March, 2010:

Bhutanese people primarily consist of the Ngalops, and Sharchops, called the Western Bhutanese and Eastern Bhutanese respectively. The Ngalops primarily consist of Bhutanese living in the western part of the country. Their culture is closely related to that of Tibet. Much the same could be said of the Sharchops, the dominant group, who originate from [...]

Jakar, the administrative headquarters of Bumthang District and the place where Buddhism entered Bhutan. Mongar, the eastern commercial hub of the country. Paro, site of the international airport. Phuentsholing, Bhutan’s commercial hub. Punakha, the old capital. Samdrup Jongkhar Thimphu, the largest city and capital of Bhutan. Trashigang, the most populous district in the country. Trongsa, [...]

Bhutanese art is similar to the art of Tibet. Both are based upon Vajrayana Buddhism, with its pantheon of divine beings. The major orders of Buddhism in Bhutan are Drukpa Kagyu and Nyingma. The former is a branch of the Kagyu School and is known for paintings documenting the lineage of Buddhist masters and the [...]

Censorship in Bhutan is comparable to its South Asian neighbours, although not as focused or systematic as censorship in China. Bhutan has one government majority-owned newspaper, the Kuensel, and three private newspapers and three internet service providers. It also has three private FM radio stations.

Bhutan has diplomatic relations with 23 states. In 1971, sponsored by India, Bhutan began to develop its foreign relations by joining the UN, though it has no diplomatic relations with any of the permanent members on the UN Security Council. In 1981, Bhutan joined IMF and World Bank, followed by the World Health Organisation and [...]

Bhutan Postal Corporation Ltd., or Bhutan Post, is the company in Bhutan responsible for the operation of the postal system. Until 1996 the post in Bhutan was run by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, part of the Ministry of Communications, but in line with the Government of Bhutan’s policy of giving autonomy to organisations [...]

Bhutan has produced postage stamps for national use since 1962. Burt Todd, who may have been the first American to visit the Kingdom of Bhutan, assisted in establishing a postage stamp program in Bhutan. Bhutan has become know for the unusual designs of its postage stamps which were originally chosen by Burt Todd specifically to [...]

The law provides for freedom of religion; however, the Government limited this right in practice by barring non-Buddhist missionaries from entering the country, limiting construction of non-Buddhist religious buildings, and restricting the celebration of some non-Buddhist religious festivals. Mahayana Buddhism is the state religion, although in the southern areas many citizens openly practice Hinduism. The [...]

Bhutan’s climate is as varied as its altitudes and, like most of Asia, is affected by monsoons. Western Bhutan is particularly affected by monsoons that bring between 60 and 90 percent of the region’s rainfall. The climate is humid and subtropical in the southern plains and foothills, temperate in the inner Himalayan valleys of the [...]

The Himalayas dominate the north of the country, where mountain peaks can easily reach 7,000 metres (23,000 ft); the highest point is claimed to be the Kula Kangri, at 7,553 metres (24,780 ft), but detailed topographic studies claim Kula Kangri is wholly in Tibet and modern Chinese measurements claim that Gangkhar Puensum, which has the [...]