Geography of Bhutan
Location:
South Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
27 30 N, 90 30 E
Map references:
Asia
Area:
total:
47,000 sq km
land:
47,000 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Land boundaries:
total:
1,075 km
border countries:
China 470 km, India 605 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Terrain:
mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Elevation extremes:
lowest point:
Drangme Chhu 97 m
highest point:
Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Natural resources:
timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbide
Land use:
arable land:
2%
permanent crops:
0%
permanent pastures:
6%
forests and woodland:
66%
other:
26% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land:
340 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards:
violent storms coming down from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season
Environment - current issues:
soil erosion; limited access to potable water
Environment - international agreements:
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Nuclear Test Ban
signed, but not ratified:
Law of the Sea
Geography - note:
landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes
Reference
Much of the material in this article was adapted from the CIA World Factbook 2000.
Referenced By
Bhutan | Bhutan/Transnational issues | Foreign relations of Bhutan | ISO 3166-1:BT
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