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People, Language and Race

People Language and Race


Bhutan has quiet a few numbers of Ethnic Groups and no one can claim a majority. Broadly, Bhutanese people can be categorized broadly into three groups: Ngalongs, Sarchops and Lhotshampas. There are also a few other races found in Bhutan. Bhutanese are traditionally friendly and fun loving in nature.

Ngalongs
Ngalongs (meaning "Earliest Risen") inhabit the western and northern parts of Bhutan. These are people of Tibetan Origin who migrated to Bhutan in ninth century. Their language Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan.

Sarchops
Sarchops (meaning "Easterner") inhabit the Eastern Region of Bhutan. Their population is mixed of Tibetan and Southeast Asian descent. Tshangla (Tibeto-Burman Language) is the language spoken by most of the Sarchops.

Lhotshampas
Lhotshampas (meaning "Southerners") inhabit Southern Bhutan. These are people mostly of Nepalese Origin. Their main festival includes Dashain and Tihar. They are mainly familiar with Nepalese which is the most common language in Southern Bhutan.

Others Races
Apart from the above, host of small indigenous tribal people are found scattered in small villages across Bhutan. These include Brokpa, Lepcha and Doya Tribes. Other inhabitants include Milo and Monpas.

Language
The national language of Bhutan is "Dzongkha". Dzongkha means the language spoken in the Dzongs. Dzongkha was an oral language till 1971 and was spoke mostly by people of Ngalongs Group. It was declared Official Language in 1971. Prior to 1971, the official written language was Chhoekey. It is mandatory for all Schools in Bhutan to teach Dzongkha. Besides Dzongkha, several other dialects such as Bumthap Kha, Kheng Kha, Sarchop Kha, lhotshamkha, etc are also spoken.  English is also widely spoken among the younger generations and the educated lots.

People, Language and Race

Featured Tours and Treks


Testimonials


  • Thilo and Cordula
  • Very good guide/driver team, we had a lot of fun with them. Very special thanks for the visa support to get back to India We had a lot of luck during our tour with N.B. as we were able to see the Kankar Punsum and also wild monkeys eating and jumping in the trees above us. Please find our selected photos of that attached. Thank you very much again for letting us join together for dinner with your wife, for your hospitality and your gifts. We still find us very surprised at Bhutan, from its cultural spots and landscape.

  • Ms. Margaret and Friends
  • Had an extremely amazing time! Lobzang and Subba were great & hospitality 2nd to none! Thank you for such a great time and we definitely encourage more people to come visit Bhutan via your travel guides. Thank you for all your hospitality. Our Trip to Bhutan was better than what we expected. It was great to meet Lobzang and Sanman every morning there to greet us with a smile. Lobzang’s knowledge of Bhutan and all the historical places is fantastic. Also Sanman’s driving made us feel safe at all times and very comfortable. Whenever we talk about Bhutan we will always recommend you all.

  • Mr. Christoph A. Riedweg
  • Tika and Mohan went out of their way to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable. For all of our requests they tried there very best to arrange (food, sightseeing, shopping). The trip offered a great mix of sightseeing, history, nature and daily life in Bhutan. We truly enjoyed our stay.

  • Aveek Pradhan
  • Service offered was quite appreciating and we look forward to avail other services in the near future.

  • Ms. Nilima and friends
  • Excellent Trip. Thanks to Vivek and Santosh. Amazing guide and an excellent driver. They made our trip memorable. We would recommend them to everyone.