|
 |
| Full Country Name |
| Kingdom of Bhutan |
| |
| Area |
| 46,620 sq km (18,182 sq mi) |
| |
| Population |
| 700,000 (approax. 1 million) |
| |
| Capital City |
| Thimpu (Population: 40,000) |
| |
| Language |
| Dzongkha, English, Sharchopha, Nepali etc |
| |
| Religion |
| 70% Buddhist, 25% Hindu, 5% others |
| |
| Government |
| Monarchy |
| |
| King |
| Jigmey Singey Wangchuck |
| |
| Prime Minister |
| Rotates every year among the cabinet ministers |
| |
Rotates every year among the cabinet ministers  |
|
|
|
|
|
| Time |
| Bhutan time is 6 hours ahead of GMT and there is only one time zone throughout the country. |
|
|
|
| Language |
| The national language is Dzongkha. English is widely spoken in major towns and is a medium of education in schools. Other widely spoken languages are Nepali, Bumthap, Sharchop and Hindi. There are a host of local dialects spoken in small pockets within the country. |
|
|
|
| Money |
The unit of currency is the ngultrum (Nu), which is equivalent to one Indian Rupee. The Indian rupee is also legal tender. Major convertible currencies and travelers' Cheques can be exchanged at banks in all major towns. Certain credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, & American Express) are accepted at a few large hotels and some shops.
|
|
| Find the Current Exchange Rate provided by Yahoo Finance > |
|
|
|
| Food |
| Bhutanese eat simple and are renowned for the plentiful use of chilies; among the most popular dish is an "Ema Datshi' made entirely out of chilies and cheese. However Tourist hotels and lodges offer buffet style meals with choice of continental, Bhutanese and Indian Cuisine. On Treks and camping, you will be pleasantly surprised by what our cooks can prepare. |
|
|
|
| Drinks |
| It is safer to drink bottled, boiled and filtered water. A reasonable variety of both hard and soft drinks are available in hotels, restaurants and shops in most towns. Many Bhutanese enjoy drinking traditional homemade alcoholic brews made from wheat, millet or rice. |
|
|
|
| Electricity |
| All towns in western Bhutan have a reliable power supply. Elsewhere, access is less consistent, and electricity is not available in many outlying areas of the country. The voltage supply is 220/240, the same as India. If you do bring electrical appliances, take along an international converter kit complete with a set of adapter plugs. The sockets are round. |
|
|
|
| Health |
| The main health risks are similar to other South Asian countries, namely diarrhea, respiratory infection or more unusual tropical infection. It is wise to have health insurance, and although vaccinations are not mandatory they are recommended. When trekking, there are also risks associated with altitude sickness and accident. In the event of health problems there are basic hospital facilities in each district headquarters. |
|
|
|
| Safety |
| The crime rate is currently extremely low, making Bhutan one of the safer places in the world. It is rare to feel insecure within the country. |
|
|
|
| Communications |
| All major towns have basic communication facilities, including post, telephone, fax and telegraph. Television and internet were introduced in 1999, and can be accessed from most towns and cities. |
|
|
|
| Shopping |
| The most popular tourist purchases are traditional Bhutanese arts and handicrafts. Produced by skilled artisans, these are generally of a high quality, and include Buddhist paintings and statues, textiles, jewelry and wooden bowls and carvings. Bhutan is not a consumer society, and the variety of everyday goods available is not particularly large. Bhutan is also popular for its exquisite postage stamps. |
|
|
|
| Weather/Climate |
The central valleys of Punakha, Wangdiphodrang, Mongar, Trashigang and Lhunsthi enjoy a semi tropical climate with very cool winters, while Thimphu, Paro, Tongsa and Bumthang have pleasant summer, cold winters, with monsoon rains mainly from June-August.
At the end of September, after the last of the big rains, autumn suddenly arrives, and is a magnificent season for trekking until November.
Winter in Bhutan is from starts from the end of November until Febuary, and at this time of the year the climate is dry, with daytime temperatures sometimes falling below zero Celsius.
The southern part of Bhutan is tropical, and in general the east of Bhutan is warmer than the west of the country. |
|
| More information and links about weather - climate conditions > |
|
|
|
| National Symbols of Bhutan |
| Find out more about national symbols; Flag, national anthem, emblem, national animal, bird, flower, tree, national sport - archery etc. |
|
| More information about National Symbols of Bhutan > |
|
|
|
| Archery the National Sport |
| Since time immemorial Bhutanese have been passionate about their national sport of Dha. Competitions are a riot of colour and excitement, with two teams in traditional dress shooting at small wooden targets placed 140m apart (Olympic standard is 50m). |
|
| More about Traditional medicine & Religious Hospital > |
|
|
|
| Traditional Medicine |
One of the ancient names for Bhutan was Menjong 'the Land of Medicinal Herbs'.
The Himalayan Buddhist system of medicine is called So-ba Rig-pa and is practised in many countries today. Because it originally developed in ancient Tibet, it is commonly known as Tibetan medicine. |
|
| More about Archery > |
|
|
|
| The Black Necked Cranes |
| The rare and endangered black-necked crane occupies a special place in Bhutanese hearts and folklore. Its arrival every autumn from Tibet inspires songs and dances; it usually heralds the end of the harvesting season and also the time when farm families start migrating to warmer climates. |
|
| More about Black Necked Cranes > |
|
