The Bhutanese people are a good –natured, friendly and hospitable people. The geographical nature of the country led to the formation of many scattered communities through out Bhutan.

Bhutanese people are a homogenous group broadly divided into three broad subgroups. They are Ngalongs from the west, Scharchops from the east and the Lhotsampas, who are of the ethnic Nepali origin, from the south.

The other minority groups are the Bumthaps and the Khengpas of Central Bhutan, the Kurtoeps in Lhuentse, the Brokpas and the Bramis of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Bhutan, the Doyas of Samtse and finally the Monpas of Rukha villages in WangduePhodrang. Together the multiethnic Bhutanese population number just over 700,000.

  • Tshanglas: The Tshanglas or the Sharchops as they are commonly known, are considered the aboriginal inhabitants of eastern Bhutan.
  • Ngalops: The Ngalops who have settled mostly in the six regions of western Bhutan are of Tibetan origin. They speak Ngalopkha, a polished version of Dzongkha, the national language of Bhutan.
  • Lhotshampas: The Lhotshampashave settled in the southern foothills of the country. It is believed that they migrated from Nepal in the beginning of the 19th century.
  • The Bumthaps, Mangdeps and Khengpas: The people who speak Bumtapkha, Mangdepkha and khengkha respectively inhabit the central areas of Bhutan.
  • Kurtoeps: Kurtoeps inhabit the eastern part of the country.  Specifically the district of Lhuentse and the villages are found spread along the banks of Kurichu.
  • The Brokpas and the Bramis: The Brokpas and the Bramis are a semi nomadic community. They are settled in the two villages of Merak and Sakteng in eastern Bhutan.
  • The Layaps: To the extreme north are the Layaps who speak layapkha.
  • The Doyas: A tribal community that has settled mostly in southern Bhutan. They are considered the aboriginal inhabitants of western and central Bhutan, who over the years migrated to and settled in the present areas in Dorokha.
  • Monpas: The Monpas are a small community in Rukha under WangduePhodrang.