Bhutan is a country in Asia, with about 797,000 people (2025) and an area of 38,390 square kilometres. Its capital is Thimphu, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of BhutanBhutan in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Bhutan's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
A Himalayan kingdom where altitude defines everything
Bhutan is wedged between India and China in the eastern Himalayas, rising from subtropical plains at 200 meters in the south to peaks exceeding 7,500 meters in the north. The country covers 38,394 square kilometers, roughly the size of Switzerland, but with a population of only 780,000. Deep river valleys running north to south create isolated pockets of settlement, and until the 1960s Bhutan had no roads, no currency, and no postal service.
More on river valleys
Bhutan's major valleys, including Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, are carved by rivers flowing south from the Himalayas into Indian Assam and Bengal. Each valley historically functioned as a semi-autonomous unit with its own dialect and traditions, and the rugged terrain between them still limits east-west travel.
4 more lenses on Bhutan in the app
STORY Gross National Happiness is not a slogan; it is policy architecture
NOW The world's only carbon-negative country faces a youth exodus
THREAD India treats Bhutan as a buffer state, and Bhutan has little choice
STORY A monarchy that gave away its own power
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
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Common questions
What is the capital of Bhutan?
The capital of Bhutan is Thimphu. Thimphu lies at about 27.5 degrees north and 89.6 degrees east. Bhutan is in Asia. It is home to about 797,000 people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Bhutan?
About 797,000 people live in Bhutan, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 162nd most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 38,390 square kilometres, that is about 21 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Bhutan?
Bhutan shares land borders with 2 countries: China and India. The map on this page outlines each of them around Bhutan. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Bhutan?
Bhutan covers 38,390 square kilometres, or about 14,822 square miles. That makes it the 133rd largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 797,000 gives a density of 21 people per square kilometre.
Bhutan is a country in Asia, with about 797,000 people (2025) and an area of 38,390 square kilometres. Its capital is Thimphu, and it shares land borders with 2 countries.
Capital
Thimphu
Continent
Asia
Population
796,682 2025, World Bank. 162nd of 195.
Area
38,390 km² (14,822 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 133rd largest of 195.
Population density
21 people per km²
Land neighbours
2: China, India
Official name
Kingdom of Bhutan
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
A Himalayan kingdom where altitude defines everything
Bhutan is wedged between India and China in the eastern Himalayas, rising from subtropical plains at 200 meters in the south to peaks exceeding 7,500 meters in the north. The country covers 38,394 square kilometers, roughly the size of Switzerland, but with a population of only 780,000. Deep river valleys running north to south create isolated pockets of settlement, and until the 1960s Bhutan had no roads, no currency, and no postal service.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/bhutan/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Bhutan
NameDate
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Colour Bhutan on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/bhutan/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
