Bhutan is one of the few countries that was never colonized by an outside power.

The longer version

Colonization depended on access, incentives and local resistance. Remote mountain terrain made military campaigns expensive, and a small population with limited resources offered little economic prize. Skilled diplomacy also helped, as leaders negotiated treaties that preserved internal autonomy while ceding some external matters. Few roads crossed the high passes.

The country remains notable for measuring progress through wellbeing rather than output alone. Its forests and rugged terrain have limited large scale industry. High mountains and heavy monsoon rain keep much of the land difficult to farm, concentrating settlement in valleys. Rivers cut through those valleys and supply much of the electricity used locally.

Where this entry sits

These facts wander across maps, borders, deserts, rivers, mountains, and the extreme corners of the natural world. Each one is short and self-contained, offering a small surprise about places you may never visit rather than anything you actually need. The full list sits on the Geography page, where every entry is listed in order.