Bhutan
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What is Bhutan?
Bhutan, a landlocked country in south-central Asia, is situated on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas. Once a remote kingdom, Bhutan saw increasing change in the late 20th century. By the early 21st century, improved transportation meant a trip from the Indian border to the capital, Thimphu, took only hours by car.
King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk initiated reforms in the 1950s and 60s that shifted the nation away from absolute monarchy. This culminated in the establishment of a multiparty parliamentary democracy in 2008. Today, about three-fourths of the population practices Buddhism.
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Where is Bhutan located?
Bhutan is a landlocked country in south-central Asia, located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas. It is situated between the Assam-Bengal Plain of India to the south and the Plateau of Tibet of southwestern China to the north. Bhutan's borders include the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north and west, and the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam to the south. It also shares borders with the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Sikkim to the southwest. The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu..
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What is the capital city of Bhutan?
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan, and has been the official seat of government since 1962. Situated in the west-central part of Bhutan, Thimphu lies in the Himalaya Mountains on the Raidak River at about 7,000 feet (2,000 metres) above sea level. Tashi Chho dzong, a traditional fortified monastery, houses the offices of the royal government. The Indo-Bhutan National Highway, opened in 1968, connects the capital to Phuntsholing, the principal gateway into Bhutan from India. Thimphu's population in 2005 was 79,185.
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What languages are spoken in Bhutan?
Bhutan has three major ethnic groups: the Bhutia, the Nepalese, and the Sharchop. Dzongkha, a Tibeto-Burman language and a Tibetan dialect, serves as both the official and national language. The Bhutia, who make up about half of Bhutan's population and are dominant in the northern, central, and western regions, speak Dzongkha. The written form of Dzongkha is identical to Tibetan. Nepali is spoken by the Nepalese, who are the most recent arrivals and constitute roughly one-third of the country’s population, residing in the southern and southwestern regions. The Sharchop, believed to be the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, mainly live in the eastern part of the country and are ethnically linked to tribes in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
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What are some unique traditions or festivals celebrated in Bhutan?
Bhutan's cultural milieu is rich with unique traditions and festivals deeply rooted in Buddhism. Dancing is central to most religious festivals, depicting Buddhist history and mythology.
Losar, the New Year celebration, occurs in February or March, marked by visits to monasteries and home chapels with offerings of special fried cookies. Another major festival is Smom-lam, which celebrates the victory of Buddha over his religious opponents through debates and miracles. Bhutanese Buddhism incorporates the ideal of lamas who attain perfection through meditative disciplines.
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News •
Bhutan, landlocked country of south-central Asia, located on the eastern ridges of the Himalayas. Historically a remote kingdom, Bhutan became less isolated in the second half of the 20th century, and consequently the pace of change began to accelerate. With improvements in transportation, by the early 21st century a trip from the Indian border to the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu, that once took six days by mule could be made in just a few hours by car along a winding mountain road from the border town of Phuntsholing. The governmental structure also changed radically. Reforms initiated by King Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (reigned 1952–72) in the 1950s and ’60s led to a shift away from absolute monarchy in the 1990s and toward the institution of multiparty parliamentary democracy in 2008.
The economic core of Bhutan lies in the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas, which are separated from one another by a series of high and complex interconnecting ridges extending across the country from north to south. The political nucleus of Bhutan is centred in the Paro and Thimphu valleys in the Lesser Himalayan region. Its location between the Assam-Bengal Plain of India to the south and the Plateau of Tibet of southwestern China to the north gives the country considerable geopolitical significance.
- Head Of Government:
- Prime Minister: Tshering Tobgay
- Capital:
- Thimphu
- Population:
- (2026 est.) 790,700
- Head Of State:
- King: Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk
- Form Of Government:
- constitutional monarchy1 with two legislative houses (National Council [252]; National Assembly [47])
- Official Language:
- Dzongkha (a Tibetan dialect)
- Official Religion:
- See footnote 4.
- Official Name:
- Druk-Yul (Kingdom of Bhutan)
- Total Area (Sq Km):
- 38,394
- Total Area (Sq Mi):
- 14,824
- Monetary Unit:
- ngultrum5 (Nu)
- Population Rank:
- (2026) 168
- Population Projection 2030:
- 826,000
- Density: Persons Per Sq Mi:
- (2026) 53.3
- Density: Persons Per Sq Km:
- (2026) 20.6
- Urban-Rural Population:
- Urban: (2017) 34.1%
- Rural: (2017) 65.9%
- Life Expectancy At Birth:
- Male: (2021) 73.9 years
- Female: (2021) 75.9 years
- Gni (U.S.$ ’000,000):
- (2023) 2,931
- Gni Per Capita (U.S.$):
- (2023) 3,730
- Bhutan’s first constitution was promulgated on July 18, 2008.
- Includes five members appointed by the king.
- Buddhism is the spiritual heritage of Bhutan per article 3.1 of the 2008 constitution.
- Indian currency is also accepted legal tender; the ngultrum is at par with the Indian rupee.
Land
Bhutan’s northern and western boundary with the Tibet Autonomous Region (part of China), although undefined, generally follows the crest of the Great Himalayas. In the Duars Plain to the south of the Himalayan range lies Bhutan’s boundary with the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. Bhutan borders the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Sikkim to the southwest.
Relief
Physically, Bhutan may be divided into three regions from north to south: the Great Himalayas, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Duars Plain.
The Great Himalayas
The northern part of Bhutan lies within the Great Himalayas; the snowcapped peaks in this region reach an elevation of more than 24,000 feet (7,300 metres). High valleys occur at elevations of 12,000 to 18,000 feet (3,700 to 5,500 metres), running down from the great northern glaciers. Alpine pastures on the high ranges are used for grazing yaks in the summer months. To the north of the Great Himalayas are several “marginal” mountains of the Plateau of Tibet that form the principal watershed between the northward- and the southward-flowing rivers. A dry climate is characteristic of the Great Himalayan region.
Until about 1960 the tempo of life in the Great Himalayas continued much as it had for centuries. Long relatively undisturbed in their ways, Bhutanese traders carried cloth, spices, and grains across the mountain passes into Tibet and brought back salt, wool, and sometimes herds of yaks. The absorption of Tibet by China, however, necessarily pushed Bhutan toward ending its isolation; the event brought major changes to the way of living in those high regions, as military precautions were taken to guard against the potential danger of a Chinese incursion from Tibet.
The Lesser Himalayas
Spurs from the Great Himalayas radiate southward, forming the ranges of the Lesser Himalayas (also called Inner Himalayas). The north-south ranges of the Lesser Himalayas constitute watersheds between the principal rivers of Bhutan. Differences in elevation and the degree of exposure to moist southwest monsoon winds determine the prevailing vegetation, which ranges from dense forest on the rain-swept windward slopes to alpine vegetation at higher elevations. Several fertile valleys of central Bhutan are in the Lesser Himalayas at elevations varying from 5,000 to 9,000 feet (1,500 to 2,700 metres). These valleys, notably the Paro, Punakha, Thimphu, and Ha, are relatively broad and flat, receive moderate rainfall (from 40 to 50 inches [about 1,000 to 1,270 mm] or less a year), and are fairly well populated and cultivated.
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The Duars Plain
South of the Lesser Himalayas and the foothills lies the narrow Duars Plain, which forms a strip 8 to 10 miles (12 to 16 km) wide along the southern border of Bhutan. The Himalayan ranges rise sharply and abruptly from this plain, which constitutes a gateway to the strategic mountain passes (known as dwars or dooars) that lead into the fertile valleys of the Lesser Himalayas. Subject to abundant rainfall (200 to 300 inches [5,100 to 7,600 mm] a year), the entire Duars tract is hot and steamy and is covered with dense semitropical forest and undergrowth.
The northern part of the Duars, immediately bordering the mountains, consists of a rugged, irregular, and sloping surface. At the foot of the mountains, small villages are found in forest clearings, but most of the area is thickly covered with vegetation inhabited by an array of large wild animals. The southern part of the Duars, bordering India, is mostly covered with savanna (grassy parkland) and bamboo jungle. In many areas the savannas have been cleared for rice cultivation. The principal trade routes between central Bhutan and India follow the valleys of the main rivers.
Drainage
Bhutan’s mountainous territory is dissected by numerous rivers. The main rivers from west to east are the Torsa (Amo), Wong (Raidak), Sankosh (Mo), and Manas. All the rivers flow southward from the Great Himalayas and join the Brahmaputra River in India.