Sakteng Gewog

Women in Bhutan

Women make up roughly half of Bhutan's population and head about 37.7 per cent of households. Their social position is shaped by matrilineal land inheritance in much of western and central Bhutan, a high female labour-force share in agriculture, distinctive marriage customs including surviving pockets of fraternal polyandry in Laya and among the Brokpa, and the accelerating feminisation of rural life as men migrate to towns and to Australia. This article covers the demographic and social profile of Bhutanese women; rights, law and political representation are treated at Gender equality in Bhutan.

Yellow-throated Marten in Bhutan

The yellow-throated marten (Martes flavigula), the largest member of the marten family, is widely distributed across Bhutan from the foothills to the subalpine zone and is one of the most easily observed forest carnivores in the country. The species is assessed as Least Concern globally, although country-level population data for Bhutan are not separately published.

Raven as Bhutan's National Bird

The common raven (Corvus corax tibetanus) is the national bird of Bhutan and the religious emblem of the Bhutanese monarchy. Its iconography is rooted in the protector deity Gonpo Jarog Dongchen, the raven-headed form of Mahakala, and it crowns the Druk Gyalpo's ceremonial Raven Crown.

Dungkhag Courts of Bhutan

The Dungkhag Courts are the lowest tier of Bhutan's four-level formal judiciary, functioning as sub-district trial courts of first instance in selected dungkhags (sub-districts) below the twenty dzongkhag courts.

Polyandry in Bhutan

Polyandry — the marriage of one woman to two or more men, almost always brothers — was historically practised among highland yak-herding communities in northern and central Bhutan, including the Layap of Gasa District and the Brokpa of Trashigang. The arrangement prevented the fragmentation of scarce land and livestock. The practice has largely vanished over the past three decades, accelerated by the legalisation of cordyceps collection in 2003 and the resulting influx of cash income into highland economies.

Nomadic Yak Herders of Bhutan

The nomadic and semi-nomadic yak herders of Bhutan, known as Brokpa (and related groups including Bjop and Lakhap), are highland pastoral communities who practise transhumant yak herding across the country's northern alpine regions. Concentrated in areas such as Merak and Sakteng in Trashigang, Laya in Gasa, and highland valleys of Bumthang, Haa, and Paro, these communities face growing pressures from climate change, youth migration, and declining yak populations.

Ethnic Groups of Bhutan

Bhutan is home to several distinct ethnic groups, principally the Ngalop of the western highlands, the Sharchop of the east, and the Lhotshampa of the southern foothills. Smaller indigenous communities, including the Kheng, Bumthap, and nomadic Brokpa, contribute to a diverse social fabric shaped by geography, migration, and state policy.

Bhutan–Tibet Historical Relations

The historical relationship between Bhutan and Tibet spans over a millennium, encompassing religious transmission, political rivalry, military conflict, and cultural exchange. From the introduction of Buddhism and the Drukpa Kagyu school to repeated Tibetan invasions and modern border negotiations mediated through China, the two regions share a deeply intertwined history.

China–Bhutan Relations

China and Bhutan do not have formal diplomatic relations, making Bhutan one of the few countries in the world without ties to Beijing. The relationship is dominated by a long-standing border dispute involving approximately 477 kilometres of contested frontier. Since 1984, the two countries have conducted 24 rounds of boundary negotiations without reaching a final settlement.

Brokpa People of Merak and Sakteng

The Brokpa are a semi-nomadic yak-herding community of about 5,000 people living in the highland villages of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Trashigang dzongkhag. They are distinguished from their Sharchop neighbours by a distinct Tibetic language, a felt hat with five tendrils known as the tsipi cham, and a transhumant economy based on yak and sheep pastoralism at altitudes of 3,000 to 4,500 metres. Merak and Sakteng were closed to foreign visitors until 2010 and are now part of the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary.

Forest and Nature Conservation Act (2023)

The Forest and Nature Conservation Act of 2023 is the principal environmental legislation of the Kingdom of Bhutan, replacing the earlier Forest and Nature Conservation Act of 1995. The Act provides the legal framework for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of Bhutan's forests, wildlife, and biodiversity, and implements the constitutional mandate under Article 5 of the Constitution to maintain a minimum of 60 percent forest cover in perpetuity.

Climate of Bhutan

The climate of Bhutan spans tropical lowlands to permanent ice within about 170 kilometres north to south, producing three broad zones — subtropical southern foothills, temperate central valleys and alpine north — each with distinct temperature and rainfall regimes. The country is dominated by the Indian summer monsoon, holds constitutionally mandated forest cover above 60 per cent, and is documented as carbon-negative, yet is also among the world's most exposed high-mountain states to warming, glacial retreat and glacial lake outburst floods.

Environmental Policy of Bhutan

Bhutan's environmental policy is distinguished by its constitutional mandate to maintain at least 60 percent forest cover in perpetuity, its carbon-negative status, and its integration of environmental conservation into the Gross National Happiness development framework. The nation treats ecological stewardship as a core obligation of governance.

Endangered Species of Bhutan

Bhutan's extensive protected area network covering over 51 per cent of the country's territory supports a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including several globally threatened species. The white-bellied heron, with fewer than 60 individuals worldwide (roughly half in Bhutan), is among the most critically endangered birds on earth. Other flagship endangered species include the snow leopard (estimated 100-200 in Bhutan), golden langur (~6,000), black-necked crane (~350 wintering), Bengal tiger, and red panda.

Yak Herding in Bhutan

Yak herding is a traditional pastoral livelihood practised by highland communities in northern Bhutan, particularly the Layap of Laya and the Lunap of Lunana. Yaks provide essential products including butter, cheese, wool, and meat, and serve as pack animals in the high-altitude terrain. The semi-nomadic herding lifestyle faces increasing pressure from modernisation, climate change, and rural-to-urban migration, prompting efforts to sustain these communities and their cultural heritage.

Bhutan's UNESCO Tentative List

Bhutan has no inscribed UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but has submitted eight properties to UNESCO's Tentative List since 2012, including dzong-fortresses, sacred religious sites, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries. These nominations reflect Bhutan's efforts to gain international recognition for its unique cultural and natural heritage.

Blessed Rainy Day (Thrue-bab)

Blessed Rainy Day, known as Thrue-bab in Dzongkha, is one of Bhutan's most unique and beloved public holidays, celebrated annually around late September to mark the end of the monsoon season. The holiday is rooted in the belief that the first rains following the monsoon's retreat have special purifying qualities, and Bhutanese people traditionally bathe outdoors in rivers and streams to cleanse themselves of spiritual impurities, bad karma, and physical ailments. The date is determined by astrologers based on the Bhutanese lunar calendar, making it a moveable holiday that typically falls between mid-September and early October.

Trashigang

Trashigang ("The Jewel Fortress") is the largest district in eastern Bhutan and home to the commercial hub of the eastern region. Centred on the historic Trashigang Dzong, built in 1659, the area encompasses 15 gewogs, Sherubtse College, and culturally significant communities including Radhi and Merak-Sakteng.

Brokpa Funerary Practices

The Brokpa people of Merak and Sakteng in Trashigang District, eastern Bhutan, practise distinctive funerary traditions including sky burial (jhator) and water burial. In sky burial, the body is folded by breaking the spine, carried to a designated hilltop site, and offered to vultures. In water burial, the remains are cut into 108 pieces and cast into a river. These practices reflect the Brokpa belief in the impermanence of the physical body and the merit of offering it to other living beings after death.

Medicinal Plants of Bhutan

Bhutan's rich biodiversity supports a traditional medicine system known as Sowa Rigpa ("the science of healing"), which uses over 200 medicinal plant species to produce more than 100 poly-ingredient formulations. Integrated into the national healthcare system since 1967, Bhutanese traditional medicine is practised through 65 hospitals and health units, with all medicines manufactured by the state-owned Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals.