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Bhutan Geography:
Location:
Southern Asia, between China and India
Geographic coordinates:
27 30 N, 90 30 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
47,000 sq km
land:
47,000 sq km
water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative:
About half the size of Indiana
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 carbonate
Land use:
arable land: 3.09%
permanent crops: 0.43%
other: 96.48%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
400 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Violent storms 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea (not ratified)
Geography - Note:
Landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |
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