Merak is one of the remotest gewogs under the Merak-Sakteng Drungkhag in Trashigang Dzongkhag and it has an area of 867.7 Km2. It is located in the eastern part of the Dzongkhag and shares a boundary with Shongphu gewog in the west, Sakteng gewog in the north, Kangpara gewog in the south and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the east. Merak lies in the valley of Nyera Ama RI and the altitude is about 3400-3500m above sea level. Nyakchung La, which is about 4100m and above is the pass between Merak and Sakteng gewogs and it stretches from latitude 270 17.84� to 270 18.51�N and from longitude 910 50.76� to 910 52.12�E.( report on soils of Merak Sakteng, 1999).
The Merak gewog office was constructed in 2005 and gewog has 5 Chiwogs via Merak Khatoed, Merak Khamed, Gyengo, Khelephu and Khashetng. Khelephu and Khashetng are on the lower part of the gewog where agriculture crops can be grown. The people of Merak are mostly dependent upon livestock and livestock products. Though some vegetables are grown Merak no other cereal crops can be grown in such a high altitude. Maize, barley, potatoes and vegetables are grown in the lower areas like Khasheteng and Khelephu.
The important livestock products are butter, cheese, zoedey or yitpa (fermented cheese), yak meat, wool, Yitpa or zoedey, a special Bhutanese delicacy is produced in the gewog. The Gewog has a total of 1562 population and 345 households as per the PHCB report 2017 with five chewogs and 68kms from Dzongkhag headquarter.
Gewog Profile Merak Gewog 2023
Population and land use
Area(Sq. Km) 867.70 Sq. Km
Km from Dzongkhag head Quarter to Gewog center 68 Km
Population Figure Total 2429
Male 1375
Female 1054
population Density ( per Sq. Km)
Administrative units
Gewog Center 1
Chiwogs 5
No of villages 5
No of Gongtong 0
RNR Center
RNR Center 1
Range office 1
Piggery Farm 0
Poultry farm 0
Milk Processing unit 0
Active/ registered Farmers Group 1
No of community forestry 0
No of Farm Road 8
Length of farm Road in Kms 31
No of electric fencing 0
length of electric fencing in Kms 0
No functional of Irrigation channel 0
length of functional Irrigation channel 0
Health Center
Hospital 0
No of BHU 1 0
No of BHU 11 1
ORC with shade 0
Education
Higher secondary school 0
Middle secondary school 0
Lower secondary school 0
Primary school 1
Extended classroom 0
Non formal education center (NFE) 1
Early Child Development Center(ECCD) 2
Religion and culture
No of community own Lhakhang 4
No of Government lhakhang 0
No of Private own Lhakhang 0
No of chortens 56
Bridges
Total number of motorable bridge 0
Total number of Non-motorable bridge 1
Demography by chewog wise
Sl No Chewog name Male Female Total
1 Merak_Toed 274 241 515
2 Gyen_Go 136 103 239
3 Merak_mead 371 300 671
4 Khashateng 37 72 109
5 Khiliphu 40 32 72
All chewog 1606