Koshi Province
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Koshi Province () is the autonomous easternmost province adopted by the Constitution of Nepal on 20 September 2015. The province is rich in natural resources, tourist attractions, recreational activities, and natural beauty. The province covers an area of , about 17.5% of the country's total area. With the industrial city of Biratnagar as its capital, the province includes major eastern towns of Birtamod,
Sundar Haraincha Sundar Haraicha ( ne, सुन्दर हरैचा) is a municipality in Morang District of Province No. 1 in Nepal. It is centered around Biratchowk town which is the gateway to Biratnagar. It borders Itahari Sub- Metropolitan city to the ...
, Damak, Dharan, Itahari,
Triyuga Municipality Triyuga ( ne, त्रियुगा) is one of eight municipalities of Udayapur district of the Province No. 1 of Nepal. Gaighat is the headquarter of the municipality. According to the 1991 Nepal census, it had a population of 55,291. Accordi ...
and Mechinagar, and the Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga and Ama Dablam.
Koshi River The Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोशी, , hi, कोसी, ) is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence ...
, the largest river of the nation, forms the province's western boundary. Under the First-past-the-post voting system issued by the
Constituency Delimitation Commission, Nepal The Constituency Delimitation Commission (निर्वाचन क्षेत्र निर्धारण आयोग) was formed by government of Nepal to carry out delimitation of federal boundaries in Nepal. It was formed on 20 July 201 ...
, the province hosts 28 parliamentary seats and 56 provincial assembly seats. The province is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
to the north, the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal to the east, Bihar to the south, and Bagmati Province and Madhesh Province to the west. According to the
2021 Nepal census The 2021 Nepal Census was the twelfth nationwide census of Nepal conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The census was originally scheduled from 8 June to 22 June 2021, but was postponed to November 2021 due to surge in COVID-19 cases. ...
, there are around five million people in the province, with a population density of 190 per square kilometre. In the
2011 Nepal census Nepal conducted a widespread national census in 2011 by the Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics. Working with the 58 municipalities and the 3915 Village Development Committees at a district level, they recorded data from all the municipalities an ...
, the province had approximately 4.5 million people.


Etymology

The province is named ''Koshi'' after the
Koshi River The Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोशी, , hi, कोसी, ) is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence ...
, which is the largest river in the country. On 1 March 2023 the former temporary name of the province, Province No. 1, was changed to Koshi Province. The Kosi river is significantly and culturally an important river of Nepal. The Koshi river is called ''Kausika'' in the '' Rigveda'' and ''Kausiki'' in the '' Mahabharata''. The Kosi is associated with many ancient spiritual stories. It is mentioned in the Bal Kand section of Valmiki's '' Ramayana'' as the Kausiki who is the form assumed by Satyavati after her death. In the Markandeya Purana, the Kosi is described as the primal force. Due to the violent nature of the Kosi in
monsoon season The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
, legend says that Parvati, the wife of Shiva, after defeating the demon Durg, became known as the warrior goddess Durga who transformed into Kaushiki. In Ramayana, the river Ganges is depicted as her elder sister. According to Mahabharata epic, the God of death took the form of a woman and resides on the banks of the river to limit population growth. Kosi resonates with the folklore of Mithila. The most important depictions of Kosi folklore are
Kosi KOSI (101.1 FM) is a commercial radio station in Denver, Colorado. KOSI is owned by Salt Lake City–based Bonneville International and airs an adult contemporary music format. Its studios and offices are located on East Orchard Road in Greenwo ...
as a virgin absolutely carefree and full of energy, and as a frustrated wife of old hermit Richeek wandering in the Himalayas. Koshi river is also invoked as the mother: 'Kosi Ma'.


History

When King Mung Mawrong Hang came to prominence in the Terai lands of Limbuwan, he cleared much of the forest area in present-day Rangeli, east of Biratnagar, and built a town there. He named his Kingdom Morang after his name and rose to power. Meanwhile, King Prithvi Narayan Shah was on a campaign to conquer all the hill kingdoms into his Empire (the Kingdom of Nepal). He attacked Limbuwan on two fronts. After the Limbuwan–Gorkha War from 1771 to 1774 AD, the Limbu ministers of Morang, and Limbu rulers of the ten principalities came to an agreement with the King of Gorkha. With the Limbuwan Gorkha treaty of 1774, Limbuwan was annexed to the Kingdom of Nepal. The term ''district'' has been used in various ways throughout the modern history of Nepal. At the end of the Rana regime, Nepal was divided into 32 districts. Eastern Nepal was composed of the following districts: * Morang District including Sunsari District and Jhapa District * Udayapur District * Ilam District * Dhankuta District: including Taplejung, Panchthar, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and Dhankuta * Bhojpur District or "East No. 4": including Bhojpur and Khotang * Okhaldhunga District or "East No. 3": including Okhaldhunga and Solukhumbu. In 1956, the eastern districts of Nepal were grouped together into a region called the ''Aruṇ Kshetra'' or Arun Region, after the Arun River which flows through it. Arun Kshetra was made by combining the then five districts; it had total area of and a total population of 1.1 million people. The five districts were: # Biratnagar District: including Sunsari District and Morang District # Dhankuta District: including Dhankuta District and Sankhuwasabha # Taplejung District: including Taplejung and Panchtharl # Mechi District: including Ilam District and Jhapa District # Bhojpur District: including Bhojpur District and Khotang District In 1962, the administrative system once again was changed, abolishing the ''kshetra'' system. The country was restructured into 75 development districts and those districts were grouped together into zones. In 1972, what is now called Koshi Province was called the Eastern Development Region that was composed of 16 districts which were grouped into three zones: Koshi, Mechi and Sagarmatha. In 2015, the Constitution was adopted which made 14 districts into an autonomous Province which was temporarily named Province No. 1. At the cabinet meeting held on 17 January 2018, the city of Biratnagar was declared the interim capital of Province No. 1. On 6 May 2019, it was declared the permanent capital by a vote of two-thirds of the provincial Member of legislative assembly. The province was named Koshi Province on passage of the bill in Parliament. Later, some protested the name "Koshi".


Geography

Koshi Province covers an area of 25,905 km2. 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 The Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोशी, , hi, कोसी, ) is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence ...
, in between Mahabharat Range and
Churia Range The Sivalik Hills, also known as the Shivalik Hills and Churia Hills, are a mountain range of the outer Himalayas that stretches over about from the Indus River eastwards close to the Brahmaputra River, spanning the northern parts of the Indian ...
, there elongates a valley called
Inner Terai Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...
. Churai Range, Mahabharat Range and other hills of various heights, basins, tars, and valleys form the hilly region. Some parts of this region are favorable for agriculture but some other parts are not. The 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 (8848.86 m); and the third highest mountain, Kangchenjunga (8598 m) also lie in this province. Nepal's lowest point,
Kechana Kawal Kechana Kawal ( ne, केचना कवल) is a place located in Kachankawal Rural Municipality (previously, Kechana VDC) of Province No. 1 of Nepal. At an elevation of above sea level, it was declared the lowest point of Nepal previously B ...
at 70 m, is located in Jhapa District of this province. There are many river basins and gentle slopes as well.
Chure Chure Rural Municipality ( ne, चुरे गाउँपालिका) is a Gaunpalika in Kailali District in Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal. On 12 March 2017, the government of Nepal implemented a new local administrative structure in whic ...
, 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 The Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोशी, , hi, कोसी, ) is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence ...
flows through the region with its seven tributaries; Indrawati, Likhu, Tamur, Dudh Kosi, Arun, Tamakoshi and Bhote Koshi (Sunkoshi). Tundra vegetables, coniferous forests, 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. Koshi Pradesh also includes the snow fall capped peaks including Mount 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 , nickname = , native_name_lang = , image_skyline = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_caption = Night view of Dharan, Itahari & Tarahara :: Barahakshetra Temple: BPKIHS, Dharan : Dharan Clock Tower , image_map = Sunsari district lo ...
, Morang and Jhapa. Province No. 1 includes places like Haleshi Mahadev Temple, Pathivara Temple and Barahachhetra, which are the famous religious shrines for Hindus.


Climate

Climatic conditions of Nepal vary from one place to another in accordance with their geographical features. Koshi Pradesh has three geographical folds: the lowland of Terai, the hilly region, and the Himalayas' highlands. 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 the province, the Terai, experiences a warm and humid climate. Eastern Nepal receives approximately 2,500 millimeters of rain annually. Koshi Pradesh has five seasons: spring,
summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...
, monsoon,
autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...
and winter.


Mountains

The northern part of Koshi Pradesh has the highest mountain in the world. Here is a list of mountains in Koshi Pradesh.


Rivers

There are many rivers in the region that flow south from the Himalayas which are tributaries of other large rivers that join Ganga River (in India). Sapta Koshi or the Koshi is the main river of the region. Seven tributaries join the Koshi so it is called Saptkoshi. The major rivers in the province are: *
Mechi River The Mechi River is a trans-boundary river flowing through Nepal and India. It is a tributary of the Mahananda River. Course The Mechi originates in the Mahabharat Range in Nepal. It flows through Nepal, forms the boundary between India and Nepal ...
* Kankai River *
Koshi River The Kosi or Koshi ( ne, कोशी, , hi, कोसी, ) is a transboundary river which flows through China, Nepal and India. It drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in Tibet and the southern slopes in Nepal. From a major confluence ...
(SaptaKoshi) : ** Tamor ** Arun River ** Sun Koshi ** Dudh Koshi **
Likhu Khola The Likhu Khola is a left tributary of the Sun Koshi in the Himalayas in eastern Nepal. Given named by Kirat kingdom ''Likhu'' or ''Liku'' in the Sunuwar language (Li- top, Hill, Ku-water) means Top (Hill) Water. The river is the glacier Zurmoc ...
**
Tama Koshi The Tamakoshi River ( ne, तामाकोशी) is part of the Koshi or Sapta Koshi river system in Nepalese Himalayas. It originates from (or Rongshar Tsangpo) and Lapchi Gang rivers close to the Nepal-Tibet border. It flows in southern d ...
** Indrawati River


Protected Areas

* Sagarmatha National Park – *
Makalu Barun National Park Makalu Barun National Park is a national park in the Himalayas of Nepal that was established in 1992 as eastern extension of Sagarmatha National Park. It is the world's only protected area with an elevation gain of more than enclosing tropical for ...
– * Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – * Kanchenjunga Conservation Area


Subdivisions

There are total of 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

The province is made up of the 14 following districts: # Bhojpur District # Dhankuta District # Ilam District # Jhapa District # Khotang District # Morang District # Okhaldhunga District # Panchthar District # Sankhuwasabha District #
Solukhumbu District Solukhumbu District ( ne, सोलुखुम्बु जिल्ला , Sherpa: , Wylie: shar khum bu dzong) is one of 14 districts of Province No. 1 of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the subregions Solu and Khumb ...
# Sunsari District # Taplejung District # Tehrathum District # Udayapur District


Municipality

Cities and villages are governed by municipalities in Nepal. A district may have one or more municipalities. Koshi Province has two types of municipalities. # Urban Municipality ' ## Metropolitan city ## Sub-metropolitan city and ## Municipality # Rural Municipality ( Gaunpalika) The government of Nepal has set out minimum criteria to meet city and towns. These criteria include a certain population, infrastructure, and revenues.


Administration

The Province is governed by Unicameral parliamentary system of representative Democracy. The house consists of 93 seats where 56 candidates are elected by FPTP and 37 by proportional basis. The legislative assembly comprises a Chief Minister who is executive Head, Deputy chief Minister who assists the Chief Minister, a speaker who host the assembly, a deputy speaker who assists the speaker, and various ministries which look over respective departments. The first provincial elections in Nepal were held on 26 November and 7 December 2017. According to the results of this election in Koshi province, the biggest party is CPN (UML) winning 51 seats; the second biggest party is Nepali Congress which won 21 seats; the third biggest party is CPN (Maoist Center) which won 15 seats . In a meeting on 17 January 2018, the Government of Nepal finalized the temporary capital of Province No. 1, which was renamed as Koshi Province in Falgun 17 2079 and appointed
Govinda Subba Govinda Subba Limbu ( ne, गोविन्द सुब्बा) is the first Governor of Province No. 1 of Nepal. In a meeting on 17 January 2018, the government of Nepal appointed him as the Chief of State of Province No. 1. He is a professor ...
as the governor. Sher Dhan Rai was elected as first Chief Minister of Koshi Province on 14 February 2018. Currently Hikmat Kumar Karki is serving as Chief Minister who is the executive Head of Koshi Government For convenience and decentralisation, the province is divided into 14 districts, making it the province with the most districts in Nepal. CDO is the administrative head of each District. District inturn is further divided into Metropolitan city or/and Sub Metropolitan city or/and Municipality or/and Rural Municipality which has its own Local Government.


Infrastructure


Healthcare

Koshi province stretches from Himalayan region to terai belt due to which health facilities are more viable in Terai than other parts. Koshi Province has 791 public health facilities: 3 Hub hospitals (
BPKIHS B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) ( ne, वी. पी. कोइराला स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान), is a Nepalese autonomous health sciences university. It is located i ...
, Koshi Hospital), 18 Public Hospitals, 1 Regional Medical Store, 41 Primary health centre, 648 Health Post, 34 Urban health care centre, 41 community health units and so on.


Energy

There are various power stations in Koshi province .
Mai Hydropower Station Sanima Mai Hydropower Station is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station with an installed capacity of 22 MW. This power station is located at Gunmune and Chisapani VDC in Ilam district of Nepal. Construction began in 2010 and all major wor ...
is one of station located in Illam and producing 22 MW energy & established in 2014.It is owned by Sanima Hydropower.
Puwa Khola Hydropower Station is located in Illam with capacity of 6.2 MW energy.It was established in 1999.It is owned by NEA
Chatara Hydropower Station is located in Sunsari District with production capacity of 3.2 MW energy and is owned by NEA. It was established in 1996.
Iwa Khola Hydropower Project was established in 2018–19 ByRairang Hydropower Development Company Ltd with production capacity of 9.9 MW energy.
Upper Mai Hydropower Station Upper Mai Hydropower Station (Nepali: माथिल्लो माई जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The Mai River flow is used to generate 25 MW electr ...
is located in Illam and established by Mai Valley Hydropower P Ltd. in 2014 having capacity of 12 MW.
Pikhuwa Khola Hydropower Station is located in Bhojpur and established by Eastern Hydropower P Ltdin 2019 having capacity of 5 MW.
Hewa Khola A Hydropower Station is located in Pachthar and established by Panchthar Power Company Pvt. Ltd. in 2018 having capacity of 14.9 MW.
Jogmai Khola Hydropower Station is located in Illam and established by Sanvi Energy Pvt. Ltd. in 2014 having capacity of 7.6 MW.
Upper Puwa-1 Hydropower Station Upper Puwa-1 Hydropower Station (Nepali: माथिल्लो पुवा-१ जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Puwa River, a tributary o ...
is located in Illam and established by Joshi Hydropower Co. P. Ltd in 2013 having capacity of 3 MW.
Upper Mai-C Hydropower Station Upper Mai-C Hydropower Station ( ne, माथिल्लो माई C जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a 6.1 MW run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. It is powered by water from the Mai ...
is located in Illam and established by Mai Valley Hydropower P.L. in 2014 having capacity of 6.1 MW. Kabeli B1 Hydropower Station is located in Pachthar and established by Arun Kabeli Power Limited. in 2019 having capacity of 25 MW.
Lower Hewa Hydropower Station is located in Pachthar and established by Mountain Hydro Nepal (P.) Ltd in 2017 having capacity of 21.6 MW.
Mai Cascade Hydropower Station is located in Illam and established by Himal Dolkha Hydropower Company Pvt Ltd in 2014 having capacity of 8 MW.
Puwa Khola-1 Hydropower Station Puwa Khola-1 Hydropower Station (Nepali: पुवा खोला जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Puwa River, a tributary of Mai River is ...
is located in Illam and established by Puwa Khola – 1 Hydropower Pvt. Ltd in 2014 having capacity of 4 MW.
Solu Hydropower Station is located in Solukhumbu and established by Upper Solu Hydroelectric Company Pvt Ltd in 2016 having capacity of 23.5 MW.
Molun Khola Small Hydropower Station is located in Okhaldhunga and established by Molun Hydropower Co. Pvt. Ltd in 2019 having capacity of 7 MW.
Upper Khorunga Hydropower Station is located in Tehrathum and established by Terhathum Power Company Pvt. Ltd. in 2018 having capacity of 7.5 MW.
Super Mai Hydropower Station Super Mai Hydropower Station (Nepali: सुपर माई जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 7.8 MW electrici ...
is located in Illam and established by Supermai Hydropower Pvt.Ltd. in 2020 having capacity of 7.8 MW.
Super Mai-A Hydropower Station Super Mai-A Hydropower Station (Nepali: सुपर माई A जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to generate 9.6 MW elect ...
is located in Illam and established by Sagarmatha Jalbidhyut Company P.Ltd. in 2020 having capacity of 9.6 MW.
Super Mai Khola Cascade Hydropower Station Super Mai Khola Cascade Hydropower Station (Nepali: सुपर माई खोला क्यसकेड जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow fr ...
is located in Illam and established by Mai Khola Hydropower Pvt.Ltd. in 2020 having capacity of 3.8 MW.
Mai Khola Small Hydropower Station Mai Khola Small Hydropower Station (Nepali: माई खोला सानो जलविद्युत आयोजना) is a run-of-the-river hydro-electric plant located in Ilam District of Nepal. The flow from Mai River is used to genera ...
is located in Illam and established by Himal Dolkha Hydropower Co Ltd. in 2008 having capacity of 4.5 MW. duhabi Multi-fuel diesel power station is present in Sunsari with production capacity of 39 MW and was commissioned in 1997.


Provincial Assembly

The first meeting of the provincial assembly was held on 5 February 2018 in Biratnagar and was chaired by Om Prakash Sarbagi. Pradeep Kumar Bhandari was elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Provincial Assembly on 11 February 2018. Saraswoti Pokharel was also elected unopposed to the post of Deputy Speaker on 15 February 2018.


Transportation

Only three districts out of Koshi's fourteen fall in Terai and one district falls in inner Terai. Elevation from the lowest point of Nepal, Kechana (70 m above sea level) to the highest point of world, Everest (8848 m above sea level) lies in this province, so maintaining a consistent road network is challenging, but all districts are connected by road networks. Air services are available. Rail services are under construction.


Roadways


Airways

Many domestic airports and air services are available in the region including one of the most geographically challenging airports,
Lukla Airport Tenzing-Hillary Airport , also known as Lukla Airport, is a domestic airport and altiport in the town of Lukla, in Khumbu Pasanglhamu, Solukhumbu District, Province No. 1 of Nepal. It gained worldwide fame as it was rated the most dangerou ...
. Airports in Koshi: * Bhojpur Airport ( Bhojpur) * Biratnagar Airport ( Biratnagar) * Kangel Danda Airport (Kangel, Solukhumbu) * Man Maya Airport (Khanidanda, Khotang) *
Thamkharka Airport Thamkharka Airport is a domestic airport located in Khotehang serving Khotang District, a district in Koshi Province in Nepal. History The airport was opened on 19 October 2001. The runway was blacktopped in 2019. Facilities The airport is a ...
(
Khotang Bazar Khotang Bazar is a village and Village Development Committee in Khotang District in Province No. 1 in eastern Nepal. At the time of the 1991 Nepal census The 1991 Nepal census was a widespread national census conducted by the Nepal Central ...
) *
Lamidanda Airport Lamidanda Airport is a domestic airport located in Lamidanda, Rawabesi, serving Khotang District, a district in Province No. 1 in Nepal. According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, it is the gateway to the Halesi-Maratika Caves. St ...
(
Lamidanda, Khotang Rawa Besi ( ne, रावा बेसी गाउँपालिका) is a rural municipality (gaunpalika) in Khotang District of Koshi Province of Nepal. According to Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Developme Rawabesi has an area of a ...
) * Tenzing-Hillary Airport ( Lukla, Solukhumbu) * Phaplu Airport ( Phaplu, Solukhumbu) * Rumjatar Airport (
Rumjatar Rumjatar is a market in Siddhicharan Municipality in the Okhaldhunga District in the Sagarmatha Zone of mid-eastern Nepal. It neighbours the airport beside the Solukhumbu District. This village center was merged into the municipality in May 2014. At ...
, Okhladhunga) * Syangboche Airport (Syangboche, Solukhumbu) * Taplejung Airport ( Taplejung) * Tumlingtar Airport (
Tumlingtar Tumlingtar () is a region and a town, in Sankhuwasabha district of Province No. 1 of Eastern Nepal, between the Arun and Sabha rivers. It is located in Sankhuwasabha District. It is also the deepest valley of the world and largest ''ṭār'' (bu ...
, Sankhuwasabha) * Bhadrapur Airport ( Bhadrapur, Jhapa)


Railways

There is a 13 km railway track which has been laid in Nepal by Indian Railways is connected to Bathnaha railway station. Bathnaha is a village situated at Araria district of Bihar state of India. A custom yard station has been built both side of the border on Bathnaha–Katahari railway section. Katahari is at distance of 18 km from Bathnaha Railway Station. Itahari will be further connected with Katahari which is 20 km at distance from Biratnagar (Katahari).


Economy

Koshi has the third largest economy in Nepal, and contributes 15% to the national GDP. Koshi's GDP growth rate was estimated to be 6.5% in fiscal year 2018/19. Population in absolute poverty in Koshi is 12.4%, and the multidimensional poverty rate is 19.7%. The major contributors to the economy of Koshi are:


Agriculture

Agriculture accounts for 38% of Koshi's GDP and is the main source of livelihood for 75% of the population. The province has 714 registered businesses, with agriculture and forestry industry having the highest number registered businesses 114 (15.96%). Koshi contributes 22% of the total paddy production of Nepal and 29.3% of the national maize production.


Tourism

Koshi has the following tourist attractions: * Mount Everest located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation of 8,848.86 m was most recently established in 2020 by the Chinese and Nepali authorities. * Sagarmatha National park, Solukhumbu * Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Sunsari *Tinjure, Capital of Rhododendron * Kanchanjunga National Park *Pathhivara Temple, Taplejung *Halesi Mahadev, Khotang * Budha Subba Temple, Sunsari *Kanyam, illam *
Kechana Kawal Kechana Kawal ( ne, केचना कवल) is a place located in Kachankawal Rural Municipality (previously, Kechana VDC) of Province No. 1 of Nepal. At an elevation of above sea level, it was declared the lowest point of Nepal previously B ...
, Lowest place in Nepal


Sports


Cricket

* Koshi Province Cricket Association Koshi province has wide audience and sportsperson in the Province. Also, It has been a pioneer in organising night matches. Inaruwa, sunsari had organised first night cricket in Nepal. Similarly, First night football was organised in Duhabi, Sunsari on 31 March 2018. The provincial teams take part in various games inside and outside Nepal. The team also comprises Men as well as women.The overall sports in province is administered by Province 1 Sports Department. There are numerous stadium in Koshi are: * Domalal Rajbanshi Stadium,
Birtamode Birtamod ( Nepali: बिर्तामोड नगरपालिका) is a municipality in Jhapa District of Nepal. It is the commercial, educational and transport hub of Jhapa District. Sarnamati Bazar, Dhulabari Bazar, Dhaijan Bazar, Char ...
, Jhapa * Inaruwa Stadium, Inaruwa,
Sunsari , nickname = , native_name_lang = , image_skyline = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_caption = Night view of Dharan, Itahari & Tarahara :: Barahakshetra Temple: BPKIHS, Dharan : Dharan Clock Tower , image_map = Sunsari district lo ...
* Itahari Regional Stadium, Itahari,
Sunsari , nickname = , native_name_lang = , image_skyline = , image_size = , image_alt = , image_caption = Night view of Dharan, Itahari & Tarahara :: Barahakshetra Temple: BPKIHS, Dharan : Dharan Clock Tower , image_map = Sunsari district lo ...
* Sahid Rangasala, Biratnagar * Tharuhat Stadium, Gaighat Major football cups includes * Birat Gold Cup Biratnagar *
Jhapa Gold Cup Jhapa Gold Cup ( Nepali: झापा गोल्डकप) is a football tournament held yearly in Jhapa, Province No. 1, Nepal. It is held at the Domalal Rajbanshi stadium in Birtamode Jhapa, Nepal. History The Jhapa Gold Cup started in 2016 ...
, Jhapa * Budha Subba Gold Cup, Dharan * Manmohan Duhabi Gold Cup, Duhabi * Madan Bhandari Invitational Itahari Gold Cup, Itahari * Udayapur Gold Cup, Udayapur


Demographics

Total population of the province according to
2021 Nepal census The 2021 Nepal Census was the twelfth nationwide census of Nepal conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics. The census was originally scheduled from 8 June to 22 June 2021, but was postponed to November 2021 due to surge in COVID-19 cases. ...
is 4,961,412 comprising 2,544,084 women (51.3%). 95 male per 100 female is the sex ratio. There are 1,191,556 households. 79.7% of the total population are literate. 86.1% of the total population of the male are educated while 73.6% of the total of the female population are literate.


Religion

Hinduism is the major religion of the province. Kirat Mundhum is the second major religion of the province. 67% of the total population are Hindus, 17% are Kirantis, 9% are Buddhists, 4% are Muslims, 2% are Christians and others make up 1%.


Ethnic groups

The province is very ethnically diverse. In 2011, the largest group was Chhetri, making up 14.58% of the population. Followed by
Madheshi Madheshi people ( ne, मधेशी) is a term used for several groups of people living in the Terai region of Nepal, literally meaning the people of ''Madhesh''. It has also been used as a political pejorative term by the Pahari people of Ne ...
with (14.26%). Next is Hill Brahmin (11.98%). Other Khas Arya groups are the Kami (3.27%) and Damai (1.78%). The Janajati groups are the Rai (10.21%),
Limbu Limbu may refer to: * Limbu people, an indigenous tribe living in Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan ** Rambahadur Limbu (born 1939), Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross * Limbu language * Limbu script ** Limbu (Unicode block) Limbu is a Unicod ...
(8.01%), Tamang (4.62%), Magar (4.13%),
Newar Newar (; new, नेवार, endonym: Newa; new, नेवा, Pracalit script:) or Nepami, are the historical inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley and its surrounding areas in Nepal and the creators of its historic heritage and civilisatio ...
(3.68%), Sherpa (1.40%) and Gurung (1.36%). Some Terai groups include Tharu (4.10%),
Musalman Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraham ...
(3.55%), Rajbanshi (2.47%),
Musahar Musahar or Mushahar are a Dalit community found in the eastern Gangetic plain and the Terai. They are also known as ''Banbasi''.The other names of the Musahar are Bhuiyan and Rajawar Their name literally means 'rat-eater' due to their main form ...
(1.35%), Yadav (1.30%) and Santal (1.11%). As of 2021, Chhetris were the largest ethnic group with 15.0% of the population. Bahun constituted 11.6% of the population, Rai 10.2%, Limbu 7.8%, Tamang 4.6%, Tharu 4.2%, Muslims 4.1%, Magar 4.0% and Newar 3.6%. The various Madheshi non-Dalit communities were 8.68% of the population, of which the Yadav (1.42%) and Teli (0.98%) were the largest and second-largest non-Dalit communities. Madheshi Dalits were 3.40%, of which Musahar were 1.51%.


Language

Nepali language is
lingua franca A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
of the province and is the mother tongue of 45.27% of the population. Maithili is the second-largest language, spoken by 11.68%. 6.70% of the population spoke
Limbu Limbu may refer to: * Limbu people, an indigenous tribe living in Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan ** Rambahadur Limbu (born 1939), Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross * Limbu language * Limbu script ** Limbu (Unicode block) Limbu is a Unicod ...
, 4.40% Tharu, 3.54% Tamang, 2.88% Magar Dhut, 2.70% Bantawa, 2.58% Rajbanshi, 2.32% Urdu, 1.85% Rai, 1.67%
Chamling Chamling is one of the Kirati languages spoken by the Chamling (Mansungcha, Lipungchha, Malekungchha, Maidhung, kherasung,Rakhomi,Rodung, etc) of Nepal, India and Bhutan. Alternate renderings and names include ''Chamling'', ''Chamlinge'' and ...
, 1.32% Sherpa, 1.26% Nepal Bhasha and 1.08% Santali. The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended
Limbu Limbu may refer to: * Limbu people, an indigenous tribe living in Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan ** Rambahadur Limbu (born 1939), Nepalese Gurkha recipient of the Victoria Cross * Limbu language * Limbu script ** Limbu (Unicode block) Limbu is a Unicod ...
and Maithili as official language in the province. The commission has also recommended Tharu, Tamang, Magar, Bantawa, Urdu, Rajbanshi, Nepal Bhasa,
Chamling Chamling is one of the Kirati languages spoken by the Chamling (Mansungcha, Lipungchha, Malekungchha, Maidhung, kherasung,Rakhomi,Rodung, etc) of Nepal, India and Bhutan. Alternate renderings and names include ''Chamling'', ''Chamlinge'' and ...
, Sherpa and Santhali to be additional official languages, for specific regions and purposes in the province.


Education

Koshi is very well renowned for its good education.71.22% of the total population of the province can read and write mean educated. It homes to Lots of educational institution including public and private. Education up to master's level degree is provided by the only University- Purbanchal University which offers lots of courses like Bsc. Agriculture, BSc. Nursing, etc. . Educational Institutions like
BPKIHS B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) ( ne, वी. पी. कोइराला स्वास्थ्य विज्ञान प्रतिष्ठान), is a Nepalese autonomous health sciences university. It is located i ...
, Dharan, Birat Medical College Teaching Hospital, Nobel Medical College Teaching Hospital, etc. also offer MBBS, BDS courses along with other paramedics courses.


Notable people

* Girija Prasad Koirala, former Prime Minister * KP Sharma Oli, former Prime Minister * Bidya Devi Bhandari, former President of Nepal * Rajendra Prasad Lingden, chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party * Pramod Kharel, singer * Rachana Rimal, singer * Nawayug Shrestha, national football player *
Lalit Rajbanshi Lalit Narayan Rajbanshi ( Nepali: ललित नारायण राजवंशी, born 27 February 1999) is a Nepalese cricketer. He made his List A debut for Nepal against Zimbabwe in the 2018 Cricket World Cup Qualifier on 4 March 2018. ...
, national cricket player * Malvika Subba, Miss Nepal 2002 * Malina Joshi, Miss Nepal 2011 * Manita Devkota, Miss Nepal Universe 2018 * Harka Raj Rai, Independent Mayor of Dharan


See also

*
Provinces of Nepal The provinces of Nepal ( ne, नेपालका प्रदेशहरू, translit=Nepālkā Pradeśharū) were formed on 20 September 2015 in accordance with Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Nepal. The seven provinces were formed by gr ...


References

{{Authority control 2015 establishments in Nepal 1 States and territories established in 2015