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The kingdom of Bhutan lies in the
Eastern Himalayas , between Tibet to the
North, and the Indian territories of
Assam and West Bengal to the south,
Arunachal Pradesh to the east and Sikkim
to the west. The kingdom has a total
area of about 47,000 square kilometers
and spreads between meridians 89°E and
93°E, and latitudes 27°N and 29°N.
Located in the heart of the high
Himalayan mountain range, Bhutan is a
landlocked country surrounded by
mountains. The thinly populated Greater
Himalayas, bounded to the north by the
Tibetan plateau, reach heights of over
7,300 m, and extend southward losing
height, to form the fertile valleys of
the Lesser Himalayas that are divided by
the Wang, Sunkosh, Trongsa and Manas
rivers. The entire country is virtually
mountainous, the 7554-m Kulha Gangri on
the Tibetan border being the highest.
North to south, Bhutan features three
geographic regions, namely, the high
Himalayas of the north, the hills and
valleys of the interior, and the
foothills and plains of the south. Its
great rivers helped to carve its
topography and their enormous potential
for hydropower has helped shape the
economy. Monsoon influences promote
dense forestation in this region and
alpine growth at higher altitudes. The
cultivated central uplands and Himalayan
foothills support the majority of the
population. In the south, the Daurs
Plain drops sharply away from the
Himalayas into the large tracts of
semi-tropical forest, savannah grassland
and bamboo jungle. Forests and woodlands
cover 70% of Bhutan 's total area.
The Drukpas form the major chunk with
nearly 67% of the total population. They
are of two groups. Those related to the
Tibetans speak Dzongka. The other major
language is Tsangla in the east with 11
different dialects. The Nepalis form 20%
of the total Bhutanese people. Formerly
the second largest peoples group after
the Tsangla, they inhabited the southern
region mostly. However, lately due to
disagreements over government policies
they have moved back to Nepal , their
country of origin. Indians, Tibetans,
Sikkimese, Sherpas, etc., form the
remaining 13% of the population. The
unity of the Bhutanese people and
independence of the country is under
control of the state religion, Buddhism.
There is very limited religious freedom,
as government and social pressure do not
allow for public expressions of other
faiths. Buddhism is followed by 70% of
the population, while Hinduism is
practiced by 25%. The rest are either
Muslims or Christians.
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