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People :
Bhutan has a population of 800,000 people mostly
living in scattered towns and the broad fertile
valleys of the inner Himalayas at altitude of 1,000m
to 3,000m. It has three ethnic groups that adds a
diversity to this Himalayan Kingdom.
The Sharchopas, who are considered to be the
earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, live mostly in
Eastern Bhutan and they are of Indo-Mongoloid
origin. The Ngalops populate mostly Western Bhutan
migrated from the Tibetan plains and are the
importers of Buddhism to Bhutan. The Lhotsampas who
are of Nepalese origin settled in the southern
foothills of the country in the early twentieth
century. This ethnic diversity of the people has
resulted in numerous dialects and languages that are
spoken throughout the country. Dzongkha is the
National language. English is the medium of
instruction in schools and is widely spoken. About
90% of the population are engaged in agriculture and
livestock, which is the main pillar of the Bhutanese
economy.
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Religion :
Most of the Bhutanese people practice the Tantric
form of Mahayana Buddhism of the Drukpa Kargyud
Sect. Few are Hindus, southern Bhutanese of Nepalese
origins. Bhutan has many "Dzongs", which are very
large castle like complexes with religious and
Government administration offices alongside.
The most popular festivals are Paro Tsechu
(March/April), Thimphu Tsechu (September/October)
and in Bumthang (October). During the festival, rare
and sacred masked dances, sword dances and many
rituals are performed.
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History :
Till well into the 17th Century, Bhutan was split up
into small independent principalities. After the
arrival of Buddhism, during the seventh century, the
various Buddhist schools began sharing the power in
the country with the old aristocratic families.
The cleric Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel united the
independent principalities into one state. After his
death the theocracy disintegrated and the provincial
lords fought to gain control over the central power.
Only the establishment of the monarchy in 1907
brought peace again. Today the fourth King of Bhutan
is leading his country into modern times |
