Mountains of Bhutan
The mountains of Bhutan are some of the most prominent natural geographic features of the kingdom. Located on the southern end of the
The mountains of Bhutan define its three main geographic zones: the
Bhutan controls several strategic Himalayan mountain passes including routes between Tibet and Assam. These routes, being the only way into the kingdom, along with centuries-old policies of isolationism, have gained Bhutan the nickname "Mountain Fortress of the Gods." Although the British established a protectorate over Bhutan and occupied its lowlands, the mountainous interior has never been successfully invaded.[14]
Great Himalaya
The mountains of
The Great Himalaya contains most of the
Lower Himalayan Range
The
Unlike the Great Himalaya, there are no glaciers in the Inner Himalayan ranges, though some summits and upper slopes are covered with moraines.[21]
Black Mountains
The Black Mountains, lie to the east of the Sankosh River. Midway between Punakha and Trongsa, they separate western Bhutan from the ethnolinguistically diverse central regions and the densely populated eastern regions.[9]: 119, 181 The Black Mountains themselves spur ramifications to the southwest and southeast, reaching into Trongsa District.[3][5] Pele La pass at 3,350 metres (10,990 ft) is historically and modernly the most important pass in the Black Mountains.[9]: 84, 90, 152, 160–1
The isolation of populations in the Black Mountain area has produced great linguistic and ethnic diversity:
Between Trongsa and Jakar runs another mountain range, crossed by Yuto La pass (also called Yotong La). Continuing east, there is another ridge between Jakar and the Kuri Chhu valley, crossed by Ura La pass in Ura Gewog at 3,600 metres (11,800 ft).[9]: 84 [21]
Donga Range
The steep Donga Range separates
To the east runs another lesser spur of mountains separating Lhuentse and Trashiyangse Valleys.[9]: 84
Tawang Range
To the east of the Manas River system, the Tawang Range (also called Kollong)[5] forms the eastern boundary of Bhutan.[3] The Tawang Range originates in Tibet, to the northeast of Arunachal Pradesh.[24]
List of mountains
Mountain | Metres | Feet | District |
---|---|---|---|
Gangkhar Puensum | 7,570 | 24,836 | Gasa[note 1] |
Chomolhari Kang | 7,046 | 23,117 | Gasa[note 1] |
Jitchu Drake | 6,714 | 22,028 | Gasa |
Tongshanjiabu | 7,207 | 23,645 | Gasa[note 1] |
Kula Kangri | 7,538 | 24,731 | Gasa[note 1] |
Jomolhari | 7,326 | 24,035 | Thimphu |
Kangphu Kang | 7,204 | 23,635 | Gasa |
Liankang Kangri | 7,535 | 24,721 | Gasa[note 1] |
Masang Kang | 7,194 | 23,602 | Gasa[note 1] |
See also
References
- ^ "Bhutan". World Factbook. CIA. 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
- ^ a b c d e This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Worden, Robert L (1991). Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.). Bhutan: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. The Land.
- ^ a b c d e
Sinha, Awadhesh Coomar (2001). Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan: Tradition, Transition, and Transformation. Indus. pp. 19–22. ISBN 81-7387-119-1. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^
Singh, Pratap; Haritashya, Umesh Kumar (2011). Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers. Springer. p. 518. ISBN 90-481-2641-X. Retrieved 2011-12-06.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hunter, William Wilson (1908). James Sutherland Cotton; Sir Richard Burn; Sir William Stevenson Meyer (eds.). Gazetteers of British India, 1833–1962. Imperial Gazetteer of India. Vol. 8. Clarendon Press. p. 154. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ^ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Worden, Robert L (1991). Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.). Bhutan: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. Population – Size, Structure, and Settlement Patterns.
- ^ White, John Claude (1909). Sikhim & Bhutan: Twenty-One Years on the North-East Frontier, 1887-1908. E. Arnold. pp. 3–6. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ISBN 1-59311-734-5. Retrieved 2011-08-10.
- ^ ISBN 1-74059-529-7. Retrieved 2011-11-25.
- ^ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Worden, Robert L (1991). Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.). Bhutan: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. Transportation and Communications – Roads.
- ^ This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. Worden, Robert L (1991). Savada, Andrea Matles (ed.). Bhutan: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. River Systems.
- ISBN 81-7835-194-3. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ISBN 1-74059-529-7. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ISBN 978-81-8324-265-3.
- World Factbook. CIA. 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-04-03.
- ^ Tirwa, Badan (2008-01-19). "Managing health disaster". Thimphu: Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-01-20. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ Pelden, Sonam (2010-09-03). "Thorthormi water level brought down 43 cm". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ Iwata, Shuji (2010). Richard S. Williams, Jr; Jane G. Ferrigno (eds.). "Glaciers of Bhutan — An Overview" (PDF). Glaciers of Asia: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386–F. USGS.
- ^ Pelden, Sonam (2009-10-09). "Thorthormi water level brought down". Bhutan Observer online. Archived from the original on 2011-01-19. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
- ^ a b
Carpenter, Russell B.; Carpenter, Blyth C. (2002). The Blessings of Bhutan. University of Hawaii Press. pp. 7–8, 27, 123. ISBN 0-8248-2679-5. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
- ^ a b c d e Karan, Pradyumna Prasad; Iijima, Shigeru; Pauer, Gyula (1987). Bhutan: Development amid Environmental and Cultural Preservation. Monumenta Serindica. Institute for the Study of Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa. p. ii. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ISBN 81-7387-044-6. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ISBN 0-7007-1197-X. Retrieved 2011-12-05.
- ^ Deb, D. B; Gupta, G. Sen; Malick, K. C (1968). "A Contribution to the Flora of Bhutan". Bulletin of the Botanical Society of Bengal. 22. Botanical Society of Bengal: 170. Retrieved 2011-12-05.