Official Name: Druk-Yul
Population: 2,124,000
Capital: Thimphu - Pop. 100,000
Area: 47,000 sq. km. / 29,204 sq. miles.
Language: Dzongkha
Religion: Buddhism
Status of Homosexuality: Illegal (not enforced)
Telephone Country Code: 975
Bhutan is located in the Himalayas. It used to be one of the most isolated nations in the world, but developments including direct international flights, internet, mobile phone networks, and cable television have increasingly opened the doors. Yet, Bhutan has balanced modernization with its ancient culture and traditions under the guiding philosophy of Gross National Happiness (GNH). On 14 December 2005, the King announced that he would be abdicating immediately. Bhutan has now entered a new era of democracy, starting with its first national parliamentary elections in December 2007 and March 2008. Homosexuality is illegal in Bhutan in the penal code of Bhutan and is punishable with a prison sentence from between one month to one year. There are reportedly no known cases of anyone having ever been charged with this petty misdemeanor. Little is known about gay life in Bhutan, as Bhutanese culture does not share the typical western view of heterosexuality and homosexuality. Some people have even called it an openly bisexual society, though this is disputed.
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