Bhutan’s national flag shows a white dragon across a diagonally divided yellow-and-orange background.
The flag’s two main colors reflect Bhutan’s dual tradition of religious and secular authority. Yellow represents the civil power of the Druk Gyalpo, Bhutan’s Dragon King, while orange represents the spiritual tradition of Buddhism and the country’s monasteries. The white dragon is Druk, the thunder dragon associated with Bhutan’s name and national identity.
The dragon’s four claws hold jewels, symbolizing Bhutan’s wealth and security, while its snarling expression represents the strength of the nation’s protective forces. The dragon is white to signify purity and loyalty. Unlike many heraldic dragons, Bhutan’s dragon faces toward the hoist side and stretches across both color fields.
A frequent mix-up is with Tibet, whose flag has a snow lion, or Mongolia, whose flag uses vertical red-and-blue bands with a Soyombo symbol. Bhutan’s diagonal yellow-orange division and white Druk are unique among national flags. The modern design is associated with the 20th-century reign of Jigme Wangchuck.