Snow Leopard
This rare, silent cat lives high in Bhutan's Himalayan peaks and is so seldom seen that many Bhutanese consider a glimpse of one a once-in-a-lifetime wonder.
Flag of Bhutan
Field Report
Bhutan is a small, mountainous kingdom tucked between India and China in the Himalayas, a region sometimes called the roof of the world. It is about the size of Switzerland and is home to roughly 800,000 people who live among some of the tallest peaks, deepest valleys, and oldest Buddhist monasteries on the planet. Almost no one there has heard the name of Jesus, which means Bhutan is one of the places where your prayers can make a real difference.
From the Field Notebook
Snow Leopard
This rare, silent cat lives high in Bhutan's Himalayan peaks and is so seldom seen that many Bhutanese consider a glimpse of one a once-in-a-lifetime wonder.
Takin
Bhutan's national animal looks like someone combined a wildebeest and a bear, and it roams misty mountain meadows in small herds that are found nowhere else on earth in such numbers.
Black-Necked Crane
Each winter, these elegant cranes fly over the Himalayas from Tibet to spend the cold months in Bhutan's high valleys, and local villagers have watched for their arrival for generations.
Ema Datshi
Bhutan's national dish is a thick, fiery stew of chili peppers cooked with local cheese, and it is eaten so often that most Bhutanese families have it at nearly every meal.
Red Rice
Grown in Bhutan's river valleys at high altitude, this nutty, reddish-purple rice has a chewier texture than white rice and is the everyday staple that fills bowls across the country.
Suja (Butter Tea)
Made by churning tea with yak butter and salt, this warm, savory drink tastes nothing like sweet tea and is offered to every guest as a sign of welcome in Bhutanese homes.
Bhutan is the only country in the world that measures its success by Gross National Happiness rather than Gross National Product, meaning the government officially tracks whether its people feel content.
The entire country had no television and no public internet until 1999, making Bhutan one of the last places on earth to connect to the modern digital world.
Bhutan is the only carbon-negative country on earth, meaning its forests absorb more carbon than the country produces, but what is truly striking is that more than 70 percent of the land is covered by forest by law.
Bhutanese people do not celebrate their birthdays on the day they were born but instead all add one year on New Year's Day, so the whole nation essentially has the same birthday.
Bhutan was for many years the only country in the world to fully ban the sale of tobacco — a strict national law that was finally relaxed in 2021 after smuggling became a serious problem.
Daily Life
73
Years life expectancy
65%
Can read and write
88%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Bhutan is home to 52 distinct people groups — 51 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
Most Bhutan's people follow Buddhism (88.7%).
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Drukpa
224,000 people
Monpa
100,000 people
Ngalong
91,000 people
Sharchop
68,000 people
Kheng
36,000 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.