Nestled in the Eastern Himalayas between China and India, the small Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan opened itself to the outside world only in 1960s. Hithertho, it had been largely mysterious even to its neighbours but abandoning its self-imposed policy of isolation had it grappling to find a precarious balance between modernization and the preservation of its culture and traditions.However, it does seem that Bhutan has found the perfect balance between the two and now though it is making tremendous developments in all sectors, it also manages to hold onto its unique identity that makes it unlike any other country in the world with a population of just over 0.7 million.
Location: Landlocked between India & China (880 45’ & 920 10’ E Longitude & 260 42’ & 280 15’ N Latitude)
Total Area: 38,394 square kilometers
Altitude: 100m in south to 7500 m in the north above sea level.
Political System: Democratic Constitutional Monarchy
Capital: Thimphu
Population: 797,765 (est. 2016)
Official Religion: Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism
Language: Dzongkha (official) Nepali & English
Local Time: 6 hours ahead of GMT
Electricity: 220 volt
Forest Coverage: 72.5 percent of the total land area.
Country Code: +975
Money: Ngultrum (Nu) at parity with Indian rupee.
National Dress: Gho (man) Kira (Women)
National Animal: Takin
National Sports: Archery
National Bird: Raven
National Flower: Blue Poppy