Bhutan, nestling in the heart of the great Himalaya, has for centuries remained aloof from the rest of the world. Since its doors were cautiously opened in 1974, visitors have been mesmerised: the environment is pristine, the scenery and architecture awesome and the people hospitable and charming.

Landlocked Bhutan, the Kingdom of the Thunder Dragon, is roughly the size of Switzerland. It is bounded on the north and northwest by Tibet, with India nudging its remaining borders. Virtually the entire country is mountainous, peaking at the 7554m (24,777ft) Kulha Gangri on the Tibetan border. North to south it features three geographic regions; the high Himalaya of the north, the hills and valleys of the centre, and the foothills and plains of the south. Its great rivers helped sculpt its geography and their enormous potential for hydropower has helped shape the economy.

Hidden away in the Himalayas Bhutan and its people have largely lived a life of isolation from the rest of the world. The Bhutanese have succeeded in maintaining their cultural and spiritual heritage and belief that they live in the last Shangri-La. Western values have little or no impact here in this land of culture and extreme charm which exudes a special feeling of  serenity. The people are intensely religious, much in evidence even in urban centres the spinning of prayer wheels the murmur of mantras and the glow of butter lamps are still important features of daily life. Monasteries temples and religious monuments are dotted across the landscape bearing witness to the importance of Buddhism, while red robed monks, young and old, are everywhere mingling freely in towns and village markets.

Thanks to centuries of isolationism, its small population and topographical extremes, Bhutan's ecosystem is virtually intact, and boasts the most varied habitats and a rich array of animal and plant species. Under Bhutanese law, 60% of the kingdom will remain forested for all time. There is currently a remarkable 72% forest cover and an astonishing array of plants; more than 5500 species, including over 300 medicinal strains. There are 165 species of mammals, including many rare and endangered animals such as the golden langur, snow leopard and red panda. So far, 770 species of birds have been recorded, including the rare and endangered black-necked crane.

Despite the huge potential of its natural resources, Bhutan emerged as one of Asia's poorest countries, shunning the 'profit at all costs' mentality of the rest of the world. With one foot in the past and one in the future, it strolls confidently towards modernisation on its own terms.

Geography
Bhutan covers roughly 46,500 square kilometers and has population of 650,000 with seventy five percent of the population living on cultivation and livestock rearing.

The country can be divided into three major geographic zones: the southern foothills and plains with hot and humid climate, the hills and valleys in the center with moderate rainfall and the highland of the north with high mountains covered with snow almost through out the year.

Bhutan is the land of complex gorges and valleys, soaring snow-peaked mountains and steep slopes, humid jungles and foothills, magnificent lakes and waterfalls, fast flowing rivers and streams and the richest biodiversity of flora and fauna.

People & Dress
The people of Bhutan can be classified into three main ethnic groups: Sharchops, who live in east of the country, are believed to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan. They are Indo-Mongoloid origin and appear closely related to the inhabitants of northeast India and northern Burma. The Ngalongs are of Tibetan descendant migrated to Bhutan in the 9th century and settled west of the country. The third group Lhotsampas are the Nepali origin that settled in the foothills of southern Bhutan in mid 19th century. There are other minority groups in Bhutan such as Layap, Brokpa, Doya, Lhopu, Dhakpa and Lepcha.

The men wear a knee-length garment called ‘Gho’ which resembles the Scottish Kilt. The women wear a long robe ‘Kira’, which is wrapped around the body covering it from neck to ankle. Women usually wear heavy silver and gold necklaces with coral, turquoise and other precious stones. Rings and earrings decorated with pearls and turquoise are also popular.

Religion
The early inhabitants of Bhutan practiced ‘Bonism’, a practice of making animal sacrifice and worshiping non-living objects such as mountains, lakes, rivers, trees and rocks. With the advent of Buddhism in 7th century the Bonism gradually disappeared from the country.

The country’s official religion is Drukpa Kagye, school of tantric Mahayana Buddhism, which is similar to Tibetan Buddhism but has unique beliefs and practices. The religious affair of the country is looked after by the Je Khenpo (Chief Abbot) who also enjoys equal power as the king.

The Bhutanese people of Nepali origin in the south practice Hinduism.

Language
The national language of Bhutan is Dzongkha, which is widely spoken in western region. The eastern region of the country speak Sharchop, where as the people in the south speak Nepali.

English has been used as the medium of instructions in schools and institutes. The country’s national newspaper Kuensel is written in English, Dzongkha and Nepali.

Food
The staple food of Bhutanese is rice and vegetables with abundant chillies. Bhutanese eat incredible amount of chillies. It is used as vegetable rather than as spices. Most Bhutanese prefer ‘Emadatse’ a dish made entirely of chillies mixed with cheese.

Meat is widely eaten in Bhutan. Common meat includes pork, beef, chicken, fish and yak meat. The Bhutanese also eat a variety of vegetables, including potatoes, fern, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, beans and mushrooms.

In central Bhutan, buckwheat is cultivated as one of the main cereals. The rice is not grown due to high altitude. The Bumthang region is famous for its buckwheat pancakes. The Bhutanese are fond of taking ‘suja’ (butter tea) and ‘ara’, an alcohol distilled from the brewery of locally produced rice, wheat, maize or corn. Drinks are also used as a part of offerings while performing ceremonies on different occasions.

Festivals
The annual festival is called ‘Tshechu’. It is one of the most exciting experiences that the visitor can have in Bhutan. It is celebrated in honour of Guru Padmasambhava who visited Bhutan in 7th century.

During the Tshechu, the monks and laymen perform mask dances and the religious skits. It is also the time for the people to socialize and rejoice. Men, women and children are attired in their best silk and brocade, and intricately woven colourful ghos and kiras.

In some festivals you can witness the unveiling of a "thongdrel," (a giant appliquéd thangka) that is hung from a wall in the Dzong’s courtyard. Punakha Dzong has the largest thongdrel in Bhutan.

Arts & Architecture
The traditional Bhutanese arts and architecture are unique. They are highly decorative and ornamental. The traditional Bhutanese architecture has no nails or iron bars.

The Bhutanese architectural grandeur is exhibited in the form of Dzongs, monasteries, temples, chortens and traditional Bhutanese houses. The Dzong architecture is one of the most elegant and harmonious in the world. The genius of Bhutanese art is best expressed in frescoes and paintings. Bhutan’s thangkas and mandalas depict an artistic skill and a rare exquisite fineness. The mandala or mystic circle represents the Buddhist concept of cosmogony of the universe. The statues are made of wood, stones, bronze, coral, pearl and other expensive materials, which depicts fine craftsmanship of the Bhutanese artists.

Flora & Fauna
Bhutan has about 72% of its area under forest cover. Over 5000 species of plants grow in Bhutan. These include 300 species of medicinal plants, over 50 species of rhododendron and 600 species of orchids.

The great variety of fauna includes: elephants, tigers, buffalo, one horned rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis), leopards (panthara pardus), gaur, red pandas, langur monkeys, wild boar, deer, white-collared black bears, yaks (bos gruniens), tahr (hemitragus jemlahicus) and goral (naemorhedus goral). Brown trout and local fishes are found in northern rivers and lakes, while in the south the rivers are full of masheer.

The rare and exotic species found in Bhutan are: golden langur (found only in Bhutan), pangolin, pygmy hog, snow leopard, red pandas, wild buffalo, monal peasant, peacock peasant, raven, rufous-necked hornbill, white-bellied heron, common shelduck, ruddy duck, black necked crane, golden masheer, spotted deer, leopard, leopard cat, himalayan black bear, serow, snow leopard, takin, musk deer, himalayan brown bear,

himalayan marten, tiger, hornbills, pheasants, mountain goats and timid blue sheep.

About 675 species of birds have been recorded in Bhutan and more than 16 different species of birds are included in the lists of endangered species.

Economy
Bhutanese economy is predominantly agrarian. About 75% of the population depends on subsistence farming and livestock rearing. The food crops are rice, maize, millet, wheat, buckwheat and barley. The cash crops include apples, oranges, potatoes, cardamom and mustard.

Bhutan exports agro products like apples, oranges, mushrooms, canned fruit and jams. The country also exports forestry products like timber and lemon grass oil. Cement, ferro alloys, calcium carbide, coal and gypsum are also exported.

Tourism is the largest foreign exchange earner for Bhutan. The country’s largest source of earning is the hydroelectric power. It contributes about 25% of the government revenue. Bhutan also exports postage stamps.

Gross National Happiness
His Majesty, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, the king of Bhutan, is the founder of this philosophy - Gross National Happiness. This philosophy is based upon the proposition that there is some inbuilt phenomena which can promote the happiness of the people not only through material comforts but also through shared spiritual values. It is a non-quantifiable ultimate objective of every human being. In Bhutan this philosophy is used as the fundamental political thought and objective in governance while other economic variables and material elements are used as tools to either increase or achieve it. It tries to strike a balance between the happiness achieved through material benefits and the spiritual satisfaction.