South Asia

Bhutan Travel Podcast with Karma Wangchuk

Hosted by Karma Wangchuk — a new episode every day from Bhutan.

This podcast follows travel in Bhutan as a resident might experience it: one valley at a time, one district at a time. The country is landlocked between China and India, mostly mountainous, with Dzongkha as the official language and Lamaistic Buddhism the main religion. A short visit cannot show how these shape daily life.

His range covers Thimphu and Paro, Bumthang’s high fields, the tropical southern plains around Phuentsholing, and the remote mountain settlements of Gasa. Each place has its own altitude, weather and language mix, from Sharchopkha in the east to Lhotshamkha near the southern border, so the show adapts to each region.

The show moves with the year. He returns to a valley in different seasons, watches the winter cold lift, and follows roads deeper into the Himalayas as he learns the steps between places. Knowledge accumulates slowly, through repeated visits and the connections a resident notices only over time.

Listen and subscribe

The basics

Bhutan at a glance

Capital

Thimphu

Population 2025

796,682

Area

38,394 sq km

Languages

Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%

Time zone

UTC+6

Currency

Ngultrum (BTN)

GDP per capita 2025

$4,493

Life expectancy 2024

73.3 years

Urban population 2025

43.4%

Inflation 2025

3.6%

Internet users 2024

91.3%

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Country file

Bhutan in depth

Reference data on the country — geography, people, history, economy and transport.

Geography and climate

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Terrain

Mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna

Climate

Varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas

Elevation

Highest point: Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m
Lowest point: Drangeme Chhu 97 m
Mean elevation: 2,220 m

Area

Total: 38,394 sq km
Land: 38,394 sq km
Water: 0 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly larger than Maryland; about one-half the size of Indiana

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Land borders

Total: 1,136 km
Border countries: China 477 km; India 659 km

Natural resources

Timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

Land use

Agricultural land: 13.8% (2023 est.)
Arable land: 2.6% (2023 est.)
Permanent crops: 0.4% (2023 est.)
Permanent pasture: 10.8% (2023 est.)
Forest: 70.6% (2023 est.)
Other: 15.6% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

Violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's Bhutanese name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season

Note

Landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

People and society

Population

Total: 892,877 (2025 est.)
Male: 461,679
Female: 431,198

Nationality

Noun: Bhutanese (singular and plural)
Adjective: Bhutanese

Ethnic groups

Ngalop (also known as Bhote) 50%, ethnic Nepali 35% (predominantly Lhotshampas), indigenous or migrant tribes 15%

Languages

Sharchopkha 28%, Dzongkha (official) 24%, Lhotshamkha 22%, other 26% (includes foreign languages) (2005 est.)

Religions

Lamaistic Buddhist 75.3%, Indian- and Nepali-influenced Hinduism 22.1%, other 2.6% (2005 est.)

Median age

Total: 31.2 years (2025 est.)
Male: 31.1 years
Female: 30.3 years

Life expectancy

Total population: 73.7 years (2024 est.)
Male: 72.5 years
Female: 75 years

Urbanisation

Urban population: 44.4% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 2.52% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Largest cities

203,000 THIMPHU (capital) (2018)

Background and government

Background

After Britain’s victory in the 1865 Duar War, Britain and Bhutan signed the Treaty of Sinchulu, under which Bhutan would receive an annual subsidy in exchange for ceding land to British India. Ugyen WANGCHUCK -- who had served as the de facto ruler of an increasingly unified Bhutan and had improved relations with the British toward the end of the 19th century -- was named king in 1907. Three years later, a treaty was signed whereby the British agreed not to interfere in Bhutanese internal affairs, and Bhutan allowed Britain to direct its foreign affairs. Bhutan negotiated a similar arrangement with independent India in 1949. The Indo-Bhutanese Treaty of Friendship returned to Bhutan a small piece of the territory annexed by the British, formalized the annual subsidies the country received, and defined India's responsibilities in defense and foreign relations. Under a succession of modernizing monarchs beginning in the 1950s, Bhutan joined the UN in 1971 and slowly continued its engagement beyond its borders.

In 2005, King Jigme Singye WANGCHUCK unveiled the draft of Bhutan's first constitution -- which introduced major democratic reforms -- and held a national referendum for its approval. The King abdicated the throne in 2006 in favor of his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel WANGCHUCK. In 2007, India and Bhutan renegotiated their treaty, eliminating the clause that stated that Bhutan would be "guided by" India in conducting its foreign policy, although Thimphu continues to coordinate closely with New Delhi. In 2008, Bhutan held its first parliamentary election in accordance with the constitution. Bhutan experienced a peaceful turnover of power following a parliamentary election in 2013, which resulted in the defeat of the incumbent party. In 2018, the incumbent party again lost the parliamentary election. In 2024, of the more than 100,000 ethnic Nepali -- predominantly Lhotshampa -- refugees who fled or were forced out of Bhutan in the 1990s, about 6,500 remain displaced in Nepal.

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Capital

Thimphu

Time zone

UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Local name

Druk Gyalkhap

Independence

17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first hereditary king); 8 August 1949 (Treaty of Friendship with India maintains Bhutanese independence)

National day

National Day (Ugyen WANGCHUCK became first hereditary king), 17 December (1907)

Economy and cost of living

Overview

Hydropower investments spurring economic development; Gross National Happiness economy; sharp poverty declines; low inflation; strong monetary and fiscal policies; stable currency; fairly resilient response to COVID-19; key economic and strategic relations with India; climate vulnerabilities