For example, Bhutan has abolished the death penalty, but Thailand still retains it, although Buddhism is the official religion in both.

The UNCCD has 194 country Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Most forms of Chinese are strongly tonal ( an exception being Shanghainese, where the system has collapsed to only a two-way contrast at the word level with some initial consonants, and no contrast at all with others ); while some of the Tibetan languages, including the standard languages of Lhasa and Bhutan and Burmese, are more marginally tonal.

The 17th century fortress-monastery # Buddhist monasteries | monastery on the northern edge of the city, has been the seat of Politics of Bhutan | Bhutan's government since 1952.

Bhutan is the only country which has been independent throughout its history, never conquered, occupied, or governed by an outside power.

From the time historical records are clear, Bhutan has continuously and successfully defended its sovereignty.

Although knowledge of prehistoric Bhutan has yet to emerge through archaeological study, stone tools and weapons, remnants of large stone structures, and megaliths that may have been used for boundary markers or rituals provide evidence of civilization as early as 2000 BC.

A more certain prehistoric period has been theorized by historians as that of the state of Lhomon ( literally, southern darkness ) or Monyul ( dark land, a reference to the Monpa aboriginal peoples of Bhutan ), possibly a part of Tibet that was then beyond the pale of Buddhist teachings.

In early 2007, reports alleged that the current Shabdrung, Pema Namgyel, who is a small child, has been held under house arrest in Bhutan along with his parents since 2005.

Bhutan ’ s relations with its closest neighbour and friend, India, has reached new heights.

Bhutan, seeking to preserve a manorialist economic and cultural system centered around the dzong, has until recently maintained an effective economic embargo against the outside world, and has been described as an autarky.

Thimphu, as the political and economic centre of Bhutan, has a dominant agricultural and livestock base, which contributes to 45 % of the country's GNP.

The 17th century fortress-monastery # Buddhist monasteries | monastery, located on the northern edge of the city, has been the seat of Politics of Bhutan | Bhutan's government since 1952.

The World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF ) has its Bhutanese headquarters here ; it has been responsible for facilitating tiger conservation in Bhutan.

Over the last 50 years, since its establishment as the capital of Bhutan, Thimphu city has witnessed expansion, initially at a slow pace and rapidly after the country was opened up to the outside world in 1974 during the Coronation of the fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck when international media were present, and which marked Bhutan's " debut appearance on the world stage.

The ngultrum ( ISO 4217 code BTN ) ( Dzongkha: དང ུ ལ ་ ཀ ྲ མ ) has been the currency of Bhutan since 1974.

' Traditional Medicine ' is also in vogue and the " Institute of Traditional Medicine " has been set up in Thimphu to promote this widely practiced herbal medical cure in rural areas of Bhutan.

The Institute of Traditional Medicine was set up in 1979 with assistance from World Health Organization ( WHO ) to develop and popularise the herbal medicine, which has been used by the rural people in Bhutan for past many centuries.

It has been planned as " a major scriptural repository and research facility dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the rich literary, cultural and religious heritage " of Bhutan.

The music of Bhutan has traditional genres such as zhungdra and boedra.

" Rigsar music has become popular in Thimphu and Bhutan and is performed on electric piano and synthesiser.

For each Olympic Summer Games since 1984, Bhutan has fielded male and female archers.

The Himalayan range, which consists of three parallel sub-ranges, abuts or crosses five countries: Bhutan, India, Nepal, People's Republic of China, and Pakistan, with the first three countries having sovereignty over most of the range.

Bhutan agreed to return to its pre-1730 boundaries, paid a symbolic tribute of five horses to Britain, and, among other concessions, allowed the British to harvest timber in Bhutan.

Final cremation ceremonies were held for him over a three day period near Paro in Bhutan, in November 1992 and were attended by over a hundred important lamas, the Royal Family and ministers of Bhutan, five hundred western disciples and a huge crowd of some fifty thousand devotees.

Then when he was five years old, the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa and the Situ Rinpoche together recognized Namkhai Norbu as the mind emanation of the mindstream of another well known teacher, who was in turn the emanation of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the 17th Century Tibetan-born founder of Bhutan.

Speech and other acts that create " misunderstanding or hostility between the government and people of Bhutan and the Government and people of any foreign country " are punishable by up to five years ' imprisonment.

Unwilling to go further into the difficult hill country, the British negotiated a peace agreement ( April 25, 1774 ) with Bhutan in exchange for surrender of Bihar royal captives, Bhutan agreeing to return to its pre-1730 boundaries, and a symbolic tribute of five horses.

Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Myanmar, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Thailand, and Turkey, but does not receive legal protection outside protected areas in Bhutan, Georgia, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.

In Bhutan the felid is protected only within the boundaries of protected areas.

In Bhutan and Vietnam, the species is not protected outside protected areas.

Haa contains Torsa Strict Nature Reserve, one of the environmentally protected areas of Bhutan.

The Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, one of ten protected areas of Bhutan, was created in part to protect the migoi, a type of yeti, in whose existence most Bhutanese believe.

Unlike most other districts, Chukha, along with Samtse, contain no protected areas of Bhutan.

Although much of southern Bhutan contained protected areas in the 1960s, park-level environmental protection became untenable.

Like most districts of Bhutan, Dagana contains environmentally protected areas.

All of Gasa is an environmentally protected area of Bhutan.

Most of Lhuntse district is part of the environmentally protected areas of Bhutan.

Over half of Punakha ( Chhubu Gewog, Goenshari, Kabisa, Toewang Gewogs ) lies within Jigme Dorji National Park, one of the protected areas of Bhutan.

Unlike most other districts, Samtse, along with Chukha, contain no protected areas of Bhutan.

Although much of southern Bhutan contained protected areas in the 1960s, park-level environmental protection became untenable.

The northernmost reaches of Tsirang ( Phutenchhu, Sergithang Gewogs ) lie within Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park, one of the protected areas of Bhutan.

Most of Zhemgang is part of the protected areas of Bhutan.

In Bhutan and Brunei the felid is not legally protected outside protected areas.

These birds are legally protected in China, India and Bhutan.

Populations in Bhutan are well protected both culturally and legally although some disturbance from tourism exists.