Bhutan is a small nation located in the southern slopes of the eastern Himalayas, sandwiched in between two giant nations – Republic of India in the east, west and south; and People’s Republic of China (Tibet) in the north. 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 kilometers (source: Bhutan Portal). It has the population of just over 683,407 as of 2008-09 survey.
Bhutan has the pristine environment, well preserved traditions and land of Gross National Happiness makes it a must visit places on Earth. Bhutan is considered one of the most sought after travel destinations today having ranked the fourth top tourist destination in the world by Wanderlust, an internationally recognized travel magazine based in the United Kingdom.
Bhutan is a trekkers’ paradise and an environmentalist’s dream destination. With its 72% of land under forest cover, this pristine eco-system harbours some of the World’s most endangered flora and fauna species.
Bhutan is a country with the blend of age old traditions and modern lifestyles. This country has cautiously opened up to the outer world and accepting modernization maintaining a fine balance with the ancient traditions and cultures.
Bhutan is divided into 20 dzongkhags (districts), and further into 205 gewogs (village blocks). Gewogs are in turn divided into numerous thromdes (municipalities) for administration.
The Himalaya mountains of Bhutan dominate the north of the country, where peaks can easily reach 7,000 metres (22,966 ft); the highest point in Bhutan is Gangkhar Puensum, which has the distinction of being the highest unclimbed mountainin the world, at 7,570 metres (24,840 ft).[1] Weather is extreme in the mountains: the high peaks have perpetual snow, and the lesser mountains and hewn gorges have high winds all year round, making them barren brown wind tunnels in summer, and frozen wastelands in winter. The blizzards generated in the north each winter often drifts southward into the central highlands.
Below the rock and ice of the highest peaks lies an extensive arch of Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, which contain, in additions to grasslands, a wide variety of rhododendrons and herbaceous plants.
The highlands are the most populous part of the nation; the capital Thimphu lies in the western region. The region is characterized by its many rivers (flowing into India’s Brahmaputra), its isolated valleys that most of the population, and the expansive forests that cover seventy percent of the nation. The highlands have Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests at higher elevations and Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests at lower elevations. Winters are cold, summer are hot; the rainy season is accompanied with frequented landslides.