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Location
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a landlocked nation in South Asia, located in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is bordered by China in the north and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and West Bengal in the east, west and south. The Bhutanese call their country Druk Yul which means “Land of the Thunder Dragon”.

Area                -  38,394 sq.km.
Altitude          -  Varying from 180m. to 7,550m. above sea level
Population     -  683,407 (Projected for 2009)
Capital            -  Thimphu
Local time      -  Six hours ahead of GMT and ½ hour ahead of IST
Religions        -  Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism

The Bhutanese way of life is greatly influenced by religion. Most Bhutanese homes have a special room used for prayers which is known as chosum.

Bhutan used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world. Developments including direct international flights, the Internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television have increasingly modernized the urban areas of the country. Bhutan has balanced modernization with its ancient culture and traditions under the guiding philosophy of Gross national Happiness (GNH). Rampant destruction of the environment has been avoided. The government takes great measures to preserve the nation's traditional culture, identity and the environment. In 2006, Business Week magazine rated Bhutan the happiest country in Asia and the eighth-happiest in the world, citing a global survey conducted by the University of Leicester in 2006 called the "World Map of Happiness". After centuries of direct monarchic rule, Bhutan held its first democratic elections in March 2008. Among other international associations, Bhutan is a member of the United Nations and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

National Flag
The national flag is rectangular and divided diagonally into two parts with a white dragon in the middle. The upper yellow half signifies the country’s secular authority of the King in fruitful action in the affairs of religion and state. The lower saffron-orange half signifies the religious practices and spiritual power of Buddhism manifested in the Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma traditions. The dragon symbolizes the name of the country, and its white color signifies purity and loyalty of the Bhutanese people. The snarling mouth of the dragon expresses the strength of the male and female deities protecting Bhutan, while the jewels in its claws represent the wealth, prosperity and perfection of the country and the people.

National Emblem
The national emblem, contained in a circle, comprises a double diamond thunderbolt placed above a lotus, surmounted by a jewel and framed by two dragons. The double diamond thunderbolt represents the harmony between secular and religious power; which results from the Buddhist religion in its Vajrayana form. The lotus symbolizes purity; the jewel sovereign power; and the two dragons – a male and female stand for the name of the country – the thunder dragon (Druk Yul).

History
Stone tools, weapons, elephants, and remnants of large stone structures provide evidence that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC, although there are no existing records from that time. Historians have theorized that the state of Lhomon (literally, "southern darkness", a reference to the indigenous Mon religion), or Monyul ("Dark Land", a reference to the Monpa, the aboriginal peoples of Bhutan) may have existed between 500 BC and AD 600. The names Lhomon Tsendenjong (Sandalwood Country), and Lhomon Khashi, or Southern Mon (country of four approaches), have been found in ancient Bhutanese and Tibetan chronicles.

The earliest transcribed event in Bhutan was the passage of the Buddhist saint Padma Sambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche) in 747. Bhutan's early history is unclear, because most of the records were destroyed after fire ravaged the ancient capital, Punakha, in 1827. By the 10th century, Bhutan's political development was heavily influenced by its religious history. However, there is no sufficient information stating that all historical records were available before the fire. Various sub-sects of Buddhism emerged which were patronized by the various Mongol warlords. After the decline of the Mongols in the 14th century, these sub-sects vied with each other for supremacy in the political and religious landscape, eventually leading to the ascendancy of the Drukpa sub-sect by the 16th century.

Until the early 17th century, Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefdoms, when the area was unified by the Tibetan lama and military leader Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal who fled religious persecution in Tibet. To defend the country against intermittent Tibetan forays, Namgyal built a network of impregnable dzong (fortresses), and promulgated a code of law that helped to bring local lords under centralized control. Many such dzong still exist and are active centers of religion and district administration. Circa 1627, Portuguese Jesuit Estevao Cacella and another priest were the first recorded Europeans to visit Bhutan on their way to Tibet. They met with Ngawang Namgyal, presented him with firearms, gunpowder and a telescope, and offered him their services in the war against Tibet, but the shabdrung declined the offer. After a stay of nearly eight months Cacella wrote a long letter from the Chagri Monastery reporting the travel. This is a rare report of the Shabdrung remaining.

After Namgyal's death in 1651, Bhutan fell into civil war. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Tibetans attacked Bhutan in 1710, and again in 1730 with the help of the Mongols. Both assaults were successfully thwarted, and an armistice was signed in 1759.

In the 18th century, the Bhutanese invaded and occupied the kingdom of  Cooch Behar to the south. In 1772, Cooch Behar appealed to the British East India Company which assisted them in ousting the Bhutanese, and later in attacking Bhutan itself in 1774. A peace treaty was signed in which Bhutan agreed to retreat to its pre-1730 borders. However, the peace was tenuous, and border skirmishes with the British were to continue for the next 100 years. The skirmishes eventually led to the Duar War (1864–1865), a confrontation for control of the Bengal Duars. After Bhutan lost the war, the Treaty of Sinchula was signed between British India and Bhutan. As part of the war reparations, the Duars were ceded to the United Kingdom in exchange for a rent of Rs. 50,000. The treaty ended all hostilities between British India and Bhutan.

During the 1870s, power struggles between the rival valleys of Paro and Tongsa led to civil war in Bhutan, eventually leading to the ascendancy of Ugyen Wangchuk, the ponlop (governor) of Tongsa. From his power base in central Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck defeated his political enemies and united the country following several civil wars and rebellions in the period 1882–1885.

In 1907, an epochal year for the country, Ugyen Wangchuck was unanimously chosen as the hereditary king of the country by an assembly of leading Buddhist monks, government officials, and heads of important families. The British government promptly recognized the new monarchy, and in 1910 Bhutan signed a treaty which "let" Great Britain "guide" Bhutan's foreign affairs. In reality, this did not mean much given Bhutan's historical reticence. It also did not seem to apply to Bhutan's traditional relations with Tibet. The greatest impact of this treaty seems to be the perception] that it meant Bhutan was not totally sovereign.

After India gained independence from the United Kingdom on 15 August 1947, Bhutan became one of the first countries to recognize India's independence. A treaty similar to the one of 1910 was signed 8 August 1949 with the newly independent India.

In 1953, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk established the country's legislature – a 130-member National Assembly – to promote a more democratic form of governance. In 1965, he set up a Royal Advisory Council, and in 1968 he formed a Cabinet. In 1971, Bhutan was admitted to the United Nations, having held observer status for three years. In July 1972, Jigme Singye Wangchuk ascended to the throne at the age of 16 after the death of his father, Dorji Wangchuck.

In late 2003, the Bhutanese army successfully launched a large-scale operation to flush out anti-India insurgents who were operating training camps in southern Bhutan.

Democratic reform and modernization
King Jigme Singye Wangchuk introduced significant political reforms, transferring most of his administrative powers to the Council of Cabinet Ministers and allowing for impeachment of the King by a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly.

In 1999, the government lifted a ban on television and the Internet, making Bhutan one of the last countries to introduce television. In his speech, the King said that television was a critical step to the modernization of Bhutan as well as a major contributor to the country's Gross National Happiness (Bhutan is the only country to measure happiness), but warned that the "misuse" of television could erode traditional Bhutanese values.

A new constitution was presented in early 2005. In December 2005, Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that he would abdicate the throne in his son's favor in 2008. On 14 December 2006, he announced that he would be abdicating immediately. Bhutan has now entered a new era of democracy, starting with its first national parliamentary elections in December 2007 and March 2008.

On November 6, 2008, 28-year old Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk, eldest son of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, was crowned King of the Himalayan Kingdom.

People
Bhutanese are friendly and hospitable people. People in Bhutan can be divided in three broad ethnics group - Sharchops, Ngalops  and Lhotshampas.

The Sharchops who live in the eastern regions of Bhutan are considered to be the earliest major group to inhabit Bhutan.  Sharchops translated as "people of the east"

Ngalops are the descendants of Tibetan immigrants who came to Bhutan in 8th and 9th century A.D settling primarily in the west.

The third group is known as Lhotshampas. They represent the Nepali speaking ethnic group.  They started migrating in the 19th and 20th century and live in the southern foothills of Bhutan. They are predominantly Hindu.

Predominantly Buddhist, the Bhutanese people practice Drukpa Kargyud sect of Mahayana Buddhism. Monks and nuns play an important role in the daily lives of Bhutanese people. They perform ceremonies by preserving the ancient culture and promote the teachings of wisdom and compassion.   You can practically see every Bhutanese home with a room called ‘choeshum' for daily religious practice. The faith of Bhutanese can be measured by the temples, monasteries and stupas built in every corner of the country for their daily worship.

Festivals of Bhutan
Tshechus are the main religious festivals of Bhutan.  The grand festivals are celebrated in honor of Guru Rinpoche.  People from all over the villages and towns gather for blessing, feasting, socializing in the finest robes and ornaments. It's held at different times of the year in different locations.  Festivals

Arts and Crafts
Bhutan's arts and crafts represent a unique insight of the country's distinct cultural identity from the rest of the world. The architecture of castle like dzongs, monasteries,temples and statues are clear evidence of the arts and crafts of Bhutan.  Bhutanese art is religious, anonymous and has certain uniformity in style.  

The art of Zorig Chusum or the thirteen arts and crafts of Bhutan remains very much alive today.

The arts and crafts continue to thrive despite a small tourists market. Much of this is due to the government s support and emphasis on the preservation of culture and tradition.

Flora and Fauna
Bhutan is considered as of the top ten bio-diversity hotspots in the world. For centuries Bhutan has treasured the natural environment.  One the ancient names for Bhutan was " valleys of the medicinal herbs" .  72% of the country is covered under forests . The government is determined to conserve this wealth and has set a national policy to maintain at least 60% of land under forest cover in years to come.

Bhutan is blessed with rich exotic flora and fauna. There are 46 species of rhododendrons and over 300 types of medicinal plants.  Junipers, magnolias, rare orchids, blue poppy (national flower) ,edelweiss, gentian , primulas, daphne,  giant rhubarb, high altitude plants, tropical trees, pine and oak are also common sights..

Bhutan is a paradise to wide range of animals. The relative abundance of wild animals is attributed to the Buddhist reluctance to take life. Snow leopard, blue sheep, red panda, tiger, takin, marmot and musk deer are found in the higher regions.  Temperate is habitat to tiger, leopard, goral, gray langur, Himalayan black bear, red panda, sambar deer, wild pig and barking deer.  

In the lower parts of the Southern Bhutan mammals include tiger, clouded leopard, elephants, one horned rhinoceros, water buffalo, golden langur, gaur, swamp deer, hog deer horn bills and many more.

Bhutan is a perfect place for bird watching for bird lovers. Over 675 birds have been recorded. Some of these birds in Bhutan include wades, thrushes, finches and buntings, beautiful nuthatch, dark- umped swift, white -bellied heron and wood snipe.

Endangered Black necked Cranes are winter visitors. They migrate over the Himalayas in mid-October and early December to the spend the summer wetlands of Phojikha in Bhutan.  Rufous necked horn bill hide out in the lush tropical rain forests of the south. The rarest of the Herons, the White-bellied Heron both winters and summers in Bhutan.

National day
National day is celebrated on 17th of December in commemoration of the accession of Gongsar Ugyen Wangchuck, the first king of Bhutan to the throne, in Punakha dzong.

Currency
Ngultrum, the currency of Bhutan, has the same value as the Indian rupee, which is also a legal tender. One US$ is roughly equal to 48 NU.

Food
Staple diet is red rice, buck-wheat, wheat, maize, pork, beef, chicken, yak meat, cheese and chilies which are taken as a vegetable and not as a spice.

Dress
Bhutanese men wear gho, which are longish robes tied around the waist by a cloth belt, known as kera. The women’s ankle-length dress is known as kira, which is made of bright colored fine woven fabric with traditional patterns.

Sports
The national sport of Bhutan is archery. Other traditional sports include digor – a kind of shot put, darts and wrestling. The international sports, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis are also popular.