Topgraphic map of Bhutan

The Kingdom of Bhutan is a Himalayan nation, located towards the eastern extreme of the aforementioned mountain range. It is fairly evenly sandwiched between the sovereign territory of two nations: first, the People's Republic of China on the north and northwest. There are approximately 470 kilometers of border with that nation's Tibet Autonomous Region. The second nation is the Republic of India on the south, southwest, and east; there are approximately 605 kilometers with the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, and Sikkim, in clockwise order from the kingdom. Bhutan's total borders amount to 1,075 kilometers. The Kingdom of Nepal to the west, the People's Republic of Bangladesh to the south, and the Union of Myanmar to the southeast are other close neighbours; the former two are separated by only very small stretches of Indian territory. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x909, 320 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x909, 320 KB) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Perspective view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... The Himalaya as seen from the International Space Station A mountain range is a group of mountains bordered by lowlands or separated from other mountain ranges by passes or rivers. ... The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tibetan: བོད་རང་སྐྱོང་ལྗོངས་; Wylie: Bod-rang-skyong-ljongs; Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ), is a province-level autonomous region of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). ... Arunachal Pradesh   (Hindi: Aruṇācal PradeÅ›, Chinese: 藏南 Zangnan) is a state of India. ... Assam   (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur - now a part of Guwahati. ... West Bengal   (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... Sikkim (also Sikhim) (DevanāgarÄ«: सिक्किम  ) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Anthem: Kaba Ma Kyei Capital Naypyidaw1 Largest city Yangon Official languages Myanmar (Burmese) Government Military junta  - Chairman, SPDC Sr. ...

Bhutan is a very compact nation, almost a square but with just a small bit more length than width. The nation's territory totals an approximate 47,000 km². Because of its inland, landlocked status, it controls no territorial waters. Its shape, area, and mountainous location are comparable to that of Switzerland. Bhutan's territory used to extend south into present-day Assam, including the protectorate of Cooch Behar, but, starting in 1772, the British East India Company began to push back the borders through a number of wars and treaties, severely reducing Bhutan's size until the Treaty of Sinchulu of 1865, when some border land was ceded back. For other uses, see square. ... Length is the long dimension of any object. ... In general English usage, length (symbol: l) is but one particular instance of distance – an objects length is how long the object is – but in the physical sciences and engineering, the word length is in some contexts used synonymously with distance. Height is vertical distance; width (or... A landlocked country is one that has no coastline. ... Map of Sealand and the United Kingdom, with territorial water claims of 3nm and 12nm shown. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other uses see Cooch Behar (disambiguation) Cooch Behar (Bengali: কোচবিহার Pronunciation: kOOch bÄ­här`) is the district headquarters and the largest town of Cooch Behar District of Indian state of West Bengal. ... Year 1772 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was one of the first joint-stock company (preceded only by the Dutch East India Company) which was granted an English Royal Charter by Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600, with the intention of favouring trade privileges in India. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ...

Political Geography

Political map of Bhutan.

Bhutan is divided into 20 dzongkhag, and further into 201 gewog. map of bhutan (CIA) File links The following pages link to this file: Bhutan Geography of Bhutan Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... map of bhutan (CIA) File links The following pages link to this file: Bhutan Geography of Bhutan Categories: CIA World Factbook images ... Bhutan is divided into 20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural): Bumthang Chukha (old spelling Chhukha) Dagana Gasa Haa Lhuntse (old spelling Lhuntshi) Mongar Paro Pemagatshel (old spelling Pemagatsel) Punakha Samdrup Jongkhar Samtse (old spelling Samchi) Sarpang Thimphu Trashigang (old spelling Tashigang) Trashiyangste Trongsa (old spelling Tongsa) Tsirang (old spelling Chirang... A gewog (Dzongkha block) refers to a group of villages in Bhutan and thus forms an intermediate geographic administrative unit between village and dzongkhag. ...

Natural Geography

The Himalayas dominate the north of the country, where mountain peaks can easily reach seven thousand meters; the highest point is claimed to be the Kula Kangri, at 7,553 m, but detailed topographic studies claim Kula Kangri is wholly in Tibet and modern Chinese measurements claim that Gangkhar Puensum, which has the distinction of being the highest unclimbed mountain in the world, is higher at 7,570m (vs 7,538m for Kula Kangri). Weather is extreme in the mountains: the high peaks have perpetual snow, and the lesser mountains and hewn gorges have high winds all year round, making them barren brown wind tunnels in summer, and frozen wastelands in winter. The blizzards generated in the north each winter often drift southward into the central highlands. Perspective view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Kula Kangri is the highest mountain in Bhutan. ... Kula Kangri is the highest mountain in Bhutan. ... HELLO This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... [1]Gangkhar Puensum, in Bhutan, is the tallest unclimbed mountain peak in the world, at 22,623 ft. ... Look up Blizzard in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. ... The term highland is used to denote any mountainous region or elevated mountainous plateau. ...

The highlands are the most populous part of the nation; the capital of Thimphu lies in the western region. The region is characterized by its many rivers (flowing into India's Brahmaputra), its isolated valleys that house most of the population, and the expansive forests that cover seventy percent of the nation. Winters are cold, summer are hot; the rainy season is accompanied with frequented landslides. In politics, a capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of capital) is the principal city or town associated with a countrys government. ... Thimphu from Sangey Gang Thimphu (ཐིམ་ཕུ་) is the capital of Bhutan, and also the name of the surrounding valley and dzongkhag, the Thimphu District. ... River Gambia flowing through Niokolokoba National Park A river is a large natural waterway. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ...

The extreme southern strip of the nation consists mostly of tropical plains, more typical of India. It is largely agricultural land, producing mostly rice. Only two percent of Bhutan is arable land, with most of it focused here. Species Oryza glaberrima Oryza sativa Rice is two species of grass (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) native to tropical and subtropical southern & southeastern Asia and in Africa. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Centuries of isolationism, a small population, and topographical extremes have lead to Bhutan maintaining one of the most intact ecosystems in the world. Over fifty-five hundred varieties of plantlife exist, including around three-hundred medicinal ones. (Cannabis grows wild here, as an example.) 165 species are known to exist, including many rare and endangered species like the red panda, snow leopard, and golden langur. Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military and a political policy of economic nationalism (protectionism). ... An ecosystem, a contraction of ecological and system, refers to the collection of biotic and abiotic components and processes that comprise, and govern the behavior of some defined subset of the biosphere. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Cannabis. ... Binomial name Ailurus fulgens F. Cuvier, 1825 Red Panda range The Red Panda,Ailurus fulgens (shining cat, from a Latinized form of the Greek αιλουρος, ailouros, cat, and the participial form of the Latin fulgere, to shine), also known as the Lesser Panda, Bear Cat or Fire Fox[1], is a... Binomial name Uncia uncia Schreber, 1775 Synonyms Panthera uncia The Snow leopard (Uncia uncia[1] or Panthera uncia[2]), sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and south Asia. ... Binomial name Trachypithecus geei (Khajuria, 1956) Gees Golden Langur (Trachypithecus geei) or simply the Golden Langur is an Old World monkey found primarily in the foothills of the Himalayas along the Assam-Bhutan border. ...

Strategic Location

Bhutan, situated between India and Chinese-occupied Tibet, is a potential Sino-Indian battleground; India currently has more political influence in the nation. This stems from two things: the fact that after the British granted sovereignty to their South Asian possessions, Bhutan, a protectorate, was briefly put under the administration of India, along with Sikkim. Independence occurred quickly, but India maintained a special treaty relationship with the now-sovereign monarchy. The Indian Army patrols Bhutan's frontiers and has played a major role in the development of the country's road infrastructure. Additionally, the Government of India continues to provide approximately 60% of Bhutan's government finances. HELLO This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Map of Eastern and Southern Asia. ... This article is about the geopolitical region in Asia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sikkim (also Sikhim) (DevanāgarÄ«: सिक्किम  ) is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayas. ... Places where monarchies maintain rule appear in blue. ... The Indian Army is the largest branch of the Armed Forces of India and has the primary responsibility of conducting land-based military operations. ... The Government of India (Hindi: Bharat Sarkar), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of India. ...

The second reason comes from the aggression against Tibet by China from 1949 to 1959; the Tibetans have strong cultural, historical, and religious connections to Bhutan. HELLO This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Year 1949 (MCMXLIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1949 calendar). ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ethnolinguistic Groups of Tibet, 1967 Ethnic Tibetan autonomous entities set up by the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Bhutan controls several strategic mountain passes through the Himalayas, allowing travel between Tibet and Assam. These passes are also the only way into the kingdom, and, coupled with its centuries-old policies of isolationism, it has been called the "Mountain Fortress of the Gods." The heartland of Bhutan has never been successfully invaded; the British, while establishing a protectorate over the nation, did so with threats to the low-lying territories below the highlands. Perspective view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... Assam   (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur - now a part of Guwahati. ... Isolationism is a foreign policy which combines a non-interventionist military and a political policy of economic nationalism (protectionism). ...

Climate

Bhutan's climate is as varied as its altitudes and, like most of Asia, is affected by monsoons. Western Bhutan is particularly affected by monsoons that bring between 60 and 90 percent of the region's rainfall. The climate is humid and subtropical in the southern plains and foothills, temperate in the inner Himalayan valleys of the southern and central regions, and cold in the north, with year-round snow on the main Himalayan summits.

Temperatures vary according to elevation. Temperatures in Thimphu, located at 2,200 meters above sea level in west-central Bhutan, range from approximately 15° C to 26° C during the monsoon season of June through September but drop to between about -4° C and 16° C in January. Most of the central portion of the country experiences a cool, temperate climate year-round. In the south, a hot, humid climate helps maintain a fairly even temperature range of between 15° C and 30° C year-round, although temperatures sometimes reach 40° C in the valleys during the summer.

Annual precipitation ranges widely in various parts of the country. In the severe climate of the north, there is only about forty millimeters of annual precipitation--primarily snow. In the temperate central regions, a yearly average of around 1,000 millimeters is more common, and 7,800 millimeters per year has been registered at some locations in the humid, subtropical south, ensuring the thick tropical forest, or savanna. Thimphu experiences dry winter months (December through February) and almost no precipitation until March, when rainfall averages 20 millimeters a month and increases steadily thereafter to a high of 220 millimeters in August for a total annual rainfall of nearly 650 millimeters.

Bhutan's generally dry spring starts in early March and lasts until mid-April. Summer weather commences in mid-April with occasional showers and continues through the premonsoon rains of late June. The summer monsoon lasts from late June through late September with heavy rains from the southwest. The monsoon weather, blocked from its northward progress by the Himalayas, brings heavy rains, high humidity, flash floods and landslides, and numerous misty, overcast days. Autumn, from late September or early October to late November, follows the rainy season. It is characterized by bright, sunny days and some early snowfalls at higher elevations. From late November until March, winter sets in, with frost throughout much of the country and snowfall common above elevations of 3,000 meters. The winter northeast monsoon brings gale-force winds down through high mountain passes, giving Bhutan its name-- Drukyul, which in the Dzongkha language mean Land of the Thunder Dragon.

River systems

This image shows the termini of the glaciers in the Bhutan-Himalaya. Glacial lakes have been rapidly forming on the surface of the debris-covered glaciers in this region during the last few decades.

Glacial lakes have been rapidly forming on the surface of the debris-covered glaciers in this region during the last few decades. Bhutan has four major river systems: the Drangme Chhu; the Puna Tsang Chhu, also called the Sankosh; the Wang Chhu; and the Amo Chhu. Each flows swiftly out of the Himalayas, southerly through the Dooars to join the Brahmaputra River in India, and thence through Bangladesh where the Brahmaputra (or Jamuna in Bangladesh) joins the mighty Ganges (or Padma in Bangladesh) to flow into the Bay of Bengal. The largest river system, the Drangme Chhu, flows southwesterly from India's state of Arunachal Pradesh and has three major branches: the Drangme Chhu, Mangde Chhu, and Bumthang Chhu. These branches form the Drangme Chhu basin, which spreads over most of eastern Bhutan and drains the Tongsa and Bumthang valleys. In the Duars, where eight tributaries join it, the Drangme Chhu is called the Manas Chhu. The 320-kilometer-long Puna Tsang Chhu rises in northwestern Bhutan as the Mo Chhu and Pho Chhu, which are fed by the snows from the Great Himalayan Range. They flow southerly to Punakha, where they join to form the Puna Tsang Chhu, which flows southerly into India's state of West Bengal. The tributaries of the 370-kilometer-long Wang Chhu rise in Tibet. The Wang Chhu itself flows southeasterly through west-central Bhutan, drains the Ha, Paro, and Thimphu valleys, and continues into the Duars, where it enters West Bengal as the Raigye Chhu. The smallest river system, the Torsa Chhu, known as the Amo Chhu in its northern reaches, also flows out of Tibet into the Chumbi Valley and swiftly through western Bhutan before broadening near Phuntsholing and then flowing into India. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x1665, 2030 KB) This image shows the termini of the glaciers in the Bhutan-Himalaya. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (3000x1665, 2030 KB) This image shows the termini of the glaciers in the Bhutan-Himalaya. ... Drangme Chhu is a major river in Bhutan. ... Sankosh is a river in India that rises in Bhutan (where it is called Mo Chu) and empties into the Brahmaputra. ... Perspective view of the Himalaya and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the Tibetan Plateau. ... The Dooars or Duars (Bengali: ডুয়ার্স) are flood plains and the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in North-East India around Bhutan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Brahmaputra is one of the major rivers of Asia. ... Yamuna is a major river of northern India, with a total length of around 1370 km. ... Early morning on the Ganges The River Ganges (Ganga in Indian languages) (Devanagiri गंगा) is a major river in northern India. ... A map showing the location of the Bay of Bengal. ... Arunachal Pradesh   (Hindi: Aruṇācal PradeÅ›, Chinese: 藏南 Zangnan) is a state of India. ... Drangme Chhu is a major river in Bhutan. ... Mangde Chhu river flows in central Bhutan traversing roughly north-south. ... Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... Location of Bumthang dzongkhag within Bhutan Bumthang is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... Mo Chhu is a major river in Bhutan. ... Punakha is a dzong in Punakha District, Bhutan. ... West Bengal   (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, Poshchimbôŋgo) is a state in eastern India. ... HELLO This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... Chumbi Valley is a valley in Tibet at the intersection of India (Sikkim), Bhutan and Tibet in the Himalayas. ... Phuentsholing is a border town in southern Bhutan, opposite the Indian town of Jaigaon, situated in Chukha Dzongkang. ...

Glaciers

Glaciers in northern Bhutan, which cover about 10 percent of the total surface area, are an important renewable source of water for Bhutan's rivers. Fed by fresh snow each winter and slow melting in the summer, the glaciers bring millions of liters of fresh water to Bhutan and downriver areas each year. Glacial melt added to monsoon-swollen rivers, however, also contributes to flooding and potential disaster. WHERE THE HELL IS RIVER WATER SHARING!!!?

References

• This article contains material from the Library of Congress Country Studies, which are United States government publications in the public domain.

Geography of South Asia
	Himalaya | Western Ghats | Eastern Ghats | Aravalli Range | The Nilgiris | Vindhya Range | Satpura Range | Garo Hills | Shivalik Hills | Khasi Hills | Annamalai Hills | Cardamom Hills | Sulaiman Mountains | Karakoram | Hindu Kush | Chittagong Hill Tracts | Deccan Plateau | Thar Desert | Makran | Chota Nagpur | Naga Hills | Mysore Plateau | Ladakh Plateau
	Indo-Gangetic plain | Indus River Delta | Ganga basin | Ganges Delta | Atolls of Maldives | Coromandel Coast | Konkan | Lakshadweep | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Sundarbans | Rann of Kutch | Protected areas of Tamil Nadu |
Main	India | Pakistan | Nepal | Bhutan | Sri Lanka | Bangladesh | The Maldives | Portal:Himalaya region

Coordinates: 27°30′N 90°30′E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...