Area and Population
The Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan lies along the lofty ridges of the eastern Himalayas, bordered by China (Tibet) to the north and northwest, and by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and Sikkim on the east, south and west respectively.
Bhutan is a small mountainous country approximately 300km long and 150km wide with an area of 38,394 square kilometers. Bhutan is comparable to Switzerland both in its size and topography. The Altitude ranges from 160meters in the southern foothills to 7541 meters high in the northern high mountains. With a population of 650,000 (October 2005) Bhutan is one of the sparsely populated counties in the world.
Bhutanese People
Bhutanese are friendly and hospitable people.The large mojority of them are a homo-geneous group divided linguistically into three broad sub-groups.These are Sarchops, Ngalong and Lhotshampa. Besides, there are a number of smaller groups, many with their own language which form about 1 % of the population.Some of these groups are:Bumthap in Bumthag, Tsa
ngho in the east, Layapas in the north-west, Brokpas in the north-east and the Doyas in the south-west of Bhutan.
Bhutanese Culture and Tradition
The traditional dress for men is the gho, a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera. Women wear an ankle-length dress, the kira, which is clipped at one shoulder and tied at the waist.An accompaniment to the kira is a long-sleeved blouse, which is worn underneath the outer layer.Social status and class determine the texture, colors, and decorations that embellish the garments. Scarves and shawls are also indicators of social standings, as Bhutan has traditionally been a feudal society.
One of the main attractions of the kingdom is its annual religious festivals, the tsechus celebrated to honor Guru Padmasambhava (more commonly referred to as "Guru Rinpoche"). For local people, tsechus are an occasion for reverence and blessing, feasting and socializing. Two of the most popular tsechus are held at Paro and Thimphu, in spring and autumn respectively, but others are held all the year round at temples, dzongs and monasteries throughout the country. Attendance at one of these religious events provides an opportunity for the outsider to experience the extraordinary.
Bhutanese Arts and Architecture
The most striking physical features of Bhutan is its architecture. The characteristic style and color of every building and house in the kingdom is a distinct source of aesthetic pleasure.
The dzongs - themselves imposing 17th century structures built on a grand scale without the help of any drawings and constructed entirely without nails - are outstanding examples of the best in Bhutanese architecture. Patterns of rich colors adorn walls, beams, pillars and doors in traditional splendor.
As with its architecture, art and painting are important aspects of Bhutanese culture and they bear testimony to the spiritual depth of Bhutanese life.
Sports
The national sport is archery.Other traditional sports include digor-a kind of shotput, darts and wrestling. The international sports, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis are becoming popular.
Food
The main staple diet is rice but buck -wheat, wheat, maize, millets are also taken as staple food. Bhutaneses eat pork, chicken, beef, yak meet, cheese and chillies which are taken as a vegetable not as a spice.
Flora and Fauna
Known for its rich flora and fauna, Bhutan harbours many of the endangered species and rare medicinal plants in its rich bio-diversity. For its size, Bhutan probably has the greatest bio-diversity of any country in Asia, and it is for these reasons that Bhutan has been declared as one of the world's ten most important bio-diversity hotspots.Bhutan has an extensive forest cover of 72.5% currently including 26.23% as protected areas and largely intact natural resource base.
Economy
Agriculture and livestock raising are the mainstay of the economy.They contribute about 45% to the GNP.Agriculture is still the main source of livelihood for about 89 % of people living in the rural areas of Bhutan. About 62% of women are involved in agriculture and their contribution is substantial. The farms are mostly narrow pieces of land cut into terraces on hill slopes. Forestry contributes 15 % to the Gross National Product (GNP) and industry and mining 10%.
Related Links
Political Systems in Bhutan
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