Mustang District

Mustang (Nepali: मुस्ताङ जिल्ला, romanized: Mustāṅ Jillā) is a district in Gandaki Province, located in northern Nepal. It is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and covers an area of 3,573 km (1,380 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest district in Nepal by area. According to 2021 Nepal Census, the district has an population of 14,452. It's administrative headquarters is Jomsom.

The district is located in Gandaki Province in northern Nepal, straddling the Himalayas and extending northward onto the Tibetan Plateau. It is among the most remote and least densely populated districts of the country. Elevation ranges from 1,372 meters to 8,167 meters at Dhaulagiri, the seventh-highest mountain in the world, with several peaks exceeding 7,000 meters.

Agriculture and animal husbandry are the primary occupations of the population. The entire district lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area, the largest protected area in Nepal. Conservation, tourism regulation, and development activities are managed by the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), a division of the National Trust for Nature Conservation.

Upper Mustang remained a restricted area until 1992, which has helped preserve its cultural heritage and traditional way of life. The name “Mustang” is derived from a Tibetan term meaning “plain of aspiration." Since its opening to foreign visitors in 1992, Upper Mustang has become a regulated trekking destination, with a limited annual entry quota, and remains accessible throughout the year.

The district is home to several important religious and cultural sites, including the renowned Muktinath Temple, a sacred pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists.

According to the Human Development Index, Mustang is considered relatively well-developed compared to other remote Himalayan districts, with an estimated GDP per capita of approximately US$2,466.