Location
Located in the eastern Himalayas, Bhutan is bordered by China in the north and the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam and West Bengal in the east, west and south.

Religions
People practice Mahayana Buddhism and Hinduism in Bhutan. The Bhutanese way of life is greatly influenced by religion and most Bhutanese homes have a special room used for worship and prayers.

Food
Staple diet is red rice, buckwheat, wheat, corn, pork, beef, chicken, yak meat, cheese and chilly.

Arts and Crafts
Bhutan is known for its handicraft items in bronze, silver and other metals. Sculpting of religious figures is widely practiced and every temple has large brightly painted statues of the Buddha and other saints.

Dress
Bhutanese men wear gho, which is a longish robe tied around the waist by a cloth belt, known as kera. Women wear kira, which is made of bright coloured fine woven fabrics of traditional patterns.

People
There are three main ethnic groups - the Ngalongs inhabit the western region, the Sharchops live in the eastern region and the third group known as Lhotshampas, who represent the Nepali speaking ethnic group, live in the south. Bhutanese are friendly and hospitable people.

Sports
The national sport of Bhutan is archery and traditional sports also include Khuru (darts), degor(a kind of shotput). Today most international sports, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, golf, tennis and table tennis are also played.

Architecture
The castle-like dzongs, with their gently tapering walls, classic lines, large stone courtyards and beautiful painted galleries, are among the fine examples of Bhutanese architecture. But the most common architectural sights in Bhutan are the chortens or stupas which are small shrines built to house sacred relics.

Local Time
Six hours ahead of GMT and half hour ahead of Indian Standard Time.