Bhutan

Namgyal defeated three Tibetan invasions, subjugated rival religious schools, codified the Tsa Yig legal system, and established a government of theocratic and civil administrators.

During the 17th century, Bhutan controlled large parts of northeast India, Sikkim and Nepal; it also wielded significant influence in Cooch Behar State.

[29] Until the early 17th century, Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefdoms, when the area was unified by the Tibetan lama and military leader Ngawang Namgyal, who had fled religious persecution in Tibet.

To defend the country against intermittent Tibetan forays, Namgyal built a network of impregnable dzongs or fortresses, and promulgated the Tsa Yig, a code of law that helped to bring local lords under centralised control.

During the 1870s, power struggles between the rival valleys of Paro and Tongsa led to civil war in Bhutan, eventually leading to the ascendancy of Ugyen Wangchuck, the penlop (governor) of Trongsa.

From his power base in central Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck defeated his political enemies and united the country following several civil wars and rebellions during 1882–85.

Bhutan's sixth Five-Year Plan (1987–92) included a policy of 'one nation, one people' and introduced a code of traditional Drukpa dress and etiquette called Driglam Namzhag.

[52] Each family was required to present census workers with a tax receipt from the year 1958—no earlier, no later—or with a certificate of origin, which had to be obtained from one's place of birth, to prove that they were indeed Bhutanese citizens.

In his speech, the King said that television was a critical step to the modernisation of Bhutan as well as a major contributor to the country's gross national happiness,[58] but warned that the "misuse" of this new technology could erode traditional Bhutanese values.

The land consists mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by a network of swift rivers that form deep valleys before draining into the Indian plains.

[4] Bhutan's northern region consists of an arc of Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows reaching up to glaciated mountain peaks with an extremely cold climate at the highest elevations.

In the south, the Sivalik Hills are covered with dense Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests, alluvial lowland river valleys, and mountains up to around 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.

The foothills descend into the subtropical Duars Plain, which is the eponymous gateway to strategic mountain passes (also known as dwars or dooars; literally, "doors" in Assamese, Bengali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, and Magahi languages).

The northern Duars, which abut the Himalayan foothills, have rugged, sloping terrain and dry, porous soil with dense vegetation and abundant wildlife.

Fruit-bearing trees and bamboo provide habitat for the Himalayan black bear, red panda, squirrel, sambar, wild pig and barking deer.

[84] Bhutan has a number of progressive environmental policies that have caused the head of the UNFCCC to call it an "inspiration and role model for the world on how economies and different countries can address climate change while at the same time improving the life of the citizen.

In response, Bhutan has implemented an insurance scheme, begun constructing solar powered alarm fences, watch towers, and search lights, and has provided fodder and salt licks outside human settlement areas to encourage animals to stay away.

[86] The huge market value of the Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus crop collected from the wild has also resulted in unsustainable exploitation which is proving very difficult to regulate.

[118][135] In response to this threat, in 1988, the Bhutanese authorities carried out a special census[136] in southern Bhutan to review the status of legal residents from illegal immigrants.

[119][140] Following forcible deportation from Bhutan, Lhotshampas spent almost two decades in refugee camps in Nepal and were resettled in various western countries such as the United States between 2007 and 2012.

Agricultural produce includes rice, chilies, dairy (some yak, mostly cow) products, buckwheat, barley, root crops, apples, and citrus and maize at lower elevations.

[154] Bhutan's exports, principally electricity, cardamom, gypsum, timber, handicrafts, cement, fruit, precious stones and spices, total €128 million (2000 est.).

The Lhotshampa, meaning "southerner Bhutanese", are a heterogeneous group of mostly Nepalese ancestry who have sought political and cultural recognition including equality in rights to abode, language, and dress.

[132] This policy manifested with a ban on the teaching of Nepali language in schools and the denial of citizenship to those who were unable to prove officially issued land holding title prior to 1950.

[133] These actions specifically targeted ethnic Nepali-speaking minority groups, representing one-third of the population at the time,[134] resulting in widespread unrest and political demonstrations.

[195] The current legal framework in principle guarantees freedom of religion; proselytism, however, is forbidden by a royal government decision[195] and by judicial interpretation of the Constitution.

Entry is free for citizens of India, Bangladesh, and the Maldives, but all other foreigners are required to sign up with a Bhutanese tour operator and pay around US$250 per day that they stay in the country, though this fee covers most travel, lodging and meal expenses.

[211] Bhutanese architecture remains distinctively traditional, employing rammed earth and wattle and daub construction methods, stone masonry, and intricate woodwork around windows and roofs.

At these events, dancers depict heroes, demons, dæmons, death heads, animals, gods, and caricatures of common people by wearing colourful wooden or composition face masks and stylised costumes.

[229] Importantly, land ownership does not necessarily equate to economic benefits – despite the eldest daughter having control of the house, it is the husband that is in charge of making decisions.

Bhutan, shaded in green in the centre of three Himalayan regions, shown on a 1912 map of Western Asia
The dzong in the Paro valley , built in 1646
The Portuguese cannons in the National museum of Paro
Trashigang Dzong , built in 1659
Sketch of Bhutan's interior, 1783
Painting of Bhutan, 1813
British envoys in Bhutan's royal court in 1905
A thrikhep (throne cover) from the 19th century. Throne covers were placed atop the temple cushions used by high lamas . The central circular swirling symbol is the gankyil in its mode as the "Four Joys".
Leaders of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal at the 16th SAARC Summit in Thimphu, 2010
A topographic map of Bhutan
Snowfall in Bhutan
Köppen climate classifications of Bhutan
The takin is Bhutan's national animal .
Himalayan Marmot at Tshophu Lake, Bhutan
The permanent mission of Bhutan to the United Nations in New York City
A map of Bhutan showing its borders with China and India as of 2015
A royal guard of Bhutan in 1905
The Royal Bhutan Army Chief of Staff (left) and Indian Army Chief of Staff (right) in 2006
Women of Bhutan
Ethnic Nepalese (" Lhotshampa ") migrants that were forcefully expelled from Bhutan, and arrived in Nepal in the early 1990s
The Bhutan Power Corporation headquarters in Thimphu . Bhutan's principal export is hydroelectricity .
Modern and traditional bridges over a river in Panbang
GDP per capita development in Bhutan, since 1990
Rice terraces in one of Bhutan's fertile valleys
A worker sorts Citrus Mandarin at the Auction Yard of Food Corporation of Bhutan Limited in Samdrup Jongkhar
Office of the SAARC Development Fund in Thimphu
Bhutan electricity production by year
The Le Méridien Thimphu is part of Bhutan's burgeoning tourism industry .
Bhutanese people in national dress at the Wangdi Phodrang festival
The ILCS Campus Taktse Bhutan
Bhutanese thanka of Mount Meru and the Buddhist universe (19th century, Trongsa Dzong , Trongsa)
The National Library of Bhutan during snowfall
Chaam , sacred masked dances, are annually performed during religious festivals.
Traditional dish with lemon glazed chicken, sauteed spinach and steamed Bhutanese red rice
Changlimithang Stadium during a parade
Taekwondo between Bhutan and Vietnam
A Bhutanese archery competition