Publication

This paper describes the unique ethnic diversity, cultural plurality, and relative political and geographic isolation of the small Himalayan country of Bhutan. The author characterizes the multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-lingual population of Bhutan and examines how the unique culture of Bhutan has influenced the country's national and political development. The paper recommends that Bhutan further develop politically and democratically through a process of consensus-based power sharing and by maintaining cultural diversity while improving cultural integration, rather than by trying to achieve cultural homogenization.