Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag is located in the southeast of Bhutan, with Assam State to the south and Arunachal Pradesh to the north. To the west are Pemagatshel Dzongkhag and Trashigang Dzongkhag to the north. It has a population of 40,766 (20,786 male and 19,980 female) in 4808 households, covering an area of 1877.94 sq. km, or 4% of the country. The area is mostly forested (75%+) with broad-leaved sub-tropical evergreen trees. The climate is sub-tropical, ranging from 200-3600m elevation, with a majority of land at 600-1200m elevation. The southern strip of four Gewogs has fertile plains. The average temperature is 23.8°C with a range of 14-36°C and average annual rainfall of 5309.4mm (at Aerong).
Divide the Dzongkhag into two Dungkhags, Jomotsangkha and Samdrupchoeling, and 11 Gewogs: Dewathang, Gomdar, Langchenphu, Lauri, Martshalla, Orong, Pemathang, Phuntshothang, Samrang, Serthi, and Wangphu. These regions contain 191 villages and 58 Chiwogs. There is also one Thromde (Samdrupjongkhar) and two Satellite towns (Samdrupcholing and Jomotsangkha).
Samdrup Jongkhar is a business hub for 5 eastern Dzongkhags with access to the highway and Indian market. Located at the Indian border, access is provided but economic opportunities are threatened by Indian control of the wholesale market. The town has an FCB warehouse for the storage and auction of crops, mainly mandarin and ginger. However, strikes in Assam impede transportation, and porous borders allow illegal extraction in the forest.
The Parliament designated Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde as one of four Class A Thromdes in August 2010. The Thromde covers Samdrup Jongkhar to Dewathang and split from the Dzongkhag Admin on March 14th, 2011.
45 civil servants, 11 ESPs, 2 GSPs, 6 drivers, 4 ADB staff members, and one contract worker staff the Thromde Administration.
Samdrup Jongkhar Thromde, bordering Assam, spans from Dewathang to the India-Bhutan gateway in the south. With 10,545 residents and 4.47 sq km, it’s a bustling hub.