The Kingdom of Bhutan (
IPA
:
/buːˈtɑːn/
) is a
landlocked
nation state
in the
Himalaya Mountains
, sandwiched between
India
and the
Tibet Autonomous Region
of
China
. The Bhutanese call their country Druk Yul (land of the thunder dragon).
Bhutan is one of the most isolated and least developed nations in the world. Nonetheless, survey data from the country suggest it is also one of the happiest (see the section on
the Economy
). Foreign influences and
tourism
are heavily regulated by the government to preserve the nation's traditional culture, identity and the environment. The landscape ranges from
subtropical
plains in the south to the
Himalayan
heights in the north, with some peaks exceeding , metres (, ft). The state religion is
Vajrayana Buddhism
, and the population is predominantly Buddhist, with
Hinduism
being the second most dominant. The capital and largest city is
Thimphu
. In March , Bhutan held its first democratic elections. |