Geography of Bhutan

Bhutan is situated on the southeast slope of the Himalayas, bordered on the north by Tibet and on the south, west and east by India.

The Himalayas dominate the north of the country, where mountain peaks can easily reach seven thousand meters: the highest point is Kula Kangri, at 7553 m. Weather is extreme in the mountains: the high peaks have perpetual snow, and the lower mountains and gorges have high winds all year round.
In the middle of the country are hills and valleys linked with each others by a series of passes reaching an elevation of more than 3000 meters.
The extreme southern strip of the nation consists in tropical plains, more typical of India. It is largely agricultural land producing mostly rice.


With 72% of the country under forest cover, the Land of the Thunder Dragon is a paradise and an environmentalist's dream. Indeed, centuries of isolationism, a small population, and topographical extremes have led Bhutan to maintain one of the most intact ecosystems in the world. The country ranks amongst the top ten countries in the world in terms of species density.

More than 60% of the endemic plant species of the eastern Himalayas can be found within Bhutan. Among the 5500 species of vascular plants known there, 60 are endemic to Bhutan itself.
770 bird species of birds have been recorded in Bhutan and much still remain unknown. Snow leopard, blue sheep, takin, marmot and musk deer are some of the species found in the high altitude. Temperate zone fauna include gray langur, himalayan black bear, red panda, wild pig and barking deer. The tropical forests in the south have tiger, clouded leopard, water buffalo and golden langur.