The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is a mountainous, landlocked country in southeast Asia, bounded north and west by Tibet and to the south and east by India.
Bhutan has the world’s highest unclimbed peak, Gangkhar Puensum. The mountain is sacred and the Bhutanese government has banned mountaineering on any peak above 6,000 metres (19,685 feet).
Ugyen Wangchuck was crowned the first Druk Gyalpo (King of Bhutan) on December 17, 1907. During his reign between 1907–1926 Ugyen Wangchuck made great efforts to unite the country and gain the trust of the people.
In 1972, Bhutan declared Gross National Happiness to be more important that Gross National Product.
Bhutan issued a postage stamp in 1973 that looked like a record and actually would play the Bhutanese national anthem if placed on a turntable.
Bhutan has the world’s highest unclimbed peak, Gangkhar Puensum. The mountain is sacred and the Bhutanese government has banned mountaineering on any peak above 6,000 metres (19,685 feet).
Ugyen Wangchuck was crowned the first Druk Gyalpo (King of Bhutan) on December 17, 1907. During his reign between 1907–1926 Ugyen Wangchuck made great efforts to unite the country and gain the trust of the people.
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| King Ugyen Wangchuck — in Punakha, the old capital of Bhutan, in 1905. |
In 1972, Bhutan declared Gross National Happiness to be more important that Gross National Product.
Bhutan issued a postage stamp in 1973 that looked like a record and actually would play the Bhutanese national anthem if placed on a turntable.
The country remained closed to the outside world until 1974. As at 1980, Bhutan was the only country in the world with no telephones.
Bhutan ended its status as the only country in the world to prohibit television on June 2, 1999 when the state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) came on the air. It started broadcasting on the night of the silver jubilee of Bhutan's king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
In Bhutan, marijuana plants were historically used as pig food—until the country got television in 1999 and learned cannabis was a drug.
Until 2005 no one knew how many people lived in Bhutan. A national census was carried out in that year and it turned out that the population was 672,425.
Bhutan officially became a democracy, with its first ever general election on March 24, 2008. The Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, led by Jigme Thinley, won 45 out of 47 seats in the country's National Assembly.
Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is one of the two national capitals in the world that does not have traffic lights (the other is Ngerulmud, Palau).
Bhutan ended its status as the only country in the world to prohibit television on June 2, 1999 when the state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) came on the air. It started broadcasting on the night of the silver jubilee of Bhutan's king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
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| Bhutan Broadcasting Service logo |
In Bhutan, marijuana plants were historically used as pig food—until the country got television in 1999 and learned cannabis was a drug.
Until 2005 no one knew how many people lived in Bhutan. A national census was carried out in that year and it turned out that the population was 672,425.
Bhutan officially became a democracy, with its first ever general election on March 24, 2008. The Bhutan Peace and Prosperity Party, led by Jigme Thinley, won 45 out of 47 seats in the country's National Assembly.
Thimphu is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is one of the two national capitals in the world that does not have traffic lights (the other is Ngerulmud, Palau).
All citizens of Bhutan officially become one year older on New Year's Day.
Less than 16 per cent of Bhutan is arable but 80 per cent of the population are dependent on agriculture, one of the highest proportions in the world. Bhutanese red rice is the country's most widely known agricultural export.
Bhutan is the only country in the world to have exclusively banned the use of tobacco.
Less than 16 per cent of Bhutan is arable but 80 per cent of the population are dependent on agriculture, one of the highest proportions in the world. Bhutanese red rice is the country's most widely known agricultural export.
Bhutan is the only country in the world to have exclusively banned the use of tobacco.
Bhutan is the world’s only carbon sink – it absorbs more CO2 than it gives out – and the only country whose largest export is renewable energy: they sell hydroelectric power.
In keeping with the Buddhist idea that humans and nature form a symbiotic relationship, 72 per cent of the country is forested, and it is in their constitution that 60 per cent always will be, making it a sink of over four million tonnes of CO2 per year..
Bhutan is the only country that has archery as its national sport.
Sources The Daily Telegraph and my knowledge
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