Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 7-18
The Kingdom of Bhutan.
Over 10,000 ft.
Over 3,000 ft.
Over 600 ft.
T owns
CHINA
(Tibet)
Chomo Lhari
23,992 ft
(7,313 m)
Gankar Punsum
23,750 ft (7,239 m)
INDIA
(Sikkim)
INDIA
(Arunachal
Pradesh)
Thimpu
0
25
50 mi
INDIA (Assam)
0
25
50 km
land is cultivated. Most cropping is confined to the
flatter alluvial valley floors and narrow terraces. However,
Bhutan is no longer self-sufficient in cereals. Efforts are
being made to diversify agriculture from traditional
maize and rice to fruit and vegetables, especially for
export to India. One long-standing export crop is
cardamom , a spice commonly used in South Asian cuisine.
There is evidence that some commercial crops are cultur-
ally and environmentally inappropriate.
Bhutan is also a source of hydroelectric power,
convenient to India' s industrial region west of Kolkhata.
Indiis active in dam construction and has negotiated
power-sharing agreements. In fact, most of Bhutan' s
generated power is used by India. As most foreign aid and
development assistance is also from India, Bhutan finds
itself in an ever-tightening dependency relationship.
Modernization began in the 1950s. However, the
country is too small to develop any economies of scale.
Figure 7-19
These Drukpar are herders in the Bumthang V alley
of east-central Bhutan. The Drukpar are nomadic
yak herders who move seasonally with their
animals between the high pastures and the
lowland forests. Photograph courtesy of David Zurick,
Eastern Kentucky University .
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search