With Tibet to the north, Sikkim to the west and Assam and West Bengal to the south and east, Bhutan is a land-locked country. The total area of the kingdom is about 47,000 square kilometres (roughly the size of Switzerland) and it sits in the heart of the high Himalayan range.
The country rises from about 240 m in the southern foothills to 7,541 m at Gangkhar Puensum, which is the highest unclimbed mountain in the world. Climbing above 6,000 m has been prohibited since 2003 out of respect for the deities believed to live on the summits.
Facts and figures
| Land area | 47,000 km² / 18,147 square miles |
|---|---|
| Forest area | 72.5 per cent |
| Altitude | Between 240 m and 7,541 m above sea level |
| Population | About 800,000 |
| Language | Dzongkha is official; English is widely spoken |
| Religion | Vajrayana Buddhism, of the Mahayana stream |
| Currency | Ngultrum, pegged to the Indian rupee |
| Capital | Thimphu |
| Government | Constitutional democratic monarchy |
| National tree | Cypress |
| National bird | Raven |
| National flower | Blue poppy |
| National sport | Archery |
| National animal | Takin |