Province No. 1
Province No. 1 (proposed names: Koshi or Purbanchal)[2] is one of the seven provinces established by the new constitution of Nepal which was adopted on 20 September 2015.[2]
As per a CDC (Constituency Delimitation Commission) report, Province No. 1 has 28 parliamentary seats and 56 provincial seats under the first-past-the-post voting system.[3] As per a 17 January 2018 cabinet meeting, the city of Biratnagar was declared the interim capital of Province No. 1. It was declared as the permanent capital of Province No. 1 on 6 May 2019 when two-third of MLAs voted in favour of Biratnagar in provincial assembly of Province No. 1.[1] It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal to the east, Province No. 3 and Province No. 2 to the west, and Bihar of India to the south.[4][5][6]
According to the 2011 census, there are around 4.5 million people in the province, with a population density of 175.6 per square kilometer.[7]
Contents
Geography[edit]
Province No. 1 covers an area of 25,905 km2.[7] The Province has three-fold geographical division: Himalayan in the north, Hilly in the middle and Terai in the southern part of Nepal, varying between an altitude of 70 m and 8,848 m. Terai, extended from east to west, is made up of alluvial soil. To the west of Koshi River, in between Mahabharat Range and Churia Range, there elongates a valley called Inner Terai. Churai Range, Mahabharat Range and other hills of various height, basins, tars and valleys form the hilly region. Some parts of this region are favorable for agriculture but some other parts are not. Himalayan region, in the north, consists of many mountains ranges. Mahalangur, Kumbhakarna, Umvek, Lumba Sumba and Janak being some of them. The highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest (8848 m); and the third highest mountain, Kangchenjunga (8598 m) also lie in this Province.
Nepal's lowest point, Kechana Kawal at 70 m, is located in Jhapa district of this Province. There are many river basins and gentle slopes as well. Chure, Mahabharat, many basins, tars and valleys form the Terai region. Between the Churia and Mahabharat a low land of inner Terai exists. The Koshi river flows through the region with its seven tributaries; Indrawati, Likhu, Tamur, Dudh Kosi, Arun, Tamakoshi and Bhote Koshi (Sunkoshi). Tundra vegetables, coniferous forest, deciduous monsoon forests and sub-tropical evergreen woods are vegetations found here. Sub-tropical, temperate, sub-temperate, and alpine and tundra types of climates are found here.
Province No. 1 also includes the snow fall capped peaks including Mt. Everest, Kangchenjunga, Makalu with Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, and Taplejung districts towards the north, the jungle clad hill tracts of Okhaldhunga, Khotang, Bhojpur, Tehrathum, Ilam and Panchthar in the middle and the alluvial fertile plains of Udayapur, Sunsari, Morang and Jhapa. Province 1 includes places like Haleshi Mahadev Temple, Pathivara Temple and Barahachhetra, which are the famous religious shrines for Hindus.
Climate[edit]
Climatic conditions of Nepal vary from one place to another in accordance with their geographical features. Province no. 1 has three geographical folds: The low-land of Terai, the hilly region and the highlands of the Himalayas. The low land altitude is 59 m. Whereas the highest point is 8848 m.
In the north summers are cool and winters severe, while in the south summers are tropical and winters are mild. Climatically, the southern belt of Province, the Terai, experiences warm and humid climate. Eastern Nepal receives approximately 2,500 millimeters of rain annually. Province no. 1 has five seasons: spring, summer, monsoon, autumn and winter.
Location | August
(°F) |
August
(°C) |
January
(°F) |
January
(°C) |
Annual
Precipitation (mm/in) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Damak | 94 / 82 | 34 / 28 | 74 / 47 | 23 / 8 | 2618 /103.07 |
Dharan | 85.1/72.3 | 29.5/22.4 | 68.4/44.4 | 20.2/6.9 | 1416/55.7 |
Biratnagar | 83.1 | 28.4 | 60.8 | 16 | 1549.8/61 |
Bhadrapur | 82.2 | 27.9 | 61.2 | 16.2 | 2351.9/92.6 |
Dhankuta | 76.5 | 24.7 | 54.5 | 12.5 | 1809.5/71.2 |
Khandbari | 74.8 | 23.8 | 52 | 11.1 | 2040.7/80.3 |
Ilam | 71.8 | 22.1 | 50.9 | 10.5 | 2551.5/100.5 |
Bhojpur | 69.1 | 20.6 | 46.8 | 8.2 | 2290.4/90.2 |
Khumbu Pasang Lhamu | 56.1/38.3 | 13.4/3.5 | 33.8/-0.8 | 1/-18.2 | 645/25.4 |
Mountains[edit]

Northern part of Province No. 1 has the highest mountain of the world. Here is a list of mountains in Province No. 1.
Mountain/Peak | metres | feet | Section | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount Everest | 8,848 | 29,029 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Earth's highest from sea level |
Kanchenjunga | 8,586 | 28,169 | Northern Kangchenjunga | 3rd highest on Earth |
Lhotse | 8,516 | 27,940 | Everest Group | 4th highest |
Makalu | 8,463 | 27,766 | Makalu Mahalangur | 5th highest |
Cho Oyu | 8,201 | 26,906 | Khumbu Mahalangur | 6th highest |
Gyachung Kang | 7,952 | 26,089 | Khumbu Mahalangur | between Everest and Cho Oyu |
Nuptse | 7,861 | 25,791 | Everest Group | 319 metres prominence from Lhotse |
Jannu | 7,711 | 25,299 | Kumbhakarna Kangchenjunga | |
Kabru | 7,412 | 24,318 | Singalila Kangchenjunga | |
Kirat Chuli | 7,365 | 24,163 | Kangchenjunga | |
Nangpai Gosum | 7,350 | 24,114 | Khumbu Mahalangur | |
Chamlang | 7,321 | 24,019 | Barun Mahalangur | #79 in the world |
Pumori | 7,161 | 23,494 | Khumbu Mahalangur | First ascent 1962 |
Baruntse | 7,129 | 23,389 | Barun Mahalangur | First ascent 1954 |
Ama Dablam | 6,812 | 22,349 | Barun Mahalangur | "Mother and her necklace" |
Kangtega | 6,782 | 22,251 | Barun Mahalangur | First ascent 1963 |
Cho Polu | 6,735 | 22,096 | Barun Mahalangur | First ascent 1999 |
Lingtren | 6,714 | 22,028 | Khumbu Mahalangur | First ascent 1935 |
Num Ri | 6,677 | 21,906 | Barun Mahalangur | First ascent 2002 |
Khumbutse | 6,640 | 21,785 | Khumbu Mahalangur | First mountain west of Everest |
Thamserku | 6,623 | 21,729 | Barun Mahalangur | First ascent 1964 |
Pangboche | 6,620 | 21,719 | Kutang Himal | |
Taboche | 6,542 | 21,463 | Khumbu Mahalangur | First ascent 1974 |
Mera Peak | 6,476 | 21,247 | Himalayas | Trekking peak |
Cholatse | 6,440 | 21,129 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Connected to Taboche |
Kusum Kangguru | 6,367 | 20,889 | Barun Mahalangur | Trekking peak (difficult) |
Ombigaichan | 6,340 | 20,801 | Barun Mahalangur | |
Kongde Ri | 6,187 | 20,299 | Barun Mahalangur | Trekking peak (difficult) |
Imja Tse | 6,160 | 20,210 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Also known as Island Peak. Popular trekking peak. |
Lobuche | 6,145 | 20,161 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Trekking peak |
Nirekha | 6,069 | 19,911 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Trekking peak (difficult) |
Pokalde | 5,806 | 19,049 | Khumbu Mahalangur | Trekking peak (moderate) |
Mount Khumbila | 5,761 | 18,901 | Mahalangur | Unclimbed |
Kala Patthar | 5,545 | 18,192 | Khumbu Mah | Popular hiking peak below Pumori |
Gokyo Ri | 5,357 | 17,575 | Himalayas | Popular hiking peak |
Rivers[edit]
There are many rivers in the region which flow towards south from the Himalayas which are tributaries of other large rivers which joins Ganga River (in India). Sapt Koshi or the Koshi is the main river of the region. Seven tributaries join the Koshi so it called Saptkoshi.
The major rivers in the province are:
- Mechi River
- Kankai River
- Koshi River (SaptaKoshi) Below given names are tributaries:
Protected Areas[edit]
- Sagarmatha National Park – 1,148 km2 (443 sq mi) (National Park)
- Makalu Barun National Park – 1,500 km2 (580 sq mi) (National Park)
- Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – 175 km2 (68 sq mi) (Wildlife reserves)
- Kanchenjunga Conservation Area – 2,035 km2 (786 sq mi) (Conservation areas)
- Gokyo Lake Complex – 7,770 ha (30.0 sq mi) (Ramsar Sites)
- Kosi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – 17,500 ha (68 sq mi) (Ramsar Sites)
- Mai Pokhari – 90 ha (220 acres) (Ramsar Sites)
Subdivisions[edit]
There are total 137 local administrative units in this province, in which there is 1 metropolitan city, 2 sub-metropolitan cities, 46 municipalities and 88 rural municipalities.
Districts[edit]
The province is made up of the 14 following districts:
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|
|
|
Municipality[edit]
Cities and villages are governed by municipalities in Nepal. A district may have one or more municipalities. Province No. 1 has two types of municipalities.
- Urban Municipality (Urban Municipality has three levels):
- Metropolitan city
- Sub-metropolitan city and
- Municipality
- Rural Municipality (Gaunpalika)
The government of Nepal has set out a minimum criteria to meet city and towns. These criteria include a certain population, infrastructure and revenues.
Rank | District | Pop. | Rank | District | Pop. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Biratnagar ![]() Itahari |
1 | Biratnagar | Morang | 214,663 | 11 | Bhadrapur | Jhapa | 65,543 | ![]() Dharan ![]() Mechinagar |
2 | Itahari | Sunsari | 140,517 | 12 | Shivasataxi | Jhapa | 64,596 | ||
3 | Dharan | Sunsari | 137,705 | 13 | Inaruwa | Sunsari | 63,593 | ||
4 | Mechinagar | Jhapa | 111,797 | 14 | Pathari Sanischare | Morang | 62,440 | ||
5 | Triyuga | Udayapur | 87,557 | 15 | Arjundhara | Jhapa | 60,204 | ||
6 | Birtamod | Jhapa | 81,878 | 16 | Suryodaya | Ilam | 56,691 | ||
7 | Sundar Haraincha | Morang | 80,518 | 17 | Duhabi | Sunsari | 56,269 | ||
8 | Barahachhetra | Sunsari | 77,408 | 18 | Katari | Udayapur | 56,146 | ||
9 | Damak | Jhapa | 75,102 | 19 | Ratuwamai | Morang | 55,380 | ||
10 | Belbari | Morang | 65,892 | 20 | Urlabari | Morang | 54,696 |
Religion in Province No. 1
Administration[edit]
The first provincial assembly elections in Nepal were held on 26 November and 7 December 2017.
After the results of the recent election in Province No. 1 the biggest party is CPN (UML) which wins 51 seats out of 93 seats and second biggest party is Nepali Congress which wins 21 seats and third biggest party is CPN (Maoist Center) which wins 15 seats in first Provincial Assembly election.[9]
There are 56 FPTP and 37 PR seats in the province.
In a meeting on 17 January 2018 government of Nepal finalized the temporary capital of Province No. 1, the meeting also appointed Govinda Subba as the Governor.[10]
Sher Dhan Rai was elected as Chief Minister of Province No. 1 on February 14, 2018.[11] He was a former Minister for Information and Communications. He was appointed as the chief minister, according to Article 168 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal.[11]
Provincial Assembly[edit]
The first meeting of the provincial assembly was held on 5 February 2018 in Biratnagar and was chaired by Om Prakash Sarbagi.[12] Pradeep Kumar Bhandari was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly on 11 February 2018.[13] Saraswoti Pokharel was also elected unopposed to the post of Deputy Speaker on 15 February 2018.[14]
Party | FPTP | PR | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|
NCP | 46 | 20 | 66 | |
Nepali Congress | 8 | 13 | 21 | |
Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Independent | 1 | - | 1 | |
Total | 56 | 37 | 93 | |
Source: Election Commission of Nepal |
Cabinet[edit]
Portfolio | Name | Party |
---|---|---|
Chief Minister | Sher Dhan Rai[15] | NCP |
Minister for Internal Affairs and Law | Hikmat Karki[15] | NCP |
Minister for Social Development | Jivan Ghimire[15] | NCP |
Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment | Jagadish Kusiyat[15] | NCP |
Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning | Indra Bahadur Aangbo[15] | NCP |
Transportation[edit]
All provinces of Nepal except Province No. 2 have difficult geographic features. Only three districts out of fourteen of Province No. 1 falls in terai and one district falls in inner terai. Other all districts have difficult features, so road networks are not well developed. There is no train facility. Air services are available.
Roadways[edit]
Almost all districts are connected by roads in Province No. 1, although some roads in high altitudes are not paved and conditions of the road worsen during rainy season. In the hills and mountains, the traffic can be very slow due to the difficult terrain and poor road conditions.
Main Highways of Province No. 1 which connects Terai to the high attitude regions.
- Mechi Highway: 2 lanes highway which is 268 km long connects Jhapa to Taplejung. The main destinations along the highway include Prithivinagar, Bhadrapur, Duhagadhi, Budhabare, Kanyam, and Phikkal.
- Koshi Highway: 2 lanes of road and 159 km long, starts from Biratnagar and connects Myanglung with it. Itahari, Dharan, Dhankuta, Bhedetar, Hile etc. are the destinations along with highway.
- Sagarmatha Highway: 2 lanes, 265 km long highway starts from Kadmaha of Province No. 2 and connects Solukhumbu with it. Gaighat, Saune etc. are the destinations along with highway.
- Mahendra Highway The longest road of nepal which begins in province no 1
Airways[edit]
Many domestic airports and air services are available in the region.
Airports in Provinc No. 1:
- Bhojpur Airport (Bhojpur)
- Biratnagar Airport (Biratnagar)
- Kangel Danda Airport (Kangel, Solukhumbu)
- Man Maya Airport (Khanidanda, Khotang)
- Thamkharka Airport (Khotang Bazar)
- Lamidanda Airport (Lamidanda, Khotang)
- Tenzing-Hillary Airport (Lukla, Solukhumbu)
- Phaplu Airport (Phaplu, Solukhumbu)
- Rumjatar Airport (Rumjatar, Okhladhunga)
- Syangboche Airport (Syangboche, Solukhumbu)
- Taplejung Airport (Taplejung)
- Tumlingtar Airport (Tumlingtar, Sankhuwasabha)
- Bhadrapur Airport (Bhadrapur, Jhapa)
- Dharan Airport (Dharan, Sunsari) (proposed)[16]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "प्रदेश १ राजधानी : विराटनगरको पक्षमा दुईतिहाई, नाम टुंगो लागेन" [Province No. 1 Capital: Two third of MLA voated in faviour of Biratnagar]. annapurnapost.com (in Nepali). Annapurna Post. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ a b "Nepal Provinces". statoids.com. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
- ^ "EDITORIAL: Important step". The Himalayan Times. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ "Biratnagar celebrates its status of provincial capital". thehimalayantimes.com. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ "Locals intensify protest in Dhankuta after Biratnagar named as provincial HQ". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ "Nepal government announces Provincial Capitals and Chiefs". ddinews.gov.in. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Province 1: Call for opportunities in land of great promise". Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. 12 August 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
- ^ "Nepal Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase. Retrieved 2018-04-28.
- ^ "Province No. 1". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Government finalises provinces' governors and temporary headquarters". nepalekhabar.com. 17 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
- ^ a b "Sherdhan Rai elected CM of Province 1". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "First Province Assembly meeting of Province 1 today". Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ "Pradeep Bhandari named Province 1 speaker". Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ "Province 1 endorses Saraswoti Pokhrel's candidacy for deputy speaker". Kathmandu Tribune. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "Rai sworn in as Province 1 chief minister". The Himalayan Times. 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-03-23.
- ^ "Feasibility report of larger Dharan Airport ready". Nagrik News. 1 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2019.