It was only after the arrival of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, a spiritual leader, in 1616 that the country was unified and the foundations for the governance and identity for the people instituted.
Wangchuck Dynasty was born in 1907 when the people of Bhutan unanimously crowned Gongser Ugyen Wangchuck as the first hereditary King of Bhutan. King Jigme Wangchuck succeeded him as the second King. King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was the third king and when he passed away in 1972, his 17 year-old son was deemed too young to be immediately crowned. But two years later in 1974, His Majesty Jigme Sengye Wangchuck became the fourth King of Bhutan the then youngest monarch in the world.
After 34 years of his successful reign, in 2006 His Majesty abdicated the Golden Throne in favour of his son, His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
Where is Bhtuan?
BHUTAN, the Land of The Thunder Dragon, is located between India and China. It is a small Himalayan Kingdom with rich natural resources and unique culture. Bhutan is a natural paradise with 71 percent of its total land under forest coverage with variety of flora and fauna.
The musical flow of streams, beautiful scenes, and kind and compassionated local people make anyone from around the world to choose Bhutan as the best destiny to travel.
The development philosophy of Bhutan is Gross National Happiness (GNH) which attempts to value ecological, cultural, spiritual well-being, and environmental conservation above economic activities.
About 60 percent of the people live in villages and depend on agriculture for livelihood.
The country has always been very conscious of its cultural heritage and it is evident from the fact that it introduced television and internet only in 1999.