# Sarpang District

26°50′N 90°15′E﻿ / ﻿26.833°N 90.250°E﻿ / 26.833; 90.250
Sarpang District (Dzongkha: གསར་སྤང་རྫོང་ཁག་; Wylie: Gsar-spang rdzong-khag; also known as "Geylegphug") is one of the 20 dzongkhags (districts) comprising Bhutan. Sarpang covers a total area of 1,946 km$^2$ (751 sq mi) and stretches from Lhamoizhingkha in West Bhutan to Manas National Park in the east. Sarpang Dzongkhag is divided into one dungkhag, Gelephu, and 12 gewogs.

## Languages

The dominant language in Sarpang is Nepali, an Indo-European language spoken by the heterogeneous Lhotshampa community. The East Bodish Kheng language is also spoken in the northeastern reaches of the district.

## Administrative divisions

Sarpang District is currently divided into twelve village blocks (or gewogs):
* Chhuzagang Gewog
* Chhudzom Gewog
* Dekiling Gewog
* Gakiling Gewog
* Gelephu Gewog
* Jigmechhoeling Gewog
* Samtenling Gewog
* Senghe Gewog
* Serzhong Gewog
* Shompangkha Gewog
* Tareythang Gewog
* Umling Gewog

## Environment

Much of Sarpang District consists of environmentally protected areas. Far western Sarpang District (the gewog of Senghe) contains part of the uninhabited Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary along the India border; northern Sarpang District (the gewog of Jigmechhoeling) is part of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park; eastern and southeastern Sarpang District (the gewogs of Jigmechhoeling, Tareythang and Umling) lie within Royal Manas National Park. Sarpang is bisected by a wide swath of biological corridor connecting all three environmentally protected areas.

## History

On April 26, 2007, Lhamoy Zingkha Dungkhag (sub-district) was formally transferred from Sarpang Dzongkhag to Dagana Dzongkhag, affecting the town of Lhamozingkha and three gewogs – Lhamoizingkha, Deorali and Nichula Gewogs (Zinchula) – that formed the westernmost part of Sarpang and became the southernmost part of Dagana.

## Climate

Climate data for Gelephu (Bhur), Sarpang District, elevation 375 m (1,230 ft), (1996–2017 normals) :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.0 (86.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 33.2 (91.8) | 36.4 (97.5) | 37.0 (98.6) | 36.0 (96.8) | 38.5 (101.3) | 38.8 (101.8) | 39.0 (102.2) | 37.0 (98.6) | 35.0 (95.0) | 32.0 (89.6) | 39.0 (102.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) | 24.0 (75.2) | 26.4 (79.5) | 27.6 (81.7) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.1 (84.4) | 29.5 (85.1) | 30.2 (86.4) | 29.6 (85.3) | 28.7 (83.7) | 26.3 (79.3) | 23.8 (74.8) | 27.2 (80.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.9 (67.8) | 22.4 (72.3) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 26.7 (80.1) | 27.2 (81.0) | 26.5 (79.7) | 24.9 (76.8) | 22.0 (71.6) | 19.3 (66.7) | 23.6 (74.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.8 (60.4) | 18.4 (65.1) | 20.7 (69.3) | 22.4 (72.3) | 23.5 (74.3) | 23.9 (75.0) | 24.2 (75.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 21.1 (70.0) | 17.7 (63.9) | 14.7 (58.5) | 19.9 (67.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 6.0 (42.8) | 8.0 (46.4) | 10.0 (50.0) | 13.0 (55.4) | 15.5 (59.9) | 18.2 (64.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.5 (67.1) | 18.5 (65.3) | 15.0 (59.0) | 10.5 (50.9) | 7.0 (44.6) | 6.0 (42.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 16.6 (0.65) | 29.0 (1.14) | 73.6 (2.90) | 237.3 (9.34) | 445.6 (17.54) | 1,032.7 (40.66) | 1,313.7 (51.72) | 1,051.9 (41.41) | 686.2 (27.02) | 192.7 (7.59) | 16.3 (0.64) | 10.0 (0.39) | 5,105.6 (201) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70.2 | 68.9 | 69.2 | 78.8 | 82.0 | 86.5 | 87.5 | 85.9 | 83.5 | 76.6 | 71.9 | 70.5 | 77.6 |
| Source: National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology ||||||||||||||