Geography of Bhutan
Location: | Southern 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 |
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: 2.3% permanent crops: 0.43% other: 97.27% (2005) |
Irrigated land: | 400 sq km (2003) |
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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
Geography - note: | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes |