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Bhutan
The Kingdom of Bhutan is a Buddhist country located in the Himalaya Mountains. The country is completely landlocked and is sandwiched between China and India. For centuries the country has been closed to the outside world and tourism only started in 1974 under the influence of King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The Bhutanese call their country Druk Yul which can be translated as Dragon Land.
The Kingdom of Bhutan is very isolated and is one of the least developed countries in the world. In order to preserve the country's national identity and traditional culture the government regulates all foreign influences. Most of the population (currently around 600,000) is Buddhist. It is the last Mahayana Buddhist country in the world.
Under the philosophy that the Gross National Happiness is more important than the Gross National Product, Bhutan has been described as the happiest least developed country on earth.
Geographically seen Bhutan is a small country with an area of about 47,000 square kilometers. It can easily be overlooked by its giant neighbours. The northern border is marked by some of the highest mountains in the world, most of them reaching over 7,000 meters. The southern border is situated at 250 meters above sea level. The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu and is located in the west.