The Thunder Dragon Kingdom - Bhutan Quiz

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."

Answer: Tibet

It is not known exactly when the first civilization in Bhutan was established - there is evidence of human activity as early as about 2000 BCE. In the 9th century CE Tibetan monks fled to the region and established settlements that kept historical records.

The earliest European maps that refer to Bhutan show it as being part of Tibet. Indeed, the name Bhutan is thought to possibly come from a Sanskrit word meaning "End of Tibet". Other names that have been used for the country (translated into English from Chinese) include Dark Southland, Southland of Herbs, Southland of Four Approaches, and Southland of Cypress.

The last of these is referenced in the second half of the first line of the national anthem, which reads "In the Kingdom of Druk, where cypresses grow."

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.

Answer: Language of the monastery

The monks built dzongs, fortified monasteries that serve as religious, administrative and military centres. Similar to those found in Tibet, they usually have high white external walls with few windows, and a red-brown stripe running horizontally near the top of the walls. Inside, they have separate areas for the various functions that are carried out there.

Because of their multi-functional purpose, the word 'dzong' is now used to refer to the building (and its functions, both as monastery and as fortress), to its architectural style, and to the surrounding region. So it is variously translated as monastery, fortress, or administrative region. None of the incorrect options, however, is an accepted translation.

Dzongkha, also called Bhutanese, is the language used in all schools, and is spoken commonly even in those regions where it is not the native tongue, much as Latin used to be an international tongue in all parts of the Roman Empire.

The Bhutanese flag is divided into two halves - the upper yellow triangle represents civil authority, the lower orange triangle represents religious authority, and the white dragon centred along the diagonal emphasizes that they work together for the people. It holds jewels in each of its four claws, representing the wealth and safety of the people, and its snarl is intended to show how well they are defended from any who might wish them ill.

Answer: King

Actually, Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy, with both a gyalpo, or king (in 2012, it was Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck), and a lyonchen, or prime minister (Jigme Yoser Thinley being the first, in 2008). The Wangchuck monarchical dynasty came to power in 1709. The introduction of a new constitution in 2005 led to the abdication of the then-current king and the first parliamentary elections in December of 2007. The Druk Gyalpo wears the Raven Crown, and is the country's Head of State, with executive power wielded by a council of ministers.

The third line of the national anthem refers to "The King of Druk, precious sovereign".

Answer: Buddhism

It is not surprising that the monks fleeing unrest in Tibet brought their Tibetan Buddhism with them. The Drukpa school of Buddhism is the official state religion of Bhutan, and approximately three quarters of the population consider themselves Buddhist. Hinduism is the only other religion with a significant following, approximately 23%. About 1.5% follow Islam, and about half a percent other religions.

Answer: Bhutan has been independent for the entire time of its recorded history

Bhutan is one of the few countries which has never, since historical records have been kept, been occupied or ruled by another country, although the smaller states did fight amongst themselves prior to the establishment of a united country by the Buddhist lama Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in the 1630s.

In 1910 the Treaty of Punakha guaranteed Bhutan political independence on condition that Great Britain would take over the management of foreign relations. When India gained independence from Great Britain in 1947, Bhutan was given the option of joining with the Indian Union or remaining independent.

They chose independence, and this was officially recognized by India in 1949.

Answer: Bhutan's climate is pretty much the same in all parts

The climate of Bhutan has a lot of variety, which is one of the reasons for its biodiversity. The southern and lowest region is classified as subtropical; the central highlands are temperate; the northern mountains are classified as having a polar climate, despite not being near one of the poles (hence polar-type, rather than polar)- the altitude means that there is snow all year round, and no month has an average temperature over 10C (50F).

In addition to the four seasons familiar to those who live in many parts of the world, Bhutan has a distinct monsoon season, coming between summer and autumn. Monsoon is a time of heavy and nearly constant rain, carried on winds that come from the Bay of Bengal, and is most distinct in the western part of the country.

Answer: Steel manufacturing

The steep mountain rivers of the north are an excellent venue for producing hydroelectric power - far more than the country needs at the moment, so it is a valuable export product, primarily being sold to India. There is very little large-scale industry in Bhutan - the difficulty of providing the infrastructure needed for land transport, and the fact that the country is landlocked so has no access to sea trade, makes it impractical. Small-scale farming and handicrafts form the main economic activities, along with carefully-controlled forestry and tourism.

Answer: 60%

Bhutan has formally announced that at least 60% of the country will be maintained as forest land forever. The 2011 figure was 72%. A system of protected areas was set up in the 1960s which was adjusted in the 1990s to make it sustainable. As of 2011 there were ten separate protected areas, chosen to represent the full range of the nation's ecosystems, which cover more than a quarter of the country, connected by a series of 'biodiversity corridors' intended to allow for species movement between protected areas.

The list of animals inhabiting these forests is extensive - snow leopards and takin (Bhutan's national animal) in the north, golden langurs and red pandas in the temperate forests, Bengal tigers and Indian rhinoceroses in the tropical south are only a few of the exotic and endangered species to be found.