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Bhutan (/ b uː ˈ t ɑː n / ⓘ boo-TAHN; Dzongkha: འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, romanized: Druk Yul [ʈuk̚˩.yː˩]), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan (Dzongkha: འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ་, romanized: Druk Gyal Khap), is a landlocked country in South Asia situated in the Eastern Himalayas between China in the north and ...
- Unitary parliamentary semi-constitutional monarchy
- Independent travel is finally possible, but a tour operator is still the way to go. Since reopening in 2022, Bhutan has scrapped its all-inclusive tour-package minimum, and initially raised the Sustainable Daily Fee (SDF) to US$200 before reducing it to US$100, valid now through September 2027.
- Book early for festivals and trekking in the high season. Since reopening, there are no longer incentives for offseason travel, except for occasional hotel deals.
- Travel insurance is mandatory. Per Bhutan’s Tourism Rules and Regulations 2022, you must have travel insurance that covers accidental death, permanent disability due to accidents, emergency medical evacuation and hospital charges in case of sickness.
- Only two airlines fly to Bhutan. Bhutan is served by two national airlines: Drukair and Bhutan Airlines. Because of the challenging landing conditions at Paro International Airport, surrounded by peaks as high as 5500m (18,000ft), only a select few pilots are authorized to fly there.
- Overview
- Land
- Relief
- Drainage
Bhutan, landlocked country of south-central Asia, located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas. Historically a remote kingdom, Bhutan became less isolated in the second half of the 20th century, and consequently the pace of change began to accelerate. With improvements in transportation, by the early 21st century a trip from the Indian border to the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, that once took six days by mule could be made in just a few hours by car along a winding mountain road from the border town of Phuntsholing. The governmental structure also changed radically. Reforms initiated by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (reigned 1952–72) in the 1950s and ’60s led to a shift away from absolute monarchy in the 1990s and toward the institution of multiparty parliamentary democracy in 2008.
The economic core of Bhutan lies in the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas, which are separated from one another by a series of high and complex interconnecting ridges extending across the country from north to south. The political nucleus of Bhutan is centred in the Paro and Thimphu valleys in the Lesser Himalayan region. Its location between the Assam-Bengal Plain of India to the south and the Plateau of Tibet of southwestern China to the north gives the country considerable geopolitical significance.
Bhutan’s northern and western boundary with the Tibet Autonomous Region (part of China), although undefined, generally follows the crest of the Great Himalayas. In the Duars Plain to the south of the Himalayan range lies Bhutan’s boundary with the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. Bhutan borders the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the e...
Physically, Bhutan may be divided into three regions from north to south: the Great Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Duars Plain.
Britannica Quiz
Bhutan’s mountainous territory is dissected by numerous rivers. The main rivers from west to east are the Torsa (Amo), Wong (Raidak), Sankosh (Mo), and Manas. All the rivers flow southward from the Great Himalayas and join the Brahmaputra River in India.
Welcome to Bhutan. In a world that is always on the go, Bhutan provides sanctuary. Here, you can find earthly pleasures: archery and age-old crafts, dishes of home-made cheese and fearsomely hot chillies, breathtaking treks and restorative hot-stone baths.
Discover the last great Himalayan kingdom, where Buddhist culture and global developments coexist. Find the best time and places to visit, attractions, planning tools and articles from Lonely Planet experts.
May 15, 2024 · A comprehensive overview of Bhutan's geography, people, society, government, economy, energy, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues. Learn about Bhutan's history, culture, politics, and challenges from the official source of the US government.
- DictionaryBhu·tan/ˌbo͞oˈtän/
- 1. a small independent kingdom in southern Asia, on the southeastern slopes of the Himalayas, north of India; population 775,000 (estimated 2015); capital, Thimphu; languages, Dzongkha (official), Nepali.
Mar 21, 2023 · Bhutan country profile. 21 March 2023. Bhutan is a tiny and remote kingdom nestling in the Himalayas between its powerful neighbours, India and China. Almost completely cut off for centuries,...
