General Knowledge; Geography of Nepal

Geography of Nepal

Geography refers to the study of the Earth's structure, climate, flora and fauna, soil, minerals, and human activities. It is generally divided into two branches:

• Physical Geography: Includes geomorphology, climatology, and biology.
• Human Geography: Covers economic, political, historical, social, industrial, demographic, agricultural, cultural, and regional aspects.

Physical Geography of Nepal

Location

Nepal is a landlocked country situated between 26°22' to 30°27' North latitude and 80°4' to 88°12' East longitude. It occupies 0.03% of the world's land area and 0.3% of Asia's, with a total area of 147,181 sq km.

• East-West Length: 885 km
• North-South Width: Maximum 241 km, minimum 145 km, average 193 km
• Borders:
  • North: China (1,415 km)
  • East, South, West: India (1,808 km)
  • Total border length: 3,223 km
• Nearest Seaport: Bay of Bengal (1,126 km away)
• Nearest Third Countries: Bangladesh (27 km), Bhutan (32 km)
• Bordering Indian States: Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
• Geographical Extremes:
  • Northernmost Point: Changla Bhanjyang, Humla
  • Easternmost Point: Taplejung
  • Southernmost Point: Lodawari, Jhapa
  • Westernmost Point: Dodhara, Kanchanpur

Division by District Coverage

Geographical Region	Number of Districts	Area
Himalayan Region	16	15% (22,077.15 sq km)
Hilly Region	39	68% (100,083.08 sq km)
Terai Region	20	17% (25,020.77 sq km)

Division by Topography

Region	Elevation	Area
Himalayan Region	3,000–8,848 m	35% (51,513.35 sq km)
Hilly Region	600–3,000 m	42% (61,816.02 sq km)
Terai Region	70–600 m	23% (33,851.63 sq km)

Note: The area covered by districts and actual topographic area may differ. For example, Nawalparasi is counted as a Terai district but includes hilly areas.

Himalayan Region

• Elevation: 3,000–8,848 m, up to Tibet's southern border
• Area: 15% (22,077.15 sq km)
• Width: 25–50 km (north-south)
• Geology: Sedimentary rocks, narrower in the east, wider in the west
• Sub-regions: Main Himalaya, Inner Himalaya, Marginal Himalaya
• Population: 6.73% (2068 BS Census)
• Ethnic Groups: Sherpa, Thakali, Bhote, Manangi
• Occupation: Animal husbandry, livestock products
• Districts:

  S.N.	District	S.N.	District
  1	Taplejung	9	Mustang
  2	Sankhuwasabha	10	Dolpa
  3	Solukhumbu	11	Humla
  4	Dolakha	12	Jumla
  5	Sindhupalchok	13	Bajhang
  6	Rasuwa	14	Kalikot
  7	Gorkha	15	Mugu
  8	Manang	16	Darchula

Hilly Region

• Elevation: 600–3,000 m
• Area: 68% (100,083.08 sq km)
• Width: 75–125 km
• Population: 43% (2068 BS Census)
• Occupation: Agriculture
• Ethnic Groups: Brahmin, Chhetri, Kirat, Gurung, Magar, Tamang, Rai, Limbu
• Sub-regions: Mid-hills, Mahabharat Range, Chure Range
• Districts:

  S.N.	District	S.N.	District	S.N.	District	S.N.	District
  1	Panchthar	11	Kavrepalanchok	21	Dhading	31	Jajarkot
  2	Ilam	12	Nuwakot	22	Parbat	32	Surkhet
  3	Dhankuta	13	Kathmandu	23	Myagdi	33	Dailekh
  4	Terhathum	14	Bhaktapur	24	Syangja	34	Doti
  5	Bhojpur	15	Lalitpur	25	Gulmi	35	Bajura
  6	Udayapur	16	Makwanpur	26	Palpa	36	Achham
  7	Khotang	17	Lamjung	27	Arghakhanchi	37	Dadeldhura
  8	Okhaldhunga	18	Tanahu	28	Salyan	38	Baitadi
  9	Ramechhap	19	Kaski	29	Pyuthan	39	Rukum
  10	Sindhuli	20	Baglung	30	Rolpa

Terai Region

• Elevation: 70–600 m
• Area: 17% (25,020.77 sq km)
• Width: 25–30 km
• Population: 50.27% (2068 BS Census)
• Ethnic Groups: Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, Tharu
• Significance: Industrial, commercial, transportation hub, Nepal's granary
• Sub-regions: Main Terai, Bhabar Zone, Inner Madhesh
• Districts:

  S.N.	District	S.N.	District	S.N.	District	S.N.	District
  1	Jhapa	6	Dhanusha	11	Rautahat	16	Dang
  2	Morang	7	Mahottari	12	Chitwan	17	Banke
  3	Sunsari	8	Sarlahi	13	Nawalparasi	18	Bardiya
  4	Saptari	9	Bara	14	Kapilvastu	19	Kailali
  5	Siraha	10	Parsa	15	Rupandehi	20	Kanchanpur

Development Regions and Headquarters

S.N.	Development Region	Area	Headquarters
1	Eastern	28,456 sq km	Dhankuta
2	Central	27,410 sq km	Hetauda
3	Western	29,398 sq km	Pokhara (Kaski)
4	Mid-Western	42,378 sq km	Birendranagar (Surkhet)
5	Far-Western	19,539 sq km	Dipayal (Doti)

Peaks Above 8,000 Meters

S.N.	Peak	Elevation	Range
1	Everest	8,848 m	Khumbu/Mahalangur
2	Kanchenjunga	8,586 m	Kanchenjunga
3	Lhotse	8,516 m	Khumbu/Mahalangur
4	Makalu	8,463 m	Kumbhakarna
5	Cho Oyu	8,201 m	Khumbu/Mahalangur
6	Dhaulagiri	8,167 m	Dhaulagiri
7	Manaslu	8,163 m	Manaslu
8	Annapurna	8,091 m	Annapurna

Districts Bordering India and China

Districts Bordering Only India:

S.N.	District	S.N.	District	S.N.	District
1	Baitadi	9	Rupandehi	17	Dhanusha
2	Dadeldhura	10	Nawalparasi	18	Siraha
3	Kanchanpur	11	Chitwan	19	Saptari
4	Kailali	12	Parsa	20	Sunsari
5	Bardiya	13	Rautahat	21	Morang
6	Banke	14	Bara	22	Jhapa
7	Dang	15	Sarlahi	23	Ilam
8	Kapilvastu	16	Mahottari	24	Panchthar

Districts Bordering Only China:

S.N.	District	S.N.	District
1	Bajhang	8	Dhading
2	Mugu	9	Rasuwa
3	Humla	10	Sindhupalchok
4	Dolpa	11	Dolakha
5	Mustang	12	Solukhumbu
6	Manang	13	Sankhuwasabha
7	Gorkha

Districts Bordering Both India and China: Darchula, Taplejung

Notable Peaks

• Pasang Lhamu Chuli: 7,351 m (Khumbu/Mahalangur), named after Pasang Lhamu, the first Nepali woman to climb Everest; royalties go to the Pasang Lhamu Mountaineering Foundation.
• Shanti Shikhar: 7,591 m (Khumbu/Mahalangur), named on 2048 BS Poush 23, opened for mountaineering.

Dasgaja and New Territory

• Dasgaja: A 10-yard wide strip along the Nepal-India border established after the 1816 Sugauli Treaty, marked by pillars.
• New Territory: Banke, Bardiya, Kailali, and Kanchanpur, returned to Nepal in 1860 after aiding the British in the 1857 Indian Rebellion.

Climate of Nepal

Climate Type	Elevation	Characteristics
Tropical Monsoon	Up to 1,200 m	Summer: 15–40°C, Winter: 5–15°C, 1,300–2,600 mm rainfall, ideal for agriculture (rice, jute).
Warm Temperate	1,200–2,100 m	Summer: 24–30°C, Winter: 0°C, 125 cm rainfall.
Cool Temperate	2,100–3,300 m	Summer: 15–20°C, Winter: Below 0°C, 100 cm rainfall, snow in winter.
Alpine	3,300–5,000 m	Summer: 10–15°C, Winter: Below 0°C, 40 cm rainfall, suitable for animal husbandry.
Tundra	Above 5,000 m	Below 0°C, snow instead of rain, Himalayan desert climate.

Seasons

S.N.	Months	Season	Characteristics
1	Chaitra–Baisakh	Spring	Blooming, pleasant
2	Jestha–Ashadh	Summer	Very hot
3	Shrawan–Bhadra	Monsoon	Heavy rainfall
4	Ashoj–Kartik	Autumn	Favorable weather
5	Mangsir–Poush	Pre-Winter	Cool
6	Magh–Falgun	Winter	Snow, very cold

Water Resources

• Significance: Nepal is the second richest country globally and first in Asia for water resources.
• Sources: Glaciers, rivers (over 6,000), lakes, ponds, springs
• Capacity: 202,000 million cubic meters storage, 83,000 MW hydropower potential (42,000 MW economically viable), irrigation for 8 million hectares

Rivers

Region	River	Length	Characteristics
Koshi	Sapta Koshi	720 km (152 km in Nepal)	Flow capacity: 1,564 cu m/s, irrigates 33,000 sq km, largest river in Nepal
Gandaki	Sapta Gandaki	338 km	Flow capacity: 1,700 cu m/s, irrigates 26,000 sq km, deepest river
Karnali	Karnali	507 km	Flow capacity: 1,300 cu m/s, irrigates 49,000 sq km, longest river in Nepal