The country's population of 600, 000 is composed of
three main ethnic groups. The Sharchopas, who are
considered to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan,
live mostly in Eastern Bhutan and they are of
Indo-Mongoloid origin. The Ngalops populate mostly
Western Bhutan migrated from the Tibetan plains and
are the importers of Buddhism to Bhutan. The
Lhotsampas who are of Nepalese origin settled in the
southern foothills of the country in the early
twentieth century. This ethnic diversity of the
people has resulted in numerous dialects and
languages that are spoken throughout the country.
Dzongkha is the National language. English is the
medium of instruction in schools and is widely
spoken. |
