Dagana District
27°0′N 89°55′E / 27.000°N 89.917°E
Dagana District
དར་དཀར་ནང་རྫོང་ཁག | |
|---|---|
Map of Dagana District in Bhutan | |
| Country | Bhutan |
| Headquarters | Dagana |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,713 km2 (661 sq mi) |
| Population (2017) | |
• Total | 24,965 |
| • Density | 15/km2 (38/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+6 (BTT) |
| HDI (2019) | 0.607[1] medium · 13th of 20 |
| Website | www |
Dagana District (Dzongkha: དར་དཀར་ནང་རྫོང་ཁག; Wylie: dar-dkar-nang rzong-khag; also དར་དཀར་ན་རྫོང་ཁག) is one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Covering an area of 1,713 km2 (661 sq mi), it is located in the lower foothills of the mid-Himalayan ranges. The district had a population of 24,965 people as of 2017, living across 14 gewogs (village blocks). Economically, Dagana’s population follows mixed subsistence agriculture and livestock rearing.
History
The history of Dagana district is particularly centered around the castle of Daga Dzong. The dzong, a prominent feature of the district, was originally established in 1651 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, the unifier of Bhutan. The dzong served as an important administrative and monastic center, demonstrating the historical significance of the region in Bhutan's consolidation.[2][3][4]
Geography
Dagana District is located in the southwestern part of Bhutan. [5] It borders Sarpang District to the east, Tsirang District to the north, Chukha District to the west, and is adjacent to the Indian state of West Bengal to the south.[6] The district covers an area of approximately 1,713 km2 (661 sq mi).[7][8] Dagana is located about 230 km (140 mi) away from the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu, in the foothills of the mid Himalayan range. The topography varies with elevations ranging from 180 to 3,800 m (590 to 12,470 ft) meters above sea level. It includes rugged mountain ridges with temperate climate in the north and sub-tropical climate zone in the river valleys to the south. Th summers are hot and wet and winters are dry and cold.[9]
Dagana District itself is divided into fourteen village blocks (or gewogs)– Dorona Gewog, Drujegang Gewog, Gesarling Gewog, Goshi Gewog, Karmaling Gewog, Karna Gewog, Khebisa Gewog, Lajab Gewog, Lhamoy Zingkha Gewog, Nichula Gewog, Tashiding Gewog, Tsangkha Gewog, Tsendagang Gewog, and Tseza Gewog.[10] In April 2007, Lhamoy Zingkha Dungkhag (sub-district) was formally handed over from Sarpang Dzongkhag to Dagana Dzongkhag.[11][12] Like most of the districts of Bhutan, Dagana contains environmentally protected areas. In southeastern Dagana that is along the border with India, lies the western half of Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary, covering parts of Karmaling, Lhamoy Zingkha and Nichula Gewogs. Phibsoo has no human inhabitants.[13]
Climate
| Climate data for Dagana, elevation 1,460 m (4,790 ft), (2006–2017 normals, extremes 1996–2017) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) |
22.0 (71.6) |
26.0 (78.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.0 (84.2) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.5 (85.1) |
27.0 (80.6) |
25.0 (77.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) |
14.4 (57.9) |
17.5 (63.5) |
19.5 (67.1) |
21.8 (71.2) |
22.4 (72.3) |
22.5 (72.5) |
22.8 (73.0) |
21.8 (71.2) |
20.6 (69.1) |
17.7 (63.9) |
14.7 (58.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 8.8 (47.8) |
10.4 (50.7) |
13.3 (55.9) |
16.2 (61.2) |
18.5 (65.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
20.0 (68.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
16.7 (62.1) |
13.1 (55.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.9 (40.8) |
6.4 (43.5) |
9.1 (48.4) |
12.8 (55.0) |
15.1 (59.2) |
16.8 (62.2) |
17.5 (63.5) |
17.2 (63.0) |
15.9 (60.6) |
12.7 (54.9) |
8.5 (47.3) |
6.1 (43.0) |
11.9 (53.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.5 (29.3) |
0.0 (32.0) |
0.7 (33.3) |
5.5 (41.9) |
8.0 (46.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
12.5 (54.5) |
12.0 (53.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
5.5 (41.9) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 10.5 (0.41) |
31.8 (1.25) |
40.9 (1.61) |
99.6 (3.92) |
190.3 (7.49) |
326.1 (12.84) |
345.0 (13.58) |
323.0 (12.72) |
272.3 (10.72) |
122.4 (4.82) |
7.4 (0.29) |
5.0 (0.20) |
1,774.3 (69.85) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 72.9 | 72.6 | 71.9 | 73.7 | 78.5 | 85.0 | 88.0 | 86.2 | 85.6 | 78.1 | 72.7 | 72.9 | 78.2 |
| Source: National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (precipitation and humidity 1996–2017)[14] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Sunkosh, Dagana District, elevation 410 m (1,350 ft), (1996–2017 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 28.5 (83.3) |
32.0 (89.6) |
36.0 (96.8) |
36.0 (96.8) |
37.5 (99.5) |
37.0 (98.6) |
37.0 (98.6) |
36.5 (97.7) |
35.5 (95.9) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.0 (89.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
37.5 (99.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.6 (72.7) |
25.1 (77.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
29.8 (85.6) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.9 (87.6) |
30.6 (87.1) |
31.1 (88.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
29.5 (85.1) |
27.0 (80.6) |
23.7 (74.7) |
28.3 (83.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.7 (60.3) |
18.0 (64.4) |
20.9 (69.6) |
24.1 (75.4) |
26.1 (79.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
26.9 (80.4) |
27.0 (80.6) |
26.2 (79.2) |
23.9 (75.0) |
20.2 (68.4) |
16.9 (62.4) |
22.7 (72.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.7 (47.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
18.3 (64.9) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.0 (73.4) |
23.1 (73.6) |
22.9 (73.2) |
21.9 (71.4) |
18.2 (64.8) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.1 (50.2) |
17.1 (62.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 4.0 (39.2) |
6.0 (42.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.0 (51.8) |
16.0 (60.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
20.0 (68.0) |
19.5 (67.1) |
17.0 (62.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
8.5 (47.3) |
6.0 (42.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 8.5 (0.33) |
11.1 (0.44) |
28.0 (1.10) |
57.1 (2.25) |
100.1 (3.94) |
241.5 (9.51) |
404.3 (15.92) |
290.8 (11.45) |
164.5 (6.48) |
86.0 (3.39) |
2.1 (0.08) |
3.2 (0.13) |
1,397.2 (55.02) |
| Source: National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology[15] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
The district had a population of 24,965 people as of 2017, with 51.9% male, 48.1% female.[7][16] The population is spread across various communities and settlements, with the majority residing in rural areas. The district is home to diverse ethnic groups, including the Lhotshampas and Ngalops.[9] The economy is based on smallholder mixed farming and livestock management.[17] It has developed into a center for ecotourism based on its offering of various cultural sites, biodiversity, and festivals like the annual Tshechu festival.[5][9]
See also
References
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Dagana". Tourism Council of Bhutan. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Daga Dzong". Dzongs and Fortresses of Bhutan. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
- ^ "Daga Dzong". Drukasia. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ a b "Dagana". Government of Bhutan. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Ethnobotanical Practices among the People of Dagana District, Bhutan". Asian Plant Research Journal. 7 (3): 286–299. April 2022.
- ^ a b "Dagana district". CityPopulation.de. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Dagana Dzongkhag". Dagana Administration. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Dagana". Truly Bhutan. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ^ "Administrative layout" (PDF). Dagana Dzongkhag Administration. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "News Detail". Sarpang Dzongkhag Administration. Archived from the original on 19 March 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ "Chiwogs in Dagana" (PDF). Election Commission, Government of Bhutan. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 1 June 2011.
- ^ "Parks of Bhutan". Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation. Bhutan Trust Fund. Archived from the original on 2 July 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2011.
- ^ "Climate Data Book of Bhutan, 2018" (PDF). National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Climate Data Book of Bhutan, 2018" (PDF). National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
- ^ "District population & households" (PDF). Government of Bhutan. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Agricultural production stats" (PDF). NSB Agriculture Survey Report. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
External links
- Official dzongkha profile with map of gewogs