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Bhutan Travel Information and Hotel Discounts
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The Trongsa Dzong
The Trongsa Dzong

 
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Thimphu

       
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Bhutan_manTakstan-monasteryBhutan-masked-dance

The dominant ethnic group is of Tibetan / Tibeto-Burman ancestry; Ethnic Nepalis migrants form the majority in the
southern part of the country.

The Takstang Monastery.
 Buddhism is the state religion
and plays an important part
 in the nation's politics
.

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   Bhutan
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  The Kingdom of Bhutan (is a landlocked South Asian nation situated between India and China. The landscape ranges from the subtropical plains to the Himalayan heights, an elevation gain of more than 7000 m. Its economy is based on subsistence agriculture (emphasizing corn and rice) and animal husbandry. Small, terraced farms predominate. Forestry, hydroelectricity, cash crops, tourism, and development aid (the latter mostly from India) are also significant. Population estimates range from 750,000, to 2.23 million. Thimphu is the capital and largest town.

Bhutan is one of the most isolated nations in the world; foreign influences and tourism are heavily regulated by the government to preserve its traditional Buddhist based culture. Most Bhutanese are Buddhists and adhere to either the Drukpa Kagyu or the Nyingmapa school of Tibetan Buddhism . The official language is Dzongkha (lit. "the language of the dzong"). Bhutan is depicted as the last surviving refuge of traditional Himalayan Buddhist culture in most of the literature on the country. There have been allegations of human rights abuses with regard to the minority ethnic Nepali population, who are primarily Hindu.

Bhutan has been a monarchy since 1907. The different dzongkhags were united under the leadership Trongsa Penlop. The current king, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, has made some moves toward constitutional government.

In 1999, Bhutan began allowing television (mostly STAR TV, a cable channel). Many Bhutanese now blame TV for what they see as a swift rise in crime, materialism, and nontraditional values. (See this article in The Guardian)

The Name
The origins of the name Bhutan are unclear; historians have suggested that it may have originated in variations of the Sanskrit words Bhota-ant (the end of Bhot – a variation of the Indian Sanskrit word "Buddha" meaning enlightened, another word for Tibet), or Bhu-uttan (highlands). The word Bhutan as a name for the country dates from the late 19th century.

The Dzongkha (and Tibetan) name for the country is Druk Yul ("Land of the Dragon").

Historically, Bhutan was known by many names, such as Lho Mon (Southern Land of Darkness), Lho Tsendenjong (Southern Land of the Sandalwood), and Lhomen Khazhi (Southern Land of Four Approaches).

Geography
Main article: Geography of Bhutan

Topographic map of BhutanThe northern region consists of an arc of glaciated mountain peaks with an extremely cold climate at the highest elevations. Most peaks in the north are over 7,000 m above sea level; the highest point is claimed to be the Kula Kangri, at 7,553 m, but detailed topographic studies claim Kula Kangri is wholly in Tibet and modern Chinese measurements claim that Gangkhar Puensum, which has the distinction of being the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, is higher at 7,570m. Watered by snow-fed rivers, alpine valleys in this region provide pasture for livestock, tended by a sparse population of migratory shepherds. The Black Mountains in central Bhutan form a watershed between two major river systems: the Mo Chhu and the Drangme Chhu. Peaks in the Black Mountains range between 1,500 m and 2,700 m above sea level, and fast-flowing rivers have carved out deep gorges in the lower mountain areas. Woodlands of the central region provide most of Bhutan's forest production. The Torsa, Raidak, Sankosh, and Manas are the main rivers of Bhutan, flowing through this region. Most of the population lives in the central highlands.


Terraced farming in the Punakha valley.In the south, the Shiwalik Hills are covered with dense, deciduous forests, alluvial lowland river valleys, and mountains up to around 1,500 m above sea level. The foothills descend into the subtropical Duars plain. Most of the Duars is located in India, although a 10–15 km wide strip extends into Bhutan. The Bhutan Duars is divided into two parts: the northern and the southern Duars. The northern Duars, which abuts the Himalayan foothills, has rugged, sloping terrain and dry, porous soil with dense vegetation and abundant wildlife. The southern Duars has moderately fertile soil, heavy savannah grass, dense, mixed jungle, and freshwater springs. Mountain rivers, fed by either the melting snow or the monsoon rains, empty into the Brahmaputra river in India. Over 70% of Bhutan is forested. The climate in Bhutan varies with altitude, from subtropical in the south to temperate in the highlands and polar-type climate, with year-round snow, in the north. Bhutan experiences five distinct seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. Western Bhutan has the heavier monsoon rains; southern Bhutan has hot humid summers and cool winters; central and eastern Bhutan is temperate and drier than the west with warm summers and cool winters.

     

Background:
In 1865, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding some border land. Under British influence, a monarchy was set up in 1907; three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. This role was assumed by independent India after 1947. Two years later, a formal Indo-Bhutanese accord returned the areas of Bhutan annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. A refugee issue of some 85,000 Bhutanese in Nepal remains unresolved; 90% of the refugees are housed in seven United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) camps. Maoist Assamese separatists from India, who have established themselves in the southeast portion of Bhutan, have drawn Indian cross-border incursions.
Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
27 30 N, 90 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total: 47,000 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 47,000 sq km
Area - comparative:
about half the size of Indiana
Climate:
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain:
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Ethnic groups:
Bhote 50%, ethnic Nepalese 35% (includes Lhotsampas--one of several Nepalese ethnic groups), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%
Religions:
Lamaistic Buddhist 75%, Indian- and Nepalese-influenced Hinduism 25%
Languages:
Dzongkha (official), Bhotes speak various Tibetan dialects, Nepalese speak various Nepalese dialects
Currency:
ngultrum (BTN); Indian rupee (INR)
Currency code:
BTN; INR
Exchange rates:
ngultrum per US dollar - 48.336 (January 2002), 47.186 (2001), 44.942 (2000), 43.055 (1999), 41.259 (1998), 36.313 (1997); note - the Bhutanese ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee which is also legal tender

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