Bhutan Geography - 2021

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Location

Southern Asia, between China and India

Geographic coordinates

27 30 N, 90 30 E

Map references

Asia

Area

total: 38,394 sq km

land: 38,394 sq km

water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Maryland; about one-half the size of Indiana

Area comparison map

Land boundaries

total: 1,136 km

border countries (2): China 477 km, India 659 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

highest point: Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m

lowest point: Drangeme Chhu 97 m

mean elevation: 2,220 m

Natural resources

timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate

Land use

agricultural land: 13.6% (2018 est.)

arable land: 2.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 85.5% (2018 est.)

other: 0.9% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

320 sq km (2012)

Total renewable water resources

78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Natural hazards

violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's Bhutanese name, which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Geography - note

landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes

NOTE: The information regarding Bhutan on this page is re-published from the 2021 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Bhutan 2021 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Bhutan 2021 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.