The country’s population consists of three major ethic groups: Ngalong, Sharchop, and Nepalese. Ngalongs live in the western region, Sharchops in the east, and Nepalese in the south. Ngalongs and Sharchops are of Mongoloid stock and the Nepalese Aryans. Sharchops are believed to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, although their origins are not known. The Nepalese are the economic immigrants who settled in the country in the late 19th and early 20th century and were later naturalized. Bhutanese are polyglots, although the national language is Dzongkha. It is the mother tongue of the people living in the western region. There are 18 dialects spoken in Bhutan. And some of the vernacular languages are under imminent threat of extinction.

Most Bhutanese who have been to school speak English as it is the medium of instruction. Since English is spoken widely it is considered one of Bhutan’s selling points. Bhutanese men wear gho, a robe-like attire pulled upward till the knee forming a fold at the waist. The fold is made fun of by foreigners as the biggest pocket in the world. In fact, it is the biggest pocket. You can carry a child in it. Women wear kira, a kimono-like ankle-length dress with a separate top called tego. The ghos and kiras are woven with intricate designs.