Lhotshampa

The Lhotshampa (also known as Nepali Bhutanese ) are an ethnic group in Bhutan. They live mainly in the south of the country; Lhotsampa means in the Bhutanese national language Dzongkha " southerners ".

The Lhotshampa had migrated in search of land and economic livelihoods of Nepal since the late 19th century to Bhutan and had settled in the sparsely populated southern lowlands. With the long-established populations of Bhutan, the Ngalong and Sarchop, she had little contact. So kept the Lhotshampa with their Nepali language and culture. Most are Hindu, and there are also Buddhists among them.

The Bhutanese government accepted all Nepalis who came into the country before 1958; However, the Immigration held beyond. From the mid- 1980s, there have been attempts by the government to a forced assimilation of Lhotshampa to the prevailing culture in Bhutan. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a large part of the Lhotshampa was finally withdrawn from the Bhutanese citizenship. About 100,000 of them were deported to Nepal or had to flee there.

In 2007, the U.S. agreed to accept 60,000 refugees Lhotshampa, more will be located in other third countries. The resettlement should start in 2008.

Taking also in consideration of the refugees in Nepal, the Lhotshampa make up about 28 percent of the population of Bhutan.