Bhutan: Flag and Facts
Bhutan's flag is split corner to corner into a yellow upper triangle and a dark orange lower triangle, with a black and white dragon stretched along the dividing line.
- Official name
- Kingdom of Bhutan
- Capital
- Thimphu
- Region
- Southern Asia
- Population
- 892,877 (2025)
- Languages
- Dzongkha
- Currency
- Bhutanese ngultrum, Indian rupee
- Area
- 38,394 km² (14,824 sq mi)
- People
- Bhutanese
- Calling code
- +975
- Highest point
- Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m
- Independence
- 17 December 1907 (became a unified kingdom under its first…)
- National symbols
- mythical thunder dragon (druk)
About Bhutan
The dragon is the Druk, or Thunder Dragon, the national emblem. It faces right and clutches jewels that stand for wealth, and its white color means purity. Yellow represents the ruling dynasty, and orange represents Buddhism, so the flag pairs secular and spiritual power.
Bhutan became one kingdom under its first hereditary king, Ugyen Wangchuck, on 17 December 1907. Earlier, after the Duar War of 1865, it had traded land to British India for a yearly payment. Three years after he was crowned, Britain agreed to stay out of Bhutan's internal affairs while guiding its foreign relations, and a similar treaty with India followed in 1949. The country is mostly mountains, and Gangkar Puensum soars to 7,570 meters.
Did you know?
- Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan.
- Bhutan uses two currencies, the Bhutanese ngultrum and the Indian rupee.
- Bhutan is landlocked between China and India, and is about half the size of Indiana.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Bhutan
What is the capital of Bhutan?
Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan.
What is the dragon on the Bhutan flag?
It is the Druk, or Thunder Dragon, which is the national emblem of Bhutan.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.