This article focuses on the modernization of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. If Bhutan can prove that democracy, social equality, sustainable development, environmental protection, and limited technology are compatible with Buddhism and 21st-century modernization, it will be an interesting example for other poor nations who want modern technology and economies. The kingdom only began modernizing in 1950. Previously, there were no paved roads, most homes were built from mud and grass, literacy was low, and the death rate was high. That Bhutan has progressed so far is thus remarkable. King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who came to the throne in 1974, invested the country's meager finances in an airport, an east-west road, bridges, national education, health care, and select energy-producing technologies like hydropower, which provides almost all the country's electricity. And it has worked, after a fashion.
