are held all the year round at temples, dzongs and monasteries throughout the country. Attendance at one of these religious events provides an opportunity for the outsider to experience the extraordinary.
Development Philosophy of Bhutan: Gross National Happiness: Economists argue that happiness can be obtained with material development. However, Bhutan argues the case differently trying to advocate by saying that material growth does not necessarily lead to happiness. In Bhutan, progress is not measured by Gross Domestic Product but by Gross National Happiness.
Economy: Agriculture and livestock raising are the mainstay of the economy.They contribute about 45% to the GNP.Agriculture is still the main source of livelihood for about 89 % of people living in the rural areas of Bhutan. About 62% of women are involved in agriculture and their contribution is substantial. The farms are mostly narrow pieces of land cut into terraces on hill slopes. Forestry contributes 15 % to the Gross National Product (GNP) and industry and mining 10%.
Flora and Fauna: Known for its rich flora and fauna, Bhutan harbours many of the endangered species and rare medicinal plants in its rich bio-diversity. For its size, Bhutan probably has the greatest bio-diversity of any country in Asia, and it is for these reasons that Bhutan has been declared as one of the world's ten most important bio-diversity hotspots.Bhutan has an extensive forest cover of 72.5% currently including 26.23% as protected areas and largely intact natural resource base. Bhutan's National Symbols
