In the native language, the word Bhutan translates to Land of the Thunder Dragon. That is why there is a picture of a dragon on their flag. It earned the nickname because of the fierce storms that often roll in from the Himalayas. Bhutan is a landlocked state in South Asia that once existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefdoms until the early 17th century. It is located East of the end of the Himalayas. It is separated by Nepal to the West, and Bangladesh to the South.
Bhutan is one of the world's poorest and least developed countries. In 2007, Bhutan made the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy, holding its first general election. The population of Bhutan is 733,643, and the largest age range of people living there are between the ages of 25-54. There is a high degree of risk for major infectious diseases in Bhutan, especially Malaria.
The main religion in Bhutan is Buddhism with 75.3 percent of the population. The second religion there is Hinduism with 22.1 percent. There are almost twice as many men in Bhutan as there are women.