Geography and Environment

Geography and Environment of Bhutan

Terrain, climate, natural resources, hazards, and environmental conditions of Bhutan.

Terrain: mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna
Climate: varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas
Weather Patterns: http://voap.weather.com/weather/oap/BTXX0002?template=TRVLH&par=1003114983&unit=0&key=5b85ae1d85877a1b34827fba743e2133
Highest Point: 7553 — Kula Kangri 7,553 m
Lowest Point: 97 — Drangme Chhu 97 m

Natural Resources: Timber, hydropower, gypsum, limestone, dolomite, and graphite. Bhutan's most significant natural resource is its vast hydropower potential, driven by glacial rivers and steep mountain terrain. The country has developed this resource extensively, with hydropower exports to India serving as a primary driver of government revenue and economic growth. Forests cover a constitutionally protected majority of the country's land area, making timber and non-timber forest products an enduring resource, managed under strict conservation policies. Mineral resources including gypsum, limestone, dolomite, and graphite support domestic quarrying and small-scale industrial activity.
Natural Hazards: violent storms from the Himalayas are the source of the country's name which translates as Land of the Thunder Dragon; frequent landslides during the rainy season

Current Environmental Issues: soil erosion; limited access to potable water
International Agreements: Party To: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea

Detailed geography