Filed under Asia and more precisely Southern Asia, Bhutan is a sovereign state. Its full official name is Kingdom of Bhutan. Its seat of government is Thimphu.
The land area is 38,394 km², which ranks it 138th of the 250 countries and territories in this dataset — just behind Switzerland and just ahead of Taiwan. That makes it a fraction smaller than Switzerland.
The population is about 791,524, placing it 167th of 250 by population — between the Solomon Islands above it and Macau below. Measured only against its own subregion, it is 8th of 9 in size and 8th in population.
Bhutan on the map
Plotted on a globe it falls at 27.5° north, 90.5° east, which puts it in the northern hemisphere, roughly 3,061 km from the equator, in what geographers would call subtropical latitudes.
Follow that same latitude east or west and you reach Algeria, Egypt and Kuwait — places that share its distance from the equator but little else.
Its land neighbours number 2: China and India. The largest of them by area is China, while the most populous is India. Together those neighbours hold about 2.86 billion people.
This is one of the world's landlocked countries. That is true of 45 of the 250 entries here, and it means every shipment in or out has to cross someone else's border first. You can see the full picture on the landlocked countries page.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
How crowded Bhutan is, and what is spoken there
Spread across 38,394 km², that works out at about 21 people per square kilometre, which makes it less crowded than the typical entry on this list. Half the entries in this dataset fall below roughly 90 per square kilometre.
The one official language is Dzongkha. No other entry in this dataset lists Dzongkha, so on this list it stands alone.
Someone from Bhutan is a Bhutanese.
Against Asia as a whole it is the 47th most populous of 50 entries, and it accounts for under 1% of everyone living in Southern Asia.
Useful reference details
More than one currency circulates: Bhutanese ngultrum (BTN) and Indian rupee (INR). No other entry in this dataset uses it, so the currency is specific to Bhutan.
If a quiz asks for the capital of Bhutan, the answer is Thimphu.
Its internet country code is .bt. The international dialling code is +975. Standard country codes: bt and BTN.
It holds a seat at the United Nations, one of 193 entries here that do. The other 57 entries are territories, dependencies or observers, which is why totals on this site run to 250 rather than the familiar 195.
Neighbouring countries
Bhutan shares borders with 2 countries:
Fun facts about Bhutan
- Websites based there use the .bt domain.
- It is landlocked, one of 45 entries here with no coastline of its own.
- People from Bhutan are known as Bhutanese.
- The Bhutanese ngultrum is used here and nowhere else on this list.
- Algeria and Egypt sit at almost the same latitude, on the far side of the globe.
- Its capital city is Thimphu.
Bhutan — frequently asked questions
- What is the capital of Bhutan?
- The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu.
- Where is Bhutan located?
- Bhutan is in Southern Asia, part of Asia. Its reference coordinates are 27.5° north and 90.5° east, roughly 3,061 km from the equator in subtropical latitudes.
- What is the population of Bhutan?
- Bhutan has a population of about 791,524, which makes it the 167th most populous of the 250 countries and territories listed on this site. The Solomon Islands sits just above it and Macau just below.
- How big is Bhutan?
- Bhutan covers 38,394 km², ranking 138th of 250 by land area. That makes it a fraction smaller than Switzerland.
- Which countries border Bhutan?
- Bhutan borders 2 countries: China and India. China is the largest of them by area.
- What language is spoken in Bhutan?
- The official language of Bhutan is Dzongkha. No other entry on this list gives it official status.
- What currency does Bhutan use?
- Bhutan uses the Bhutanese ngultrum, written Nu. (currency code BTN). No other entry in this dataset uses it.
- Is Bhutan a country?
- Yes. Bhutan is a sovereign state and one of the 193 UN members listed on this site.
- Is Bhutan landlocked?
- Yes. Bhutan has no sea coast, which makes it one of 45 landlocked entries in this dataset. Everything it imports or exports by sea has to cross a neighbour's territory first, and that transit dependency is a well-documented drag on trade costs.
