Bhutan Country & Tourist Information

Location
South Asia (between Assam in northeast India and China).

Area
47,000 per sq km (18,146 sq miles).

Population
682,321 (2005).

Population Density
14.5 per sq km.

Capital
Thimphu.
Population: 100,000 (estimate, Greater Thimphu).

Government
Constitutional Monarchy.

Language
Dzongkha is the official language. A large number of dialects are spoken, owing to the physical isolation of many villages. Sharchop Kha is spoken in eastern Bhutan. Nepali is common in the south of the country. English has been the language of education since 1964 but there is growing emphasis on learning Dzongkha to strengthen national identity.

Religion
The Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu) is the state religion; the majority of Bhutanese people follow the Drukpa school of the Kagyupa sect. Those living in the south are mainly Hindu.

Time
GMT + 6.

Electricity
230 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Jigme Thinley since April 2008 (third non-consecutive term of office).

Head of State
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck since 2006.

Recent History
Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom with close links between the monarchy and the priesthood. Some representative political institutions were established in the 1950s and in 1998, Druk Gyalpo (‘Dragon King’) Jigme Singye Wangchuk gave up some of the monarch’s absolute powers. King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck took over when his father abdicated in December 2006.

In March 2008, the party of the former Prime Minister, Jigme Thinley, won a landslide victory after a move to democratic rule was proposed by Bhutan’s royal family.

The long-standing issue of ethnic Nepalese whose citizenship is in dispute is being addressed by the United-Nations with gradual resettlement to Western countries.

Telephone
Country code: 975. The telephone service is reasonable though getting a line can be slow at times.

Mobile Telephone
Coverage is extensive but since the mobile network is now superseding the landline service, oversubscription can lead to problems.

Internet
Access is growing. There are Internet cafes in large towns and access in major hotels across the country.

Media
Fears of outside influences undermining the country’s monarchy, freedom and culture meant that for years Bhutan had a deliberate policy of isolation, including a ban on television. The state-run Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) launched the first TV service as part of celebrations surrounding King Jigme Singye Wangchuk’s silver jubilee in 1999. Radio broadcasting began in 1973 and the first Internet service was introduced in 1999. There are no private broadcasters, but cable television is thriving though ‘undesirable and irrelevant channels’ have been filtered out.

Post
Mail from Bhutan is liable to disruption because of the high value of Bhutanese stamps; they may be steamed off the envelopes en route.

Post Office hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1200 (summer); Mon-Fri 0900-1600, Sat 0900-1200 (winter).

Press
• Kuensel is the autonomous weekly. The Bhutan Times and Bhutan Observer are privately-owned.

Radio
• Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) is the state-run radio station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
2 Jan Winter Solstice.
18-19 Feb Losar.
20 Feb Traditional Day of Offering.
21 Feb Birth Anniversary of Fifth Druk Gyalpo.
26 Apr Zhabdrung Kuchoe.
2 May Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo.
31 May Lord Buddha's Parinivana.
2 Jun Coronation Day of Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
25 Jun Birth Anniversary of Guru Rinpoche.
18 Jul First Sermon of Lord Buddha.
17 Sep Thimphu Drubchen.
21-23 Sep Thimphu Tshechu.
21 Oct Dashain.
1 Nov Descending Day of Lord Buddha.
11-13 Nov Birth Anniversary of Fourth Druk Gyalpo.
17 Dec National Day.

2010
17 Dec National Day of Bhutan.

Other dates to be confirmed.

Note
The traditional Buddhist holidays are observed, including Day of Offerings, Losar (New Year), Shabdung Kuchoey, Lord Buddha's Parinirvana, Birthday of Guru Rinpoche, First Sermon of Lord Buddha, Thimphu Tsechu and Thimphu Tsechu Dromchoe and the Descending Days of Lord Buddha. Also to be noted are the Winter Solstice, Blessed Rainy Day, the Meeting of Nine Evils, Dashain, the National Day and royal anniversaries. The Buddhist festivals are declared according to local astronomical observations and it is not possible to forecast the date of their occurrence. Please contact local authorities for the latest dates. Dates of smaller festivals are liable to change at short notice.

Contact Information:

Department of Tourism
PO Box 126, Thimphu, Bhutan
Tel: (2) 323 251/2.
Website: www.tourism.gov.bt

Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited (BTCL)
PO Box 159, Thimphu, Bhutan
Tel: (2) 324 045 or 322 647.
Website: www.kingdomofbhutan.com

Royal Bhutanese Embassy in India
Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110 021, India
Tel: (11) 2688 9230 or 9809.

Bhutan Tourism Corporation Limited (BTCL) in the USA
c/o Far Fung Places, 1914 Fell Street, San Francisco, California 94117, USA
Tel: (415) 386 8306.
Website: www.farfungplaces.com or www.kingdomofbhutan.com


Next Page »

Related Bhutan Content