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Bhutan lies east of Nepal and west of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is south of the Tibetan hinterland and north of the Indian territories of Assam and West Bengal.
Located in the heart of the high Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is completely landlocked and is surrounded by mountains in the north and west, by the very rugged terrain of the little known Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh to the east, and by the plains and jungles of Northeast India on the south. Some of the highest mountains in the world separate Bhutan from Tibet to the north.
The population of about 700,000 is made up primarily of indigenous Bhutanese. In the higher reaches of the kingdom and in some isolated valleys live many nomadic tribes that bear a close affinity to similar tribes across the border. Some, like those from Merak and Sakten in the east and Laya in the north, have almost no contact with western civilization and trade only in bartered goods.
The lower southern regions are inhabited by migrant Nepalese who have been granted Bhutanese nationality. Most of them are agricultural workers who work the fertile southern lands. Most industrial development areas are also located in the south. The southern districts are generally less populated than the central districts but more populated than the northern mountain regions. Altitudes in the south range from 1000 to 4500 feet. Altitudes in the more populated central regions range from 4000 feet in the east around Trashigang to 17000 feet over the highest pass. Mt. Jomolhari, on the border with Tibet, rises to almost 24,000 feet. The altitude at Thimphu, the capital, is 7700 feet.
The immense beauty of the Himalayas is contained in its diverse landscape. Cascading rivers, conifers, wild rhododendrons and blue poppies, long sweeping valleys, fields of maize and tall, imposing white-capped peaks: these are only a few images. From the lowlands of the |
| Map of Bhutan |
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| National flag of Bhutan |
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south, where the weather is more sub-tropical and the land more lush, to the rich farmland of the central valleys and to the high peaks close to the Tibetan border, Bhutan’s land changes with altitude and latitude. In the east, where the valleys are narrower, towns such as Trashigang and Mongar are built on the sides of the hills.
The land also changes with the strikingly different seasons. In winter, the high peaks and most of the northern land are constantly covered with snow. Snow falls sporadically on the central valleys, and the days are crisp. In Thimphu and Paro, winters are surprisingly mild with only a few snow falls each year. The skies above the high mountain passes are mostly clear in winter, and visitors are able to view the entire Himalayan range certain vantage points.
Spring is rhododendron season in Bhutan. The mountainsides all over the country are ablaze in shades of red and orange. Days are warm but nights are still cold. As the monsoon rises from the Bay of Bengal, spring turns to summer with maybe three months of heavy monsoon rains. In late September the rains slow and autumn begins. Arguably the loveliest time of the year in Bhutan, autumn brings clear skies and warm days.
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