Bhutan

འབྲུག་ཡུལ་
 Geographical

location
Bhutan is located in the southern
slopes of the eastern Himalayas,
the kingdom is landlocked between
the two great Asian civilizations,
Tibet (China) to the north and the
Indian States of Assam, Arunachal
Pradesh, Sikkim & West Bengal in
the East, West, & South. The
country lies between latitudes 26′
45’N & 280″ 10’N, and longitudes
88′ 45′E & 92′ 10’E. It has a total
area of 38,394 square kilometres.
 National Flag
The exact date of introduction of Bhutan’s flag
is unknown, but it may have occurred in 1971
when Bhutan joined the United Nations as the
association’s requirement for joining.

The flag’s dragon design may have been

influenced by similar designs used for centuries
by the neighbouring Chinese nation (China).

The Dragon represents Druk (Thunder Dragon),

the Tibetan name for the kingdom of Bhutan.
The jewels clamped in the dragon's claws
symbolize national wealth and perfection. The
snarling mouth represents the strength of the
male and female deities protecting the country.
 National Flag

The dragon, which was originally green, is now white, symbolizing purity and the loyalty of
various ethnic groups within the country. The yellow-orange colour, which the Bhutanese
government officially describes as yellow, is symbolic of the power of the king, as head of
the secular government, while the orange-red is associated with the Bka’-brgyud-
pa(Kagyupa) and Rnying-ma-pa (Nyingmapa) Buddhist sects and with the religious
commitment of the nation.
 capital and Largest city
Thimphu (/tɪmˈpuː/) is the capital and largest city of Bhutan.
It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the
surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the
Thimphu District. The city extends in a north–south
direction on the west bank of the valley, which flows out
into India as the Raidāk River.

The ancient capital city of Punakha was replaced as capital

by Thimphu in 1955, and in 1961 Thimphu was declared as
the capital of the Kingdom of Bhutan by the 3rd Druk
Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck.

The city is home to approximately 100,000 inhabitants

including the Royal family. This bustling little city is the
main centre of commerce, religion and government in the
country.

Thimphu is the fifth highest capital in the world by altitude

and ranges in altitude from 2,248 metres (7,375 feet) to
2,648 metres (8,688 feet). Unusual for a capital city, but
Thimphu does not have its own airport, instead relying on
the Paro Airport.
 capital and Largest city
Thimphu the most modern city in Bhutan and the
political and economic center of Bhutan. The city has a
dominant agricultural and livestock base, which
contributes 45% of the country's GNP. Tourism, though
a contributor to the economy, is strictly regulated in
the city, maintaining a balance between the traditional,
development and modernization.

Thimphu contains most of the important political

buildings in Bhutan, including the National Assembly of
the newly formed parliamentary democracy and
Dechencholing Palace, the official residence of the King,
located to the north of the city. The city is also
abundant with business establishments such as
restaurants, internet cafes, nightclubs and shopping
centres. Thimphu is one of the few towns in Bhutan
that have been equipped with ATM banking facilities.
Beyond this minimal modernization, Thimpu still retains
its’ cultural identity and values
 Currency
Ngultrum is the locally and officially accepted
currency of Bhutan. It is used for all economic trades
at a professional level and a local level, as well. The
currency code is BTN and the symbol is Nu. 100 cents
make up 1 BTN. Cents in Bhutan are called Chhertum.

BTN 1, BTN 5, BTN 10, BTN 20, BTN 50, BTN 100, BTN
500 and BTN 1000 are the currency notes acceptable
in the country. The notes have something related to
Bhutanese culture imprinted on them. The backside
of the note has a dzong picture. For example, a BTN
500 note has a picture of Ugyen Wangchuk with a
Raven Crown on the front side. The backside has a
picture of majestic Punakha Dzong. This pattern is
followed for all value notes, each of them having a
different picture.
 Currency
In the form of coins, BTN 0.2, BTN 0.25, BTN 0.5 and
BTN 1 value coins are available. All the coins, except
for BTN 0.2, have letters "Royal Government of
Bhutan" carved on them. BTN 0.2 has "Food for All"
inscribed on it.

Being closely related to India, the Indian currency,

which is Rupee, is readily accepted in Bhutan. So the
Bhutan currency to INR is 1 Rupee = 1 Ngultrum.
But the higher values notes such as INR 500, INR
1000 or INR 2000 are not accepted. It is advisable to
use the official currency for higher-value
transactions.

1 Ngultrum = 0.72 Php or 1 Php = 1.39 Ngultrum

 Language
Dzongkha is the official language of Bhutan used mainly
in the country’s western region.

Bhutan is a multilingual country where approximately 20

languages are commonly spoken. There is no absolute
majority, and Dzongkha, Bhutan’s official language, is
only spoken by 30% of its population, and people from
each region have their own native language. Even the
30% of the people who speak Dzongkha as their mother
tongue have difficulties reading and writing it. Only a
handful of Bhutanese read and write Dzongkha on a daily
basis. Newspapers written in Dzongkha are almost never
read, and books written in the language are not even
published. Dzongkha Facebook users are 1 out of 10,000.
Alphabeth
Alphabeth
pronunciation
Language
Language
Time zone
Bhutan Time (BTT) is the time zone of Bhutan. It is six hours ahead
(GMT+06). Philippines is 2 hours ahead of Bhutan.
 Temperature and Precipitation
There is a hot humid sub-tropical climate in the south
part of Bhutan. High temperatures there are whole
year long. They can vary between 15-30 °C (60-86
°F). In the Central parts of the country it is a little bit
cooler. Still it is hot enough during summer but it is
much cooler during winters. Level of precipitations is
not as high here in winter as at the south part of
Bhutan. In northern areas of the country it is cold
during the winter. And the higher it is the colder it is
in the mountains whole year round.
There are various levels of precipitation per year and
while it rains in the south it usually snows in the
northern parts and in mountainous areas. In the north
of the country the level of precipitations in form of
snow is about 40mm per year. For the certain part of
Bhutan, where rains are typical, the average level of
precipitations is about 1000 mm per year. Still rains
are typical for the southern parts of the country,
where it drops nearly 7800mm per year.
Temperature and Precipitation
Bhutan’s climate is diverse due to dramatic variations
in elevation. The Duars Plain tends to be hot and
humid; the Lesser Himalaya region is often cooler;
while the areas in the Greater Himalayas are closest to
that of alpine tundra. The southern belt of the
country at the foothills of the Himalayas (150-2,000
meters [m]) above sea level) has a subtropical climate
with high humidity, heavy rainfall, and average
temperatures of approximately 15°C-30°C year-
round. The central belt is characterized by river valleys
(2,000-4,000 m above sea level) with cool winters,
hot summers between June and September, and
moderate rainfall. The Northern belt consists primarily
of snowcapped peaks and alpine meadows (4,000 m
above sea level) with cold winters and cool summers.
Precipitation ranges widely across the country and
occurs primarily during the monsoon season between
June and September as well as the pre-monsoon
season. The country is also be characterized into six
agro-climatic regions: alpine, cool temperate, warm
temperate, dry sub-tropical, humid sub-tropical, and
wet-sub tropical.
 POPulation
Year Bhutanese
2022

2020

2018

2016

2014

2012
0 200,000 400,000 600,000 800,000
 Bhutan’s physical geography consists

topography mostly of steep and high mountains

crisscrossed by a network of swift
rivers, which form deep valleys before
draining into the Indian plains. The land
rises from 200 meters above sea level in
the southern foothills to 7000 meters
high northern mountains. Within this
latitudinal range are found a diverse
biodiversity rich enough to be
considered as one of ten global
environmental ‘hotspots’. About 72.5%
of the area is under forests, and it is
constitutional mandate to maintain
60% forests cover for all times to come.
 Meanwhile, affected by this topographical
climate characteristics, Bhutan weather has its distinctive
regional features. Western Bhutan has heavier
monsoon rains while southern Bhutan has sultry and
humid summer and cool winter. Weather and climate
in central and eastern Bhutan tends to be temperate
and drier than that in the west with comparatively
cool summers and warm winters.
From subtropical climate in the south to the
temperate in the highlands and polar-type climate in
the north, if you travel to as many as towns or
villages during your stay in Bhutan, you may have
deep feelings about this magical weather and climate
change.
 Like any other countries in the world, Bhutan has
climate four seasons in a year: Spring (March to May),
Summer (June to August), Autumn (September to
November) and Winter (December to February).
However, due to the location, Bhutan weather has its
own climate features. It is typically affected by the
altitudes and terrains.
With eastern Himalaya to its west and Tibet Plateau
to its north, the terrain of Bhutan shows an
obviously sudden elevation decrease from the north
to the south, making huge weather and climate
variations all year round.
people
culture and tradition
culture and tradition
culture and tradition
culture and tradition
culture and tradition
trivia
MUsic
MUsic
Arts
 Arts
Bhutan's artisans are skilled workers in
metals, wood and slate carving, and clay
sculpture. Artifacts made of wood
include bowls and dishes, some lined
with silver. Elegant yet strong woven
bamboo baskets, mats, hats, and
quivers find both functional and
decorative usage. Handmade paper is
prepared from tree bark by a process
passed down the ages.
Arts
literature
literature
Sports
Sports
family structure
REligion
Buddhism
Buddhism
BHUTANESE
Costume
Costume- Male
Costume- MALE
Costume- FEMALE
Costume- FEMALE
BHutanese cuisine
national dish
Appetizer

Momo
Main course- Carbohydrates

Bhutanese red rice

Main course- vegetables

Shamu Datsi
Main course- PROTein

Shakam Paa
Dessert
beverage

Ara
trivia
Tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
Festival
Festival
Resort
Resort
Resort
HIStorial landmark
HIStorial landmark
HIStorial landmark
HIStorial landmark
trivia
Transportation
do's and don'ts in traveling Bhutan
activities in bhutan
activities in bhutan
trends in tourism industry
 Requirements in traveling

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Bhutanese VIsa