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Bhutan

Asia · 780,000

About Bhutan

Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a sovereign country located in Asia, specifically within the Southern Asia subregion. Its capital and largest urban centre is Thimphu, and the country is home to approximately 784 thousand people. In its native language, the country is known as “འབྲུག་ཡུལ་”. Dzongkha serves as the primary official language, shaping daily communication, education, government, and media throughout Bhutan. The official currency in circulation is the Bhutanese ngultrum (Nu.), used for all domestic transactions and price-tagged goods. Bhutan is widely recognised for its Gross National Happiness index, dzong fortresses and not having a single traffic light. People from Bhutan are referred to as Bhutanese.

Geography & climate

Bhutan covers approximately 38,394 km² of territory, making it a relatively compact country by land area. It shares land borders with 2 neighbouring countries — a position that has historically influenced migration patterns, regional politics, and cross-border commerce. Geographically, Bhutan sits in the Northern and Eastern Hemisphere, at roughly 27.5° N, 90.5° E. Standard civil time follows UTC+06:00 year-round, simplifying scheduling for residents and visitors alike. The prevailing climate of Bhutan can be summarised as: eastern himalayas with cold mountains, warm valleys. Local weather patterns naturally vary by altitude, latitude, and proximity to oceans or mountain ranges.

People, language & society

With roughly 784 thousand inhabitants, Bhutan is a small nation in terms of population. The principal spoken language is Dzongkha, which dominates public life, schooling, signage, and the workplace. Locals refer to their homeland as “འབྲུག་ཡུལ་”, a name with linguistic and historical roots that long predate modern borders. Citizens are formally known in English as Bhutanese, a demonym that appears in passports, official documents, and international reporting. Economically, the Bhutanese ngultrum (Nu.) and the Indian rupee (₹) is the medium of exchange used by households and businesses, with exchange rates monitored by the country's central monetary authority.

Quick facts at a glance

Practical travel & daily-life info

Visitors planning a trip to Bhutan should familiarise themselves with the capital, Thimphu, the local time zone (UTC+06:00), the local currency (Bhutanese ngultrum / Indian rupee). The international dialling prefix is +975, which is required when phoning a Bhutan number from abroad. Vehicles drive on the left side of the road, an important detail for anyone renting a car or crossing a land border by vehicle. The country's top-level internet domain is .bt, used by local businesses, government sites, and many news organisations. The working week traditionally starts on Monday, which affects business hours, banking, and public holidays.

Government & global standing

Bhutan is recognised internationally as a sovereign, independent state. It is a member state of the United Nations, participating in the General Assembly and various specialised UN agencies. On the global stage, Bhutan is generally classified within the Asia region and more specifically the Southern Asia subregion, alongside neighbouring states with shared geographic, historical, or economic ties. GlobeIQ groups it under "South Asia" for the purposes of the game's regional hint.

Bordering countries

Bhutan shares land borders with 2 countries. Click any neighbour to read about it:

Did you know?

National success is measured by happiness metrics rather than economic growth — and the territory absorbs more carbon than it produces, a planetary rarity.

Bhutan in the GlobeIQ atlas

Inside the GlobeIQ game, Bhutan appears as a tougher puzzle reserved for geography fans who can pick up subtler hints. When the daily puzzle selects this country, players progressively unlock six hints — silhouette, climate and terrain, number of land borders, region, "known for" tagline, and finally the capital city — before a flag reveal confirms the answer. On its trophy card, Bhutan carries the personality tags “☺️ Happiness Kingdom” and “🏔️ Himalayan Hideaway”, short flavour labels chosen to evoke the country's most recognisable cultural signatures. Adding Bhutan to your personal atlas is one of 195 small wins on the road to a complete world map. Each correctly guessed nation also contributes to your running streak and unlocks milestone celebrations at 10, 25, 50, 100, and 150 collected countries.

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