Rajadom of Bhutan

Template:Proposal Template:Start infobox Template:Shortname infobox Template:Image infobox Template:Close infobox Drùgjỳl is a mountainous country in the north of the Indian Subcontinent.

History

It is suggested by archeological evidence that the mountain valleys of Bhutan have been inhabited for several thousand years, at least. Study of the Bhutanese people reveals that they are related to their Tibetan cousins to the north, as they share physical, cultural and linguistic traits, showing that some time in the unknown past a significant migration of Tibetans across the Himalyan passes created the ancient core of this people.

In the 8th century Padmasambhava, an Indian guru arrived in Bhutan with Buddhism and proceeded to establish a number of monasteries and temples, noteworthy among them, the Taktshang monastery, which is built high above the Paro Valley on a cliff face, overlooking Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang.

This religious change, however didn't change the social scene until the early 1660s, when the warring fiefdoms that had existed heretofore were replaced under the leaderdship of a Tibetan lama and military leader, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. He had escaped political foes in Tibet in 1616 and began to fortify himself militarily, beginning the consolidation of Bhutan. He built impressive fortresses or dzongs (notably Simtokha Dzong, guarding the entrance to Thimphu Valley). The Shabdrung was an insightful leader, using cultural symbols and military force to develop a Bhutanese national identity, including a number of sacred dances that are still performed at the annual tsechu festivals.

A dual system of government was also established by his hand, whereby the control of the government was shared between a spiritual leader, the Je Khempo, and an administrative leader, the Desi Druk. This policy continues to this day in a largely unmodified form.

Geography

Borders

North: Tibet.
West: Nepál.
South: Ban̊gál.
Southeast: Burma.

Geography

• Bhutan lies in the Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, an area of 121,300 square kilometres (46,800 sq mi), extending along the north and south faces of the Himalaya Range from the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Lo eastwards through Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, and on into India's Arunachal Pradesh state, and northernmost Myanmar.
• The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 4,000 and 5,500 metres (13,000 and 18,000 ft) elevation. Permanent ice and snow lie above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests lie below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) along the southern slopes of the range, from Lo to Bhutan.

Borders

Bhutan is bordered by on the:

North: Tibet
East: Bangal
South: Bangal
West: Bangal, Sikkim.

Culture

National symbols

• National mammal 1: clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa macrosceloides)
• National mammal 2: takin (Budorcas taxicolor)
• National bird: raven (Corvus corax)
• National reptile: Brook's house gecko (Hemidactylus brookii)
• National fish: Himilayan trout (Barilius bendelisis)
• National flower: blue poppy (Meconopsis grandis)
• National tree: Himalayan cypress (Cupressus torulosa)
• National gem:
• National flag:
• National language: dzongkha
• National nickname:
• National seal:
• National motto:
• National song:
• National spirit:
• National individual sport: archery
• National team sport:
• National dance:
• National day: December 17, accession of King Wangchuck in 1907