Happy Bhutan’s National Day!

A classroom in a school in Thimph, the capital and largest city of Bhutan. *Photo from Wikipedia

December 17 is Bhutan’s National Day.

The date marks the coronation of Ugyen Wangchuck as the first Druk Gyalpo (the head of state of Bhutan) of modern Bhutan.

Bhutan is one of only a few countries which have been independent throughout their history, never conquered, occupied, or governed by an outside power. Although there has been speculation that it was under the Kamarupa Kingdom (one of the historical kingdoms of Assam, a state in northeastern India) or the Tibetan Empire in the 7th to 9th centuries, firm evidence is lacking. From the time historical records are clear, Bhutan has continuously and successfully defended its sovereignty.
In the early 20th century, Bhutan came into contact with the British Empire and retained strong bilateral relations with India upon its independence.

Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia at the eastern end of the Himalayas. It is bordered to the north by China and to the south, east and west by India.

*Reference: Wikipedia