Natural Paradise

Bhutan has been described as a natural paradise. Even as the world mourns the loss of its ecology, this small Himalayan Kingdom is emerging as an example to the international community, with more than 72 percent of its land still under forest and a great variety of rare plant and wildlife species.

Wedged between China and India, Bhutan's terrain ranges from the subtropical foothills in the south, through the temperate zones, to dizzying heights of over 7,300 meters (24,000 feet). In historical records Bhutan was known as Lhojong Menjong 'the Southern Valley of Medicinal Herbs'. Besides these rare herbs, the Bhutanese seasons are reflected in full color by wild flowers and plants, which carpet the mountainsides.

Among them, Rhododendron of numerous shades and the Blue Poppy, the National flower, are visual delights across the country. The dense forests, also ranging from the subtropical to the temperate, are home to numerous endangered species of wildlife like the Blue Sheep, the elusive Snow Leopard, the Himalayan Black Bear, the Golden langur, the Takin.

Several northern valleys are home to the Black Necked Crane in winter. With the beauty of the majestic snowcapped peaks and fertile valleys, the clean crisp air, unpolluted habitats, and large tracts of virgin forests, Bhutan is, indeed, an unique world.

Yet it is inevitable that Bhutan is changing. Three decades of development have had a dramatic impact on the kingdom, which has moved, in a short span of time, from the medieval age into the 21st century. A comprehensive network of roads, school and hospitals reaching their services to the people, a modern telecommunication system, increasing contact with the international community, urbanization, and a growing private sector cannot but bring change.

Development and progress have also brought their less desirable side effects. Crime, environmental pressures, juvenile delinquency, traffic and pollution, the video culture, housing and urban problems, rural-urban migration, illegal immigration, and numerous other problems are becoming more visible today.

But, just as the Bhutanese people chose to guard their magical kingdom in its pristine form through the centuries, they are determined to balance development and change. The essence of modernization in Bhutan has been a blend of tradition and progress. The protective Bhutanese psyche, which kept the kingdom in a jealously guarded isolation, is visible in the controlled tourism policy, strong sense of environmental protection, and the careful pace of all-round development.

Bhutan has long decided that economic achievement is no replacement for its unique national identity. In the past, the kingdom fought aggression, in different forms, to safeguard its interests, its priorities, and its identity. The future will be no different.