Bhutan vs. India
Geography
| Bhutan | India | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Southern Asia, between China and India | Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and Pakistan |
| Geographic coordinates | 27 30 N, 90 30 E | 20 00 N, 77 00 E |
| Map references | Asia | Asia |
| Area | total: 38,394 sq km land: 38,394 sq km water: 0 sq km | total: 3,287,263 sq km land: 2,973,193 sq km water: 314,070 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Maryland; about one-half the size of Indiana | slightly more than one-third the size of the US |
| Land boundaries | total: 1,136 km border countries (2): China 477 km, India 659 km | total: 13,888 km border countries (6): Bangladesh 4142 km, Bhutan 659 km, Burma 1468 km, China 2659 km, Nepal 1770 km, Pakistan 3190 km |
| Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 7,000 km |
| Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate | varies; tropical in southern plains; cool winters and hot summers in central valleys; severe winters and cool summers in Himalayas | varies from tropical monsoon in south to temperate in north |
| Terrain | mostly mountainous with some fertile valleys and savanna | upland plain (Deccan Plateau) in south, flat to rolling plain along the Ganges, deserts in west, Himalayas in north |
| Elevation extremes | highest point: Gangkar Puensum 7,570 m lowest point: Drangeme Chhu 97 m mean elevation: 2,220 m | highest point: Kanchenjunga 8,586 m lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m mean elevation: 160 m |
| Natural resources | timber, hydropower, gypsum, calcium carbonate | coal (fourth-largest reserves in the world), antimony, iron ore, lead, manganese, mica, bauxite, rare earth elements, titanium ore, chromite, natural gas, diamonds, petroleum, limestone, arable land |
| 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.) | agricultural land: 60.5% (2018 est.) arable land: 52.8% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 4.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 3.5% (2018 est.) forest: 23.1% (2018 est.) other: 16.4% (2018 est.) |
| Irrigated land | 320 sq km (2012) | 667,000 sq km (2012) |
| 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 | droughts; flash floods, as well as widespread and destructive flooding from monsoonal rains; severe thunderstorms; earthquakes volcanism: Barren Island (354 m) in the Andaman Sea has been active in recent years |
| Environment - current issues | soil erosion; limited access to potable water; wildlife conservation; industrial pollution; waste disposal | deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; desertification; air pollution from industrial effluents and vehicle emissions; water pollution from raw sewage and runoff of agricultural pesticides; tap water is not potable throughout the country; huge and growing population is overstraining natural resources; preservation and quality of forests; biodiversity loss |
| 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 | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - note | landlocked; strategic location between China and India; controls several key Himalayan mountain passes | dominates South Asian subcontinent; near important Indian Ocean trade routes; Kanchenjunga, third tallest mountain in the world, lies on the border with Nepal |
| Total renewable water resources | 78 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | 1,910,900,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook
