Rice paddies are typical of Bhutan.
The once- isolated kingdom of Bhutan lies along the lofty ridges of the eastern Himalayas. Alpine pastures on the high ranges of the snowcapped Great Himalayas are used for grazing yaks in the summer months. In the Lesser Himalayas the fertile valleys of central Bhutan are relatively flat and broad and are fairly well cultivated and populated. The northern part of the Duars immediately bordering the mountains consists of a rugged, irregular, and sloping surface. At the foot of the mountains small villages are found in forest clearings, but most of the area is covered with dense vegetation inhabited by elephants, deer, tigers, and other wild animals.