Bhutan Trivia

1. Drangme Chhu, one of the major rivers of Bhutan, flanks a small mountain range found in the central region of the country which shares its name with ranges found in Arizona and Wales. What is the name of this mountain range?

From Quiz Bhutan - Don't Worry, Be Happy

Answer: The Black Mountains

The Drangme Chhu empties into the Brahmaputra, which is unique amongst Indian rivers in that it is considered masculine. Along with the Mo Chhu, the Drangme Chhu flanks the Black Mountains - a range found in central Bhutan and one which is dwarfed by its Himalayan neighbours. "Chhu" is Dzongkha for "water".

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: India and China

Bhutan is bordered by India to the south, east and west and China to the north. Although it is completely autonomous it has an agreement with India that means citizens of both countries can travel to each other without needing passports. As at 2007 it has no diplomatic ties with China, and indeed part of the border between the two countries is under dispute. Bhutan is a full member of the United Nations. Its political system is that of a constitutional monarchy.

From Quiz The Thunder Dragon Kingdom - Bhutan

Answer: Thunder dragon

Bhutan is known in the local Dzongkha language as Druk Yul, which means land of Druk. According to legend, the name dates from the end of the 12th century, when Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje entered the Namgyiphu valley, investigating strange light effects that made it seem to glow across the intervening mountains. As he entered the valley he heard three peals of thunder, and attributed the noise to the thunder dragons of the region. A more prosaic explanation is that it is just a variant on the Chinese tradition of using the dragon as an imperial symbol. Thunder Dragon is a card in the game Magic: The Gathering which has the following inscription: "Sometimes primitive cultures attributed natural phenomena to monsters. Sometimes they were right."

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Asia

Bhutan is located between the countries of China and India. Bhutan is a rather small country, about half the size of Indiana in the US.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: India

Other countries in proximity to Bhutan to the west, south and east (respectively) are Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma). However, they are all separated from Bhutan by one or more Indian states. Given this information, you might assume that life in a little landlocked country located between comparative "super powers" would be strife-ridden. But according to a poll conducted by "Business Week" magazine in 2006, Bhutan is the happiest (whatever that means) country in Asia and amongst the top ten most happy countries in the world.

From Quiz Bhutan - Small Country, Big Dragons

Answer: Gangkhar Puensum

In 1992, Gangkhar Puensum became the highest unclimbed peak at 7570 meters above sea level. It is also the 40th highest peak in the world, but perhaps not the highest point in all of Bhutan. That distinction goes to Kula Kangri, according to the Bhutanese government; however, the Chinese claim that Kula Kangri is located wholly inside Tibet so it is not a part of Bhutan. This is a minor point of international friction between the two countries. There is little chance that Gangkhar Puensum will be climbed any time soon. The government of Bhutan has placed a ban on climbing mountains in their country. First of all, many of the inhabitants believe that the mountaintops are the homes of the spirits, so, in order to prevent sacrilege, people are asked not to climb mountains in Bhutan. A second reason is a safety reason; Bhutan simply doesn't have the capabilities for a high-altitude rescue.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: 175

According to the website Trading Economics: "Bhutan's economy is one of smallest and least developed in the world. Agriculture and forestry is the main source of revenue for more than 60% of its population".

From Quiz Bhutan - Don't Worry, Be Happy

Answer: Twenty

The twenty dzongkhags are grouped into four zones, or dzongdey, according to their location in the country. Each dzongdey has its own capital city, with Thimphu being the capital of the Western dzongda as well as Bhutan's capital. The Eastern zone holds the smallest dzongkhag (Pemagatshel), while the Central dzongda's Wangdue Phodrang is the country's largest district. Until 1992, there were eighteen districts, but some were divided down again to create two additional dzongkhags.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Television

June, 1999 saw the introduction of television. They went from nothing to over forty channels of cable TV. Immediately this quiet Buddhist nation, often compared to the mythical Shangri-La, was struggling with crime and drug abuse.

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Takin

All the animals mentioned can be found in Bhutan. The takin is a goat-antelope, also known as a cattle chamois or gnu goat. They are large beasts standing up to 130cm at the shoulder, with horns often over 60cm and a body weight of up to 350kg. They live in the bamboo forests at altitudes of up to 4,500 meters.

From Quiz The Thunder Dragon Kingdom - Bhutan

Answer: Himalayas

Bhutan sits on the southern side of the eastern part of the Himalayas, with Tibet on the opposite side of the range, and various states of India on its other sides - Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh all have borders with Bhutan. Nepal is very close on the west, but separated by a thin strip of the state of Sikkim; on the east, Bangladesh is nearly a neighbour, separated by the top part of West Bengal. Most of the country is mountainous, especially in the north, but there are also areas of flat land, suitable for agriculture, in the southern part of the country.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Dzong

The Dzong architecture is noted for its high outer walls that slope inwards with windows at higher levels, usually a watchtower, and inner flagstone courtyards. They are usually adorned with Buddhist symbols. It is rare to find any examples of this architecture outside of the region, but the University of Texas at El Paso was built in this style. A notable example in Bhutan is the Trongsa Dzong which is the largest fortress in the country.

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Brahmaputra

Bhutan is landlocked, and all its rivers drain into the Brahmaputra, which itself drains into the Bay of Bengal. Brown trout were introduced into Bhutan's rivers in the 1900s, from Scotland, and it is possible to fish for them. Kayaking is another activity available to the intrepid explorer.

From Quiz Bhutan - Small Country, Big Dragons

Answer: Dzongkhag

In Dzongkha, the local language spoken in Bhutan, a district is known as a dzongkhag. A subdistrict is called a dungkhag and a block, or a group of villages is called a gewog. The head of the dzongkhag is called the dzongdag, and this was an appointed position up until 2008 when it became an elected position.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: June

The monsoon usually comes in mid-June. Monsoons bring large amounts of rain during the summer season. These thunderstorms usually come in the afternoon. These monsoons mostly occur in the southern part of Bhutan. The south part of Bhutan has a more tropical climate than the other parts of Bhutan.

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Hydro-electric power

India is helping Bhutan to build up its HEP industry. Agriculture is a major industry, with rice, fruit and chilies being grown and a dairy industry founded on yaks. The export of timber from Bhutan is banned.

From Quiz Bhutan - Small Country, Big Dragons

Answer: Happiness

Bhutan's third Dragon King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, made a fleeting remark in a speech that was taken seriously by the Bhutanese. According to Buddhist beliefs, happiness is something that one needs to strive for and the country's leading thinkers set about to find a way to quantify it. Gross national happiness is now an accepted worldwide index, especially by those who find fault with gross national product. Gross national happiness was defined as a multicultural measurement, and it could be applied to nations that do not have Buddhist majorities. It is measured based on four indices: sustainable development, cultural values, natural environment, and good governance.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Thimphu

Punakha was actually the original capital, but Thimphu later became the official capital and the largest city in Bhutan.

From Quiz Bhutan - Don't Worry, Be Happy

Answer: Glacial Lake Outburst Flood

The four major GLOFs occurred in 1957, '63, '68, and '94, and they caused massive damage to both the infrastructure and the environment. They are thought to have been caused by the Himalayan glaciers retreating as the planet warms. There are around 680 glaciers in Bhutan and scientists have identified at least 25 as being high risk for future GLOF.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Tiger's Nest

You can visit this beautiful monastery. It is a two to three hour trek from the river below or assistance can be provided with ponies. It was likely used as a template for the films "The Shadow" and "Batman Begins", for the Temple of the Cobras and the HQ of the League of Shadows respectively, except they were both CGI (Computer Generated Imagery).

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Buddhism

Bhutan is the only country in the world that has Buddhism as its state religion and it is supported by subsidies to monasteries, shrines, monks and nuns. It is the custom that one son from each family attend monastic school to ensure the perpetuation of the tradition. Religion permeates all aspects of life in Bhutan and the roadways are lined with shrines, prayer flags on long poles maintaining communication with heaven, and mantras carved into rocks. Monasteries and convents exist in all parts of the country. Monks and nuns are regularly seen on the streets and are easily identifiable by their shaved heads and maroon robes. There are two strands of Buddhism practised, each with its own liturgy, festivals and rituals. Both originated in Tibet and, in order not to appear to prefer one section of the community to the other, the Royal Family alternate between them. Hinduism, the second most dominant religion, is mainly practised in the south.

From Quiz Bhutan - Small Country, Big Dragons

Answer: Thunderous winter winds

Bhutan experiences two monsoon seasons, one in the summer whose origin comes in the southwest and brings with it torrential rains. The other monsoon season is in the winter and comes from the northeast. It brings with it thundering winds of immense force and these gust through the mountains and valleys and give the impression that a dragon is taking out its wrath on the land. Bhutan can be a very rainy country. The yearly average for the country is a meter of rainfall, and some places in the lowlands even record nearly eight meters a year! Some of these places are prone to flash floods when the monsoons come around.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: 17th December

The National Day is a yearly holiday that commemorates the Wangchuck monarchy that was formalized on December 17, 1907.

From Quiz Bhutan - Don't Worry, Be Happy

Answer: Hydropower

Bhutan's location in the Himalayas presents great opportunities to harness the power of the mountain range's glacial flows to generate electricity through hydropower. Over 99% of the country's electricity comes from hydropower, with a very small amount as a result of burning fossil fuels. Bhutan's agricultural exports, which include fruits, rice, and spices, are primarily directed to India, Hong Kong and Bangladesh.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: The Black Mountains

The Dolomite Mountains are located in Italy, and are part of the Alps. The Cascade Mountains can be found in the Pacific northwest portion of North America, stretching from British Columbia in Canada to California in the United States. They also pass through the states of Washington and Oregon. The Andes Mountains can be found in South America traveling through seven countries in the western portion of the continent. Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park can be found in the Black Mountains.

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Indian rupee

Until the 1950s barter was still the most common form of exchange. It was during the reign of King Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck that more coins began to be produced, although even government officials still did not receive cash salaries. This changed when in 1968 the Bank of Bhutan was established which led to the cash economy becoming more prevalent. India had assisted in the development of the economy of Bhutan, and in 1974 when the ngultrum was introduced its value was pegged to the Indian rupee, which is legal tender in Bhutan.

From Quiz Bhutan - Small Country, Big Dragons

Answer: Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu

The city of Punakha had been settled for many hundreds of years as the land there is very good for agriculture. Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the man who unified the independent mountain fortresses into the country of Bhutan, established the Pungtang Dechen Photrang Dzong - the winter home of the central Buddhist leadership - in 1637. The city served as the capital of Bhutan until 1955. "Chhu", if you didn't infer from the answers, is the Dzonkha word for river. All of the rivers mentioned in the answers are real, but many of them get new names as they continue to flow south into India and Bangladesh.

From Quiz Kingdom of Bhutan

Answer: Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu

The word "Chhu" means "river" or "water" in Dzongkha, the official national language in Bhutan. The other chhus or rivers listed are all rivers in Bhutan. They eventually drain to the Brahmaputra River in India.

From Quiz Bhutan - Asia's Forgotten Gem

Answer: Land of the Thunder Dragon

The altitude in Bhutan ranges from 500 feet to over 24,000 feet, and for this reason the climate varies so much it is often said to have five seasons in a year instead of four. The Monsoon season comes between summer and autumn and typically affects Western Bhutan more than any other region. Southern Bhutan has hot, humid summers while Northern Bhutan experiences year-round snow. All this in a country half the size of Indiana.

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