Haa District

Haa District (Dzongkha: ཧཱ་; Wylie: Haa; alternative spellings include "Ha") is one of the 20 dzongkhag or districts comprising Bhutan. Per the 2005 census, the population of Haa dzongkhag was 11,648, making it the second least populated dzongkhag in Bhutan after Gasa.[1] The dominant language of the district is Dzongkha, the national language.

Haa's major feature is the Haa Valley, a steep north-south valley with a narrow floor. The name Haa (pronounced "hah"), as well as the more ancient name Has (Dzongkha: ཧས་; Wylie: Has; pronounced "hay"),[2] connotes esoteric hiddenness. An alternative name for the district is "Hidden-Land Rice Valley."

Contents [hide]

1 Economy

2 Geography

3 Environment

4 Military

5 Mystical history of Haa

5.1 Black, White, and Haa Gonpa temples

5.2 Sacred oak and the upper house

5.3 The local deity Chungdue

5.4 Other features

6 See also

7 References

8 Sources

9 External links

Economy[edit]

The main crops grown in the valley are wheat and barley, although some rice is grown in the lower reaches of the valley. Potatoes, chilis, apples and other cash crops are grown by farmers on the valley floor, along terraced hillsides, and in some of the more accessible side valleys. Per the census, almost every household owns livestock of some type, most commonly yaks and cattle, but also chickens, pigs, and horses.[3] 78% of Haa is covered with forest, and forestry plays an important part in local economy.

In 2002 the valley was opened to foreign tourism, although its tourist resources remain largely undeveloped compared with Paro, Thimphu, and Bumthang districts/Dzongkhag.

Geography[edit]

Torsa Strict Nature Reserve (shaded pink) has no human inhabitants.

Haa Valley looking north, September, 2006

Haa Dzong, March, 2011

Haa Dzongkhag lies along the western border of Bhutan. To the northwest it is bounded by the Tibet. To the southwest it is bounded by Samtse Dzongkhag, to the southeast by Chukha Dzongkhag, and to the northeast by Paro Dzongkhag.

Haa is divided into six gewogs:[4]

Bji Gewog

Gakiling Gewog

Katsho Gewog

Sama Gewog

Sangbay Gewog

Uesu Gewog

Environment[edit]

Haa contains Torsa Strict Nature Reserve, one of the environmentally protected areas of Bhutan. Torsa contains no human inhabitants, occupying substantial portions of Bji and Sangbay Gewogs. Torsa is connected to Jigme Dorji National Park via biological corridor, cutting across the northeastern half of Haa District.[5]

Military[edit]

The Indian Army maintains a military base in the valley to maintain security against

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