Re-reading ‘Mountainous', ‘Isolated', ‘Inaccessible’ and ‘Small’: The Case of Bhutan

This study examines the theme of being ‘mountainous’ that runs through Bhutan’s development policy. It investigates the way in which predominantly negative connotations of the descriptive language have been used almost to the exclusion of possible positive ones. It notes the surprising absence of concerns over ‘smallness’ in the policy debate and argues that an emphasis on the positive attributes of being ‘mountainous’ and ‘small’ would lead to alternative policy options.