The kingdom of Bhutan is situated between India and China. The 46,500 sq. km of superficial area lies between 88 deg 45' East to 92 deg 10' East in longitude and 26 deg 40' North  to 28 deg 15' North in latitude (Source 8th Five Year Plan (1997-2002) volume I, Main Document, Ministry of Planning, RGoB): roughly 150 km north to south and 300 km east to west. The terrain is among the most rugged and mountainous in the world, as most of the country lies along the Himalayan range . The land rises from the plains of India at about 100 meters above sea level in the south to more than 7500 meters above sea level in the north. This great range of altitudinal zones and varied climatic conditions makes it possible to have the most diverse flora and fauna. Bhutan has been marked as one of the ten global "hot spots" on Earth by the World Wildlife Fund.