Bhutan

The kingdom of Bhutan is a tiny, remote and impoverished country nestling in the Himalayas between its powerful neighbours, India and China.

Almost completely cut off for centuries, it has tried to let in some aspects of the outside world while fiercely guarding its ancient traditions.

The Bhutanese name for Bhutan, Druk Yul, means "Land of the Thunder Dragon" and it only began to open up to outsiders in the 1970s.

The Wangchuk hereditary monarchy has wielded power since 1907. But Bhutan's first-ever constitution, if it is adopted, could see the introduction of parliamentary democracy.

Bhutan's ancient Buddhist culture and breathtaking scenery make it a natural tourist attraction.
Tourism is restricted; visitors must travel as part of a pre-arranged package or guided tour. Backpackers and independent travellers are discouraged.Phunaka Dzong: Monks' winter home in the former capital.

The king has gone to great lengths to preserve the indigenous Buddhist culture of the majority Drukpa, who have a common culture with the Tibetans and other Himalayan peoples.
National dress is compulsory - the knee-length wrap-around "gho" for men and the ankle-length dress known as the "kira" for women.

But by the 1990s, attempts to stress the majority Buddhist culture and the lack of any political representation had led to deep resentment among the ethnic Nepali community in the south. Violence erupted and tens of thousands of Nepali speakers fled to refugee camps in Nepal. Some 100,000 refugees live in the UN-supervised camps. Nepali and Bhutanese officials have held talks about the repatriation of the refugees.

- BBC News