Bhutan

Bhutan

I take immense pleasure in presenting my own country Bhutan to the world. Bhutan is an Independent country situated between its powerful neighbors, India and China. Bhutan established a hereditary monarchy in 1907 with the crowning of the first king Ugyen Wangchuk, but by 2008, Bhutan had become a parliamentary democracy. Bhutan is famously known as the land of thunder dragon (Druk yuel).

There are various theories about the origin of the name “Bhutan”. One idea is that it comes from the Sanskrit word Bhotant, which means the end of Tibet. Another idea is that old British maps named the country “Bootan” from the Sanskrit word Bhotia, which means “Tibetan people.” Regardless of the Western name for their country, the Bhutanese know their home as Druk yul- Land of the Thunder Dragon.

The great monarchs played vital and strong roles in keeping the country independent and happy. This independence has been fostered in part by the perpetually snow-capped mountains in the north and dense jungles in the south that have served as natural barriers, protecting the country from outsiders for generations.

As per the population and housing census report of Bhutan 2017, Bhutan’s total population is 735,553 out of which 380,453 are males (52.3%) and 346,692 are females (47.8%) excluding 8,408 non-Bhutanese/tourist.

The total land area coverage is 38,394 sq. km with 70% forest coverage. The total road connectivity as per 2016 is 12,348.7 km. The Bhutanese economy is based on agriculture, forestry, tourism, trade, and hydroelectricity.

Bhutan celebrates its national day on 17^th December, where all the people show their gratitude towards the great monarchs by celebrating the day and hosting the national flag on the windows and roofs of the house.

Bhutan is located in the Asian continent between India and China, the national language of Bhutan is dzongkha and the currency used is ngultrum. Takin is the national animal of Bhutan and blue poppy is the national flower followed by Raven as the national bird. Gho and Kira are the national dress of Bhutan and it is mandatory to wear it during occasions, office hours, visiting administrative office and dzongs.

Almost 90% of the Bhutanese follows the Buddhist religion and Bhutan is subdivided into 20 districts. Thimphu is known as the Capital city of Bhutan, where the main parliamentary assembly, Supreme Court, national referral hospital, central bank and many administrative offices with big shopping malls and different institutions are present.

Bhutan is not only rich of cultures and tradition but also languages such as Dzongkha, Tshangla, chali, merak Sakteng, kurtoep, sharshop, oleykha, nepali, Sherpa, mon, bumthap, kheng and many others.