Bhutan ~ The Land of Thunder Dragon
Bhutan - the Land of Thunder Dragon, is a tiny country hidden deep in the folds of the great Himalayan mountains wedged between the world's two most populous nations, China and India. No bigger than Switzerland, and with a population of only about 600,000, Bhutan seems like "Switzerland with nobody home."
About three decades ago, after centuries of mystic isolation, Bhutan began to open its doors to the outside world. This mountain kingdom, one of the last unspoiled frontiers of the world, was soon percieved as the Last Shangri-la. The country is also often compared to Switzerland, as many parts of Bhutan looks like Swiss Alps, with dark green hills rolling toward the horizon in every direction, houses that look like chalets and snow-capped peaks sticking out of enchanting valleys. With the vanishing of the once-legendary kingdoms of Tibet, Sikkim and Ladakh, Bhutan remains the only surviving Mahayana (Tibetan) Buddhist country in the world. With its astonishingly significant forest cover, the government’s strong commitment to conservation and Buddhist population’s deeply ingrained respect for nature, Bhutan represents one of the best and the last chances for the conservation of biological diversity in the eastern Himalayas, one of the priority regions in the world for biodiversity preservation.
Today, Bhutan has become a widely admired, high end travel destination. Only a lucky few thousand visitors each year get to see this remote mystical kingdom of the past. Its under exposure adds a strong sense of discovery and accomplishment to any Bhutan trip. Let your mind wander and imagine discovering this mountain paradise for the first time.
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Size
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47,000 square kilometers (18,147 square miles) |
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Altitude
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300 meters (984 feet) in the south to 7,300 meters (23,950 feet) in the north |
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Population
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600,000 (85% in rural areas) |
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Language
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Dzongkha (English is widely spoken and is the medium of education in all schools) |
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Religion
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Vajrayana strain of Mahayana Buddhism |
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Time
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Six hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time |
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Money
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Ngultrum (at par with Indian Rupee) |
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Capital
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Thimphu |
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Forest Cover
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72.5% of total land area |
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Protected Areas
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26.23% of total land area |
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Snowpeaks over 7000 meters
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There are more than 20 snowpeaks of over 7,000 meters in the Greater Himalayan region of Bhutan |
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