Bhutan is a small landlocked country in South Asia at the eastern end of the Hamalaya mountain range. Politically, it is a consitituional monarchy and has recognized borders to the north with China (the "Tibetan Autonomous Region") and on other sides by India. The small Indian state of Sikkim separates Bhutan from Nepal, and to the south, the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal separate Bhutan from Bangladesh.
Culturally, the people of Bhutan have much in common with their neighbors. In the south, a heterogeneous group called "Lhotshamp" (literally, "Southerners") are of mostly Nepali descent. In the west, the Ngalop people have a culture that is very much like Tibet as does the rest of the country.
Like Nepal (with their famous ghurka fighters), and Tibet, Bhutan shares a rich history of accomplished metalurgy and the forging of edged weapons. Some styles cross the political boundaries but each regions, within and across state boundaries, retains unique styles, designs and features that have often remained typical in many cases for hundreds of years.
