People:
The
country's
population
of 600,
000 is
composed
of three
main
ethnic
groups.
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.
Religion:
Bhutan
is the
last
bastion
of the
Mahayana
form of
Buddhism
in the
world
today.
It was
in the
8th
century
AD that
Guru
Padma
Sambhava
introduced
Buddhism
to the
country.
Subsequently
this was
promulgated
by
various
other
religious
figures
who
visited
Bhutan.
The
dominant
sect
that
came to
be
established
in the
country
was the
Drukpa
Kargyu
sect of
Mahayana
Buddhism,
which is
now the
official
religion
of
Bhutan.
The
Bhutanese
are very
pious
people
and
religion
plays an
important
part of
their
daily
lives.
Prayer
flags
fluttering
in the
wind,
chortens
(stupas),
monasteries
and
twirling
prayer
wheels
are a
very
common
sight.
Religion
permeates
all
strands
of
secular
life and
this has
brought
about a
reverence
for the
land and
its
well-being.
Religious
festivals
known as
'Tsechus'
and 'Dromchoes'
symbolizing
amity,
peace
and
compassion,
are held
annually
at
various
parts of
the
kingdom
at
different
times of
the
year. |
