About Bhutan

Bhutan is an enchanting Kingdom that seems like a land that time has forgotten, Druk Yul – The Land of Thunder Dragon, surrounded by pristine natural environment and breathtaking splendors. It is a kingdom vibrant with rich cultural heritage and traditions. The land which is covered by verdant forest, lush green valleys, sparkling streams, wonderful mountains covered with Perennial snow. The land so enchanting that many have rightfully compared it to the “Hidden Shangri-la"

Bhutan is nestled between India to the south and China to the north. Its population is around 690,000 people and can be broadly classified into three main ethnic groups: the Sharchops of the east, with indo-mongoloid origins, the Ngalongs of the west, of Tibetan descent and finally the Nepalis who live in the South of the country of Nepali descent. Bhutan has stringent environmental policies and has been able to preserve much of its land (71%) under forest cover. As a result it has been named as one of the 18 biological “hotspots” in the world.

Bhutan’s environmental policy is in keeping with its overall development policy which aims at a sustainable form of development whereby its environment is not exploited for economic gains. It follows a similar policy of preserving its rich cultural heritage. This attempt at balancing cultural preservation, environmental conservation, in addition to good governance and balanced economic development form the core pillars of Bhutan’s development policy, popularly termed as Gross National Happiness. His Majesty, the King of Bhutan who propounded the philosophy stated that “Gross National Happiness was more important than Gross National Product”, to reflect Bhutan’s holistic development approach