| Topography of Bhutan |
The kingdom of Bhutan lies east of Nepal and west of Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It is south of the Tibetan hinterland and north of the Indian territories Assam and West Bengal. Located in the heart of the high Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is a land locked country surrounded by mountains in the north and west. The rugged east-west by few western travelers, borders the spare and largely unknown Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh. The high Himalayas in the northern steppes separate the kingdom from Tibet. The population of 734,340 is made up primarily of indigenous Bhutanese. The lower southern regions are inhabited by migrate Nepalese who have been granted Bhutanese nationality. Most of them are agricultural workers who take advantage of the fertile southern land. Altitude in the south range from 1000 to 4500 feet and the altitude in the more populated central regions range from 4,000 feet in the east around Trashigang to a high of 17,000 feet over the highest pass. The altitude at Thimphu, the capital, is 7700 feet. A high Mountain range separates the lowlands of the south from the central valleys.
Nowhere in the Himalayas, is the natural heritage more rich and varied than in Peaceful Dragon. According to legend, the Kingdom known as Lhojong Menjong meaning “the southern valley of Medicinal Herbs”, a name that still applies today. The country's rich flora and fauna is the result of its unique geographic location in the eastern Himalayas, within an area that extends through both Indo-Himalayan (oriental) and the Pale-arctic biographic regions. Its annual rainfall, which is significantly higher than in the central and western Himalayas, and its considerable altitudinal variation from 200 meters in the south to over 7500 meters in the north, which is accompanied by dramatic climatic changes. Because of deep traditional reverence, which the Bhutanese have for nature, the kingdom is one of the leading countries in environmental preservation. More than 73% of the area is still under forest cover. Many parts of the country, which have been declared as wildlife reserves, are the natural habitats of rare species of both flora and fauna. Opened for tourism in 1974, after the Royal coronation of the fourth king, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Bhutan is perhaps the world's most exclusive tourist destination.
The country manages to retain all the charm of the old world. Like timeless images of the past, the travelers encounter the full glory of the ancient land through its strategic monastic fortresses known as Dzongs. A numerous ancient temple, monasteries and stupas which dot the countryside, prayer flags which flutter along the high ridges, wild animals which abound in dense forests, foamy white waterfalls which are ethereal showers, and the warm smile of the people. Each moment is special as one discovers a country, which people have chosen to preserve in its magical purity.
Dense jungle growth is characteristic at altitudes below 1500 m (5000 ft). Above that height the mountain slopes are covered with forest, including beech, ash, birch, maple, cypress, and yew. At 2400 – 2700 m (8000 – 9000 ft) are forests of oak and rhododendron. Above this level, firs and pines grow to the timberline. Primulas, poppies (including the rare blue variety), magnolias, and orchids abound.The relative abundance of wild animals attributed to the Buddhist reluctance to take life. In the lower parts of southern Bhutan, mammals include the cheetah, goral, sambar, bear, and rhinoceros; in the higher regions are snow deer, musk deer, and barking deer. Game birds include pheasants, partridges, pigeons, and quail.
Bhutan enjoys four seasons each having its advantages and disadvantages to the visitors. The southern plains close to the Indian border are warmer and more tropical than higher central valleys. Spring is a botanist’s delight as rhododendrons, wild azaleas and masses of wild flowers including the edelweiss cover the meadows like carpet. The various blossoms add a dainty touch to the valleys as their pink and white blooms add a sense of new wonder to the land that is about to burst with abundant growth again. The merry pink and white of cosmos flower dot the countryside. Summer is an abundant time of the year as flowers are in bloom and the valleys are covered in green, weeping willows sweep the banks of many of the rivers and the pinecones glisten in the sun, so full with resin they are ready to plummet to the ground. The months in the southern region are generally hot whereas in other parts of the country it is warm and pleasant with average maximum temperatures not exceeding 30 degrees Celsius and the minimum at around 10-15 degrees Celsius. Autumn casts a bright golden landscape and is one of the more crowded times of the year for tourism to Bhutan. Beginning of December the weather takes on its winter coat where days remain crisp and the nights turn cold. The southern regions however being much lower have a more temperate climate and considerably warmer winters. Soft tufts of cloud drape lazily over mountaintops as if waiting for new life to blow it across the landscape.
Because of the irregular terrain, the climate varies greatly from place to place. In the outer foothills adjoining the Indian plains, rainfall ranges from about 150 cm to 300 cm (60–120 in) a year; the forests are hot and steaming in the rainy season, while the higher hills are cold, wet, and misty. Violent Himalayan thunderstorms gave rise to Bhutan's name, Druk-Yul, means "Land of the Thunder Dragon." Rainfall is moderate in the central belt of flat valleys (which have an elevation of 1100–3000 mtrs). The uplands and high valleys (above 3,700 mtrs) are relatively dry. There is less rainfall in eastern Bhutan. In general, the mountainous areas are cold most of the year. Temperatures there average 4°C (39°F) in January and 17°C (63°F) in July. |