Sakteng Gewog

Blue Sheep in Bhutan

The bharal or Himalayan blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) is a wild caprine of Bhutan's northern alpine zone and the principal prey species of the snow leopard. Although classed by the IUCN as Least Concern globally, in Bhutan it is closely monitored for its role in supporting snow leopard conservation. Surveys in Jigme Dorji and Wangchuck Centennial National Parks have placed local densities among the highest recorded in the eastern Himalaya.

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.

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.

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.

Gom Kora

Gom Kora, also spelt Gomphu Kora, is a Padmasambhava-associated pilgrimage site on the bank of the Drangme Chhu in eastern Bhutan, set between Trashigang and Trashiyangtse. It is the venue of one of eastern Bhutan's largest spring festivals, drawing pilgrims from across the east and from Arunachal Pradesh.

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.

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.

Biodiversity of Bhutan

Bhutan is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world relative to its size, situated within the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot. With over 5,600 vascular plant species, 770 bird species, and 200 mammal species recorded, the country maintains an extraordinary natural heritage protected by a system of parks, sanctuaries, and biological corridors covering more than 51 percent of its territory.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bhutan Biological Corridors

A comprehensive guide to Bhutan's nine biological corridors connecting the country's protected areas, covering 51.44% of national territory under conservation, with details on each corridor's location, connected parks, and key species.

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.

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.

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.

Wamrong

Wamrong is a commercial town and dungkhag (sub-district) centre in Trashigang District, eastern Bhutan. Situated on the lateral highway roughly midway between Trashigang and Samdrup Jongkhar, the town serves as a transit hub and market centre for surrounding agricultural communities.