Bhutan

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Overview[]

Bhutan (/buːˈtɑːn/ ); Dzongkha: འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, romanized: Druk Yul, [ʈuk̚˩.yː˩]), officially known as: the Kingdom of Bhutan (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་, romanized: Druk Gyal Khap), is a landlocked country in South Asia. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north, the Chumbi Valley of Tibet, China and the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal in the west, and the Indian states of Assam, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh in the south and east. Bhutan is geopolitically in South Asia and is the region's second-least-populous nation after the Maldives. Thimphu is its capital and the largest city, while Phuntsholing is its financial center.

The Kingdom of Bhutan, also spelt as Bootan, is a land-locked country of South Asia. It shares its northern borders with the People's Republic of China and Tibet, and on the southern sides with India. The picturesque lands of Bhutan was known historically by a number of names such as Southern Land of Darkness (Lo Moen), Southern Land of the Sandalwood (Lhomoen Tsendenjong), Southern Land of Medicinal Herbs (Lho Men Jong) and many others. Bhu-Uttan (meaning high lands), a word of Sanskrit language, a language spoken in ancient India, aptly describes the topography of the terrain of Bhutan located an elevation of 7,000 m and protected within the lap of the mighty Himalayas. On account of its location, the place has remained generally inaccessible for centuries, and holds an exotic charm of its own.

Bhutan is spread over an area of around 47,000 ;km², and has a population of 672,425 (2005). The largest city is Thimphu which is also the capital city, and the languages spoken are Dzongkha and English.

Bhutan is considered as the last shangrila on the earth with a very pristine untouched vegitation and nature.it is called a last shangrila because Bhutan have most of there mountain untouched and nobody have climbed it.Bhutan still believe that god and goddesses reside in those mountain.Bhutan has 70% forest coverage and bhutanese people lives very close with nature. Bhutanese people have many evidence that yeti still exist in Bhutan.

History[]

The historical status of the Doklam plateau is uncertain and thus contested over by rival claimants.

According to Sikkimese tradition, when the Kingdom of Sikkim was founded by local Indo-Aryan and Sino-Tibetan tribes in 1642, it included all the areas that surrounded the Doklam Plateau:

The Doklam plateau
The Doklam Pass
The Chumbi Valley
The Haa Valley
The Darjeeling area
The Kalimpong area

The 5th-generation descendant of the legendary eastern Tibetan prince Khye Bumsa, Phuntsog Namgyal, became the founder of Sikkim's monarchy in 1642.

The Drukpa Lineage had de facto control of Bhutan by the 16th century.

Bhutan and Nepal regularly attacked Sikkim, which later became part of British India. Bhutan ended it's attacks due to then Anglo-Bhutanese treaty in 1774 and Tibet later forced Nepal to back off in another treaty.

The hilly area around Darjeeling was controlled by the Kingdom of Sikkim Until the early 19th century, when Nepal conquered it and then was forced to give it to the British after the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli. It became a major tea growing area under the British.

The settlement prior to the British takeover consisted of a few villages of the Lepcha, and Kirati people. Things would change under British rule and the now varied culture of Darjeeling town reflects its diverse demographic milieu of it's surrounding district, comprising Lepcha, Khampa, Gorkha, Kirati, Newar, Sherpa, Bhutia, Bengali peoples and traditions.

The area around Mt. Bhomtso, Geari, Kampa Dzong and Chomto Dong Lake in Tibet were part of Sikkim during 1876.

The People's Republic of China has stated the both Sikkim and Bhutan were either part of Tibet or China for a period of 1,800 years, since the 2nd century B.C.

Bhutan opposed the Russian annexation of Crimea in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262.

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Currency: Ngultrum (BTN)
Time zone: BTT (UTC+6:00)
Language: Official language: Dzongkha

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Photo gallery[]

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Bhutan tourism is one of the most unique tourism experience in the world. The tourism in Bhutan, like anywhere else in the world is managed by ministry of tourism through a body named Tourism council of Bhutan . The regulation which makes Bhutan travel unique is the fact that you can only travel to Bhutan through government licensed tour operator, and there is no pricing competition in-between various operators as government has fixed the prices themselves. Under this regulation you will pay 250 USD per day of a base tariff which covers your stay, transportation, meals, tour guide, visa fees and royalty. Looking from an 'all paid tour' view point this definitely sounds like a deal, not cheap though. In case you are traveling alone then you will be paying 40 USD per day extra on top, which in case of a group of two traveling together will be reduced to 30 USD per person per day extra. This system of tariff has been bought in place to encourage responsible tourism and for the convenience of international tourist. By doing this it not only preserve the natural splendour of Bhutan but also protects the interest of a tourist. Unlike what one might think, a guided tour is in no way lessens the fun of travel, it only increases the joy of travel out here. All in all there are no limitations to travel in Bhutan. That is why visiting Bhutan is one of the most unique experience that a vacationer can take back home.

The tourism itinerary of Bhutan generally starts from the Central Bhutan, Paro, as the only international airport of Bhutan is in Paro. Travelling in Paro is more like visiting beautiful heritage structures amidst the breathtaking views. From Paro you further drive down to Thimphu which is a present capital of Bhutan, and then further towns to come are, Punakha , Gangtay, Trongsa , Bumthang , Mongar, Tashigang , and Trashiyangtse. The latter cities forms the eastern part of Bhutan which opened its doors to the tourism only in the recent while.

There is only one airlines which flies to Bhutan and that is Drukair . You can reach Bhutan through various international cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Bangkok & Kathmandu, as Drukair flies to these cities regularly.

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Bhutan is called the happiest country in the world and the only country that has a GNH (Gross National Happiness) which measures people’s quality of life on both a material and spiritual way.

Also see[]

Sino-Tibetan languages
Nepal
Tibet
Sikkim
Bhutan's national boundaries

Sources[]

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