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Geography
The Kingdom of Bhutan is
landlocked country, about encompassing an area of 46,746 square kilometers. Located between longitude 88045'
and 92010' East and latitudes 26040' and 28015'
North in the Eastern Himalayas, it is bounded by India border in South and
South-West and Tibetan autonomous region of China in the North and Northwest respectively. The entire country is
mountainous and ranges in altitude from 300m along the Indian border to the
7554m Gangkar Puensum peak on the Tibetan border. These two extremes frame a landscape
which stretches from subtropical to arctic like conditions. The maximum
East-West stretch of the country is approximately 300 km and north-South about
150 km
Physiographic
Talking in geomorphologic
terms, Bhutan is distinctively into three lateral zones from South to North.
Incidentally, this donation is more or less applicable to meteorological, ethnographic and geographical divisions of the country.
The
Great Himalaya
Extending from Mt.
Chomolhari (7314 m) in the west to Gangkar Puensum (7554 M) near the center point
of the northern border between Tibet and Bhutan, this region is virtually a
snow-wilderness zone where almost 20% of the land is under perpetual snow. This
zone is represented by alpine region and snowbound high summit of the Great
Himalayan range.
The
Inner Himalaya
This is largest
physiographic region of Bhutan which lies among broad valleys and forested
hillsides from 1100M -3000M in elevation. All the major towns of Bhutan are
situated in this zone such as Paro, Thimphu, Punakha in western Bhutan, Trongsa
and Bumthang in Central Bhutan and Mongar, Tashigang, Samdrup Jongkhar in
Eastern Bhutan.
The
Southern foothills
Also called as Himalayan foothills,
this zone occupies the southernmost part of the country. The plains in the
south of the country are part of the region known as Terai, which extends from
Kashmir, through Nepal, to Bhutan. The average annual rainfall in this region
generally reaches up to 200 inches resulting to luxuriant vegetation
particularly tropical forests rich in wildlife, while at times hot, steamy and
unhealthy tracts are other features of this zone.
Drainage
Rivers play an important role in Bhutan's
physical, economic, social and cultural geography. Their enormous potential for
hydroelectric power has helped in shaping the national economy. Since the
central Himalayas of Bhutan receives the full brunt of the monsoon so the
rivers are larger and have created much broader valleys than rivers further to
the west in Nepal and India. In their upper reaches, most Bhutanese rivers have
created large fertile valleys such as those of Paro, Punakha, Thimphu and
Bumthang. As the rivers pass through the centre of Bhutan, the valleys become
steeper and narrower, and roads have to climb high on the hillside. The
principal rivers of the country are; Am-mo-Chhu after the name of Pa Chhu and
Wang Chhu, Puna-Tsang Chhu, after the name of Pho Chhu, Mo Chhu which flows in
western Bhutan, Manas Chhu after the
name Mangde Chhu, Dangme Chhu, and Changkhar Chhu flows in Central Bhutan and
Nera Ama Chhu flows in Eastern Bhutan.
Meteorology
Bhutan's climate varies widely
depending upon altitude. In the southern region it is tropical, with a monsoon
season and eastern part is warmer than the west. The central valleys of
Punakha, Wangduephodrang, Mongar, Trashigang and Lhuntshi enjoy a semi-tropical
climate with cool winters, whereas Paro, Thimphu, Trongsa and Bumthang have
relatively harsher climate including snowfall in winter.
In the valleys where most tourist
activities are concentrated, the winters (mid-November to mid-March) are dry
with daytime temperatures of 16 - 18 degree centigrade while evening and early
morning are cold with night time temperature sometimes falling below zero. Spring lasts from mid-March to the
beginning of June, with temperatures warming gradually to 27 - 29 degree centigrade
by day and about 18 degree centigrade at night. However, cold spells are
possible up until the end of April, with a chance of new snow on the mountains
above the valleys. Strong, gusty winds start blowing almost every day from noon
to early evening. The first storms break, and they become more and more
frequent with the approach of the monsoon which arrives in mid-June.
The country receives abundant rain
especially in the south, as it gets full face of monsoon coming from the Bay of
Bengal. To which its mountains form a barrier. At the end of September, after
the last of the big rains, autumn suddenly arrives and sky gets clear, a brisk
breeze picks up and temperature starts falling towards freezing at night
although bright sunshine continues to keep the days warm. Autumn is the
magnificent season that lasts until mid-November and it is the best time to
visit this fascinating mountain Kingdom.
