Bhutan Map

Bhutan is a landlocked Himalayan kingdom of 38,394 km², a little smaller than Switzerland, set between China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh to the west, south and east. About 800,000 people live there (UN World Population Prospects, 2025 estimate; the 2017 national census counted 727,000). Bhutan calls itself Druk Yul, the "Land of the Thunder Dragon". It has been ruled by the Wangchuck dynasty since 1907 and became a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament in 2008. The current king, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, has reigned since 2006.

From the Duars to Gangkhar Puensum

Over a north-south distance of less than 200 km, the country climbs from under 100 m in the southern foothills, at the edge of the Duars plains of India, to 7,570 m at Gangkhar Puensum on the northern border. That is the country's highest peak and probably the highest mountain in the world never to have been climbed: Bhutan banned climbing peaks above 6,000 m in 1994, out of respect for local beliefs, and has banned mountaineering altogether since 2003. Between these extremes lie three broad zones. The hot, humid southern foothills are planted with cardamom, oranges and areca nut. The temperate central valleys of Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Bumthang, at roughly 1,200-3,000 m, hold most of the dzongs (fortress-monasteries) and farmland. The alpine north, home to yak-herding communities, is mostly protected land.

Fast rivers, including the Amo Chhu, Wang Chhu, Puna Tsang Chhu, Mangde Chhu and Drangme Chhu, run south through deep gorges to join the Brahmaputra in India. They are the basis of Bhutan's main export, hydroelectricity sold to India. The Black Mountains, crossed by the Pele La pass, divide western Bhutan from the centre and east.

Forests and climate

About 70 percent of Bhutan is forested, and the constitution requires at least 60 percent to stay under forest cover for all time. Large hydropower, few industries and dense forest make it one of the few countries that absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit. The monsoon arrives in June and lasts until September, bringing very heavy rain to the south and frequent cloud in the central valleys. October and November, when the skies are clear and several large tsechu festivals take place, and March to May, when the rhododendrons bloom, are the best times to visit. Winters are dry and sunny but cold above 2,000 m.

Dzongkhags and towns

Bhutan is divided into 20 districts called dzongkhags, each run from its dzong. Towns are small. Thimphu had about 115,000 people at the 2017 census and is the only sizeable city.

• Thimphu - The capital since 1961, in the Wang Chhu valley at about 2,300 m. It is famous for having no traffic lights; police direct traffic by hand at the main junction. Tashichho Dzong houses both the throne room and the central monastic body.
• Paro - Site of the only international airport, whose approach between mountains is one of the most demanding in the world, and of Taktsang (Tiger's Nest) monastery on a cliff about 900 m above the valley floor.
• Punakha - The capital until 1955. Its dzong stands where the Pho Chhu and Mo Chhu rivers meet, and it is still the winter seat of the chief abbot.
• Phuentsholing - The southern border town facing Jaigaon in India and the main overland entry point for goods and Indian visitors.
• Gelephu - A southern border town chosen in 2023 as the site of the Gelephu Mindfulness City, a special administrative region with its own laws, planned to attract foreign investment.

A cautious opening

Bhutan stayed largely closed until the 1960s, when the first road to India was built. It joined the United Nations in 1971, allowed the first tourists in 1974 and introduced television and the internet only in 1999. The fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, declared that Gross National Happiness matters more than Gross National Product, an idea that still shapes planning. Tourism follows a "high value, low impact" policy: most international visitors pay a Sustainable Development Fee, set at US$100 per night until August 2027, while Indian visitors pay a lower rupee rate. In December 2023 Bhutan graduated from the UN list of least developed countries.

India is Bhutan's closest partner, its main trading partner and the buyer of its surplus power. Bhutan has no formal diplomatic relations with China, and the two are still negotiating their boundary; the Doklam plateau near the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction was the site of a standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in 2017. One chapter of recent history is still disputed: in the early 1990s, during tensions over citizenship and national identity laws, tens of thousands of Nepali-speaking Lhotshampa from southern Bhutan left or were expelled. They spent years in refugee camps in Nepal, and most were later resettled in the United States and other countries.

Interesting Facts

• The national dress, the gho for men and the kira for women, is required in schools, government offices and dzongs.
• Archery is the national sport, and village matches with targets about 145 m away are a big social occasion.
• Bhutan has no UNESCO World Heritage sites yet, though several dzongs are on its tentative list.
• The national animal is the takin, a heavy goat-antelope of the high forests.