Fact Finder - Geography

Bhutan, the 'Land of the Thunder Dragon,' is a landlocked country in the Eastern Himalayas. It is unique in that it is the only country in the world that is entirely mountainous; it has no flat land or plains. The elevation varies from about 300 feet in the south to over 24,000 feet in the north, all within a very short horizontal distance. This extreme topography has protected Bhutan from foreign invasion and preserved its unique culture for centuries. It also means that Bhutan has some of the world's most dangerous airports, like Paro, where only a handful of pilots are certified to land due to the steep surrounding peaks and the lack of a traditional flat approach.