Mongar District
Encyclopedia
Mongar District is one of the 20 dzongkhag
s (districts) comprising Bhutan
. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce an essential oil
. It also has a hydro power plant on the Kuri Chhu river.
. In the east, the East Bodish
Tshangla (Sharchopkha) is the dominant language, also used as a regional lingua franca.
Central Mongar is the only region where the East Bodish Chali language
is spoken, in all by about 8,200 people in Wangmakhar, Gorsum and Tormazhong villages, mainly in and around Chhali Gewog
on east bank of Kuri Chhu
River.
Southern Mongar is likewise unique for its 1,000 Gongduk
speakers living in a few inaccessible villages of Gongdue Gewog
near the Kuri Chhu
river. The language appears to be the sole representative of a unique branch of the Tibeto-Burman
language family and retains the complex verbal agreement system of Proto-Tibeto-Burman.
In southwestern Mongar, residents speak Khengkha
, an East Bodish language closely related to Bumthangkha languages including Kurtöp
. Bumthangkha itself is also spoken by the natives of extreme northwest Mongar. Residents of the Kuri Chhu valley of northern Mongar speak Chocangacakha
, a Central Bodish language very closely related to Dzongkha, the national language.
s:
Western Mongar contains part of Thrumshingla National Park
(Saling, Tsamang Gewog
s), and northeastern Mongar contains part of Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
(Sharmung Gewog
).
Dzongkhag
A dzongkhag is an administrative and judicial district of Bhutan. The twenty dzongkhags of Bhutan are further divided into 205 gewogs. Some larger dzongkhags have one or more of an intermediate judicial division, known as dungkhags , which themselves comprise two or more gewogs...
s (districts) comprising Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. Mongar is the fastest-developing dzongkhag in eastern Bhutan. A regional hospital has been constructed and the region is bustling with many economic activities. Mongar is noted for its lemon grass, a plant that can be used to produce an essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
. It also has a hydro power plant on the Kuri Chhu river.
Languages
Mongar is home to a variety of Bhutanese languages and dialectsLanguages of Bhutan
There are over nineteen languages of Bhutan, all members of the Tibeto-Burman language family, except for Nepali which is Indo-European. Dzongkha, the national language, is the only language with a native literary tradition in Bhutan, though Lepcha and Nepali are literary languages in other countries...
. In the east, the East Bodish
East Bodish languages
The East Bodish languages are those Bodish languages not covered by the name Tibetan, such as those spoken by the Monpa. They include:*Dakpa*Dzala*Bumthang *Tawang*Black Mountain Monpa .The most divergent is Dakpa...
Tshangla (Sharchopkha) is the dominant language, also used as a regional lingua franca.
Central Mongar is the only region where the East Bodish Chali language
Chali language
The Chali language is an East Bodish language spoken by about 8,200 people in Wangmakhar, Gorsum and Tormazhong villages in Mongar District in eastern Bhutan, mainly around Chhali Gewog on east bank of Kuri Chhu River...
is spoken, in all by about 8,200 people in Wangmakhar, Gorsum and Tormazhong villages, mainly in and around Chhali Gewog
Chhali Gewog
Chali Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan. In 2002, the gewog contains 263 households and covers an area of 42 square kilometres.-Economy:...
on east bank of Kuri Chhu
Kuri Chhu
The Kuri Chhu, also known as the Lhobrak, is a major river of eastern Bhutan, that has formed a scenic valley with high peaks and steep hills...
River.
Southern Mongar is likewise unique for its 1,000 Gongduk
Gongduk language
Gongduk or Gongdu is an endangered Tibeto-Burman language spoken by about 1,000 people in a few inaccessible villages located near the Kuri Chhu river in the Gongdu Gewog of Mongar District in eastern Bhutan...
speakers living in a few inaccessible villages of Gongdue Gewog
Gongdue Gewog
Gongdue Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
near the Kuri Chhu
Kuri Chhu
The Kuri Chhu, also known as the Lhobrak, is a major river of eastern Bhutan, that has formed a scenic valley with high peaks and steep hills...
river. The language appears to be the sole representative of a unique branch of the Tibeto-Burman
Tibeto-Burman languages
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
language family and retains the complex verbal agreement system of Proto-Tibeto-Burman.
In southwestern Mongar, residents speak Khengkha
Khengkha
Khengkha, also called the Kheng language, is a member of the Tibeto-Burman language family spoken in the Zhemgang, Trongsa and Mongar districts of south central Bhutan...
, an East Bodish language closely related to Bumthangkha languages including Kurtöp
Kurtöp language
The Kurtöp language is a member of the Tibeto-Burman language family spoken in the Kurtoe Gewog, Lhuntse District, Bhutan...
. Bumthangkha itself is also spoken by the natives of extreme northwest Mongar. Residents of the Kuri Chhu valley of northern Mongar speak Chocangacakha
Chocangacakha
Chocangacakha is a Southern Tibetan language spoken by about 20,000 people in the Kurichu Valley of Lhuntse and Mongar Districts in eastern Bhutan...
, a Central Bodish language very closely related to Dzongkha, the national language.
Geography
Mongar is divided into seventeen gewogGewog
A gewog, or geog refers to a group of villages in Bhutan. Gewogs form a geographic administrative unit below dzongkhag districts , and above thromde municipalities. Bhutan comprises 205 gewogs, which average 230 km² in area...
s:
- Balam GewogBalam GewogBalam Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Chaskhar GewogChaskhar GewogChaskhar Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Chhali GewogChhali GewogChali Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan. In 2002, the gewog contains 263 households and covers an area of 42 square kilometres.-Economy:...
- Drametse GewogDrametse GewogDrametse Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Drepung GewogDrepung GewogDrepong Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Gongdue GewogGongdue GewogGongdue Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Jurmey GewogJurmey GewogJurmey Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Kengkhar GewogKengkhar GewogKengkhar Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Mongar GewogMongar GewogMongar Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Narang GewogNarang GewogNarang Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Ngatshang GewogNgatshang GewogNgatshang Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Saleng GewogSaleng GewogSaling Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Sherimung GewogSherimung GewogShermuhoong Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Silambi GewogSilambi GewogSilambi Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Thangrong GewogThangrong GewogThangrong Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Tsakaling GewogTsakaling GewogTsakaling Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
- Tsamang GewogTsamang GewogTsamang Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
Western Mongar contains part of Thrumshingla National Park
Thrumshingla National Park
Thrumshingla National Park in central Bhutan covers just over across four districts, but primarily in Mongar. It is bisected by the Lateral Road, and contains the Thrumshing La pass.-Flora and fauna:...
(Saling, Tsamang Gewog
Tsamang Gewog
Tsamang Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
s), and northeastern Mongar contains part of Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary
The Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary , which also contains the former Kulong Chu Wildlife Sanctuary, covers in north-eastern Bhutan at elevations between and . The Sanctuary covers most of Trashiyangtse District, including Bumdeling Gewog. The Sanctuary was planned in 1995 and established in 1998...
(Sharmung Gewog
Sherimung Gewog
Shermuhoong Gewog is a gewog of Mongar District, Bhutan....
).