Koshi Province () is an autonomous province of Nepal adopted by the Constitution of Nepal on 20 September 2015. It covers an area of , which is about 17.5% of the country's total area. With the industrial city of Biratnagar as its capital, the province includes the major towns of Birtamod, Sundar Haraincha, Damak, Dharan, Itahari, Triyuga Municipality, and Mechinagar. It further hosts a number of Himalayan peaks including Mount Everest, Kangchenjunga (the third highest peak on Earth), Lhotse (the fourth highest peak), Makalu (the fifth highest peak), Cho Oyu (the sixth highest peak), and Ama Dablam.
The river Koshi, the largest river of the nation, and the Koshi Tappu wildlife reserve form the province's western boundary. The province is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to the north, the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal to the east and Bihar to the south, and Bagmati Province and Madhesh Province to the west. The province also hosts the Koshi highway, which is one of the three crucial Nepalese north-south corridors that are designed to connect India and China via land.
Under the First-past-the-post voting system issued by the Constituency Delimitation Commission, Nepal, the province hosts 28 parliamentary seats and 56 provincial assembly seats. According to the 2021 Nepal census, there are around five million people in the province, with a population density of 190 per square kilometre. Per the earlier 2011 Nepal census, the province had approximately 4.5 million people.
Etymology
The province is named Koshi after the Koshi River, 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.
History Prehistory
Eastern Nepal has a long history of human occupation. Archaeological research in the Patu and Ratua Khola areas has identified stone tools such as choppers, scrapers, flakes and edged tools, indicating prehistoric and early-Holocene activity. The Kosi River system, including the Arun, Tamur, Sunkoshi and Dudh Koshi formed important ecological and movement corridors. Tuwachung and Khuwalung are important ancestral places in Kirati Mundum traditions, associated with early migration and settlement, while Baraha Kshetra is an ancient sacred landscape. These traditions should be distinguished from securely dated archaeological evidence.
Ancient Period
The history of southeastern Nepal belongs to a wider ancient Himalayan–Terai cultural landscape. Ancient Sanskrit tradition, particularly the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, associates Videha with the eastern Gangetic plains, with its territory described in relation to the Gandaki, Koshi and Himalayan foothills. The Videha–Mithila tradition therefore provides an important historical and cultural framework for understanding the ancient Terai of Nepal. Alongside the Mithila/Videha and Kirata is an important component of Nepal’s early historical tradition, particularly in eastern Nepal. Later historical traditions and scholarship associate the Kirat cultural sphere with the eastern Himalayan hills and their connections toward the Terai.
Kichakbadh in Jhapa provides direct archaeological evidence of an ancient settlement. Excavations have revealed brick structures, a walled complex, pottery, roof tiles and other artefacts. Archaeological research suggests a Śuṅga–Kuṣāṇa-period context, with occupation not later than approximately the 2nd century BCE.
Medieval & Modern History During the medieval period, Kirati political traditions and local chiefdoms remained important across the hills of eastern Nepal. The region maintained cultural and economic connections with Tibet, Sikkim and the Himalayan borderlands, as well as with the Mithila–Tirhut region to the south. The later medieval period saw the rise of the Sen kingdoms of Makwanpur, Chaudandi and Vijayapur. Vijayapur became an important political centre, exercising influence over parts of present-day Morang, Sunsari and Jhapa and neighbouring eastern hill territories, while autonomous Kirati communities retained considerable local authority. Eastern Nepal was also connected with Sikkim and Tibet through Himalayan trade routes, migration, pilgrimage and cultural exchange. These connections linked the Kirati and other Himalayan communities with wider networks extending across the eastern Himalayas..
In the 18th century, Gorkha expansion under Prithvi Narayan Shah progressively incorporated the eastern territories into the expanding Nepalese state. The political changes also affected Nepal's relations and boundaries with Sikkim and Tibet.In the modern period, Morang, Biratnagar, Dharan, Dhankuta, Ilam and Birtamod, Itahari developed as important centres of administration, trade, education, transportation and urbanization. Cross-border links with Sikkim, Tibet and India further strengthened the region's economic and cultural connections, linking the Eastern Himalayas, hills, Tarai and Mithila.
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 Udayapur District Ilam District Dhankuta District Bhojpur District Okhaldhunga District 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. On March 1, 2023, 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, in between Mahabharat Range and Churia Range, there elongates a valley called Inner Terai. 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 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 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, 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, monsoon, autumn and winter. +Average temperatures and precipitation for selected communities in Province No. 1LocationAugust(°F)August(°C)January(°F)January(°C)Annualprecipitation(mm/in)Damak94 / 82 34 / 28 74 / 4723 / 8 2618 /103.07Dharan85.1/72.329.5/22.468.4/44.420.2/6.91416/55.7Biratnagar83.128.460.8161549.8/61Bhadrapur82.227.961.216.22351.9/92.6Dhankuta76.524.754.512.51809.5/71.2Khandbari74.823.85211.12040.7/80.3Ilam71.822.150.910.52551.5/100.5Itahari8227.859.515.31414.8/55.7Bhojpur69.120.646.88.22290.4/90.2Khumbu Pasang Lhamu56.1/38.313.4/3.533.8/-0.81/-18.2645/25.4
Mountains
The northern part of Koshi Pradesh has the highest mountain in the world. Here is a list of mountains in Koshi Pradesh.
Mountain/peak metres feet Section Notes
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 Kankai River Koshi River (SaptaKoshi) : Tamor Arun River Sun Koshi Dudh Koshi Likhu Khola Tama Koshi Indrawati River
Protected areas Sagarmatha National Park – Makalu Barun National Park – Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve – Kanchenjunga Conservation Area –
Subdivisions There are 137 local administrative units in this province, including one 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 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