Where is Bhutan?

Bhutan is a south Asian country, which lies on the eastern Himalayas. Bordered by Tibet (China) in the North and surrounded by Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the East, Sikkim in the west and Assam and West Bengal in the South. The total land coverage of the country is 38394 sq km.The country is inhabited by approximately 779000 people. Thimphu, the capital city is located in Western part of the country. One Seventh of the population lives in the capital city. Himalaya is spread across the country and it is home to the highest unclimbed peak in the world, the mighty mout Gangkar Puensum standing at 7570 meters/ 24840 feet’s above sea level.

From Phuntsholing, southernmost part of the country the altitude rises from 150 meters / 492 feet’s above sea level to the highest peak of Bhutan mout Gangkar Puensum at 7570 meters / 24840 feet. In between this wide range of altitude Bhutan is blessed with diverse environment, The Royal Government has done very well in preserving the nature and in caring for the wildlife. Hundreds of rare and endangered species are found in Bhutan. 72% of the total land is covered by forest which gives animals and plants an ideal habitat to grow and develop. The lush green valleys and giant mountains create a sunning nature of Bhutan.

The Bhutanese culture is unique, with Buddhism as its state religion. People here live in small villages some in isolated farms. Bhutanese take pride in wearing their traditional cloths – Gho for men and Kira for women. The unique cultural heritage of the Bhutanese is expressed through annual Festivals known as Tsechu held inside the monasteries and Dzongs (Fortress) in every part of the country. It is the way of passing on the rich cultural heritage and ancient stories to the next generations.

Bhutan remained cut off from the rest of the world until the early 1960’s. Entering the country was difficult as it was only accessible by foot from the North and the South. The Northern route was through Tibet, crossing high mountain passes that were inaccessible throughout the winters. The second entry route from the South came through the plains of Assam and West Bengal. The high, frozen passes in the North and the dense, jungles in the South made it extremely difficult to enter the country.

However, economic development has made the country much more accessible and there are now a network of roads entering into Bhutan from the South, as well as an International Airport in the western region, in Paro and three domestic airports spread in the country.