Geography & Climate

THE GEOGRAPHY OF BHUTAN

• Bhutan is a landlocked country, that shares its borders with Tibet & India.
• It expands up to a total area of 38, 394 square kilometers.
• The topographical set-up of Bhutan is relatively divided into three regions –
  • The rocky Himalayan region of the North.
  • The mediating hills & valleys in the Centre.
  • The fertile lowland plains in the South.
• The altitude of the entire region ranges between 100 meters above the sea level to 7,500 meters above the sea level.
• The kingdom is divided into twenty districts or “Dzongkhags” that further divide into sub-districts and then scatter into villages.
• Bhutan is 70% forested. Only the remaining 30% of the space is inhabited used for practicing agriculture. This makes Bhutan, a carbon-negative country since the excessive amount of forests consume more Carbon Dioxide than the population of Bhutan manages to emit.
• Bhutan is arguably the richest country in Asia in terms of biodiversity. With a rich stock of conifers, alpines, broadleaf, chair-pines & more, nearly three thousand glacial lakes, marshes & supra-snow lakes dot its topography.
• Many forested regions within this kingdom are protected, owing to its rich yet fragile biodiversity, that cannot be polluted by the invasion of the humans. Bhutan has made ample efforts to keep protect its natural richness & heritage. Some of the protected areas are –
  • Jigme Dorji National Park
  • Wangchuk Centennial Park
  • Torsa Strict Nature Reserve
  • Royal Manas National Park
  • Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary
• Out of the 30% available land, nearly 8% of it is cultivated.

THE CLIMATE OF BHUTAN

• The northern fringes of Bhutan are dotted with Himalayan mountain peaks and experiences snowfall year round. The climatic condition that prevails here is the extreme type of climate.
• The central part of Bhutan, dotted by the lesser hills and flanked by valleys, experiences temperate climatic conditions, with cool summers, dry springs, and cold winters.
• The southern part, covering the western wing, experiences a tropical monsoon type of climate, similar to that of Indian conditions, owing to its close proximity to India. The fertile plains depend on the rainfall for successful harvesting sessions on a yearly basis.