Provinces of Nepal

First-level administrative division of Nepal

Autonomous Nepalese Provinces
स्वायत्त नेपाली प्रदेशहरू

Category| Federated state
Location| Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Created|

* 20 September 2015

Number| 7
Populations| Smallest: Karnali, 1,694,889
Largest: Madhesh, 6,126,288
Areas| Smallest: Madhesh, 9,661 square kilometres (3,730 sq mi)
Largest: Karnali, 27,984 square kilometres (10,805 sq mi)
Densities| Smallest: Karnali, 61
Largest: Madhesh, 630
Government|

* Provincial government

Subdivisions|

* Districts

This article is part of a series on

Administrative divisions of Nepal
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (since 2015)

Provinces: 7 (First level)

* Koshi
* Madhesh
* Bagmati
* Gandaki
* Lumbini
* Karnali
* Sudurpashchim

Districts: 77 (Second level)

* Districts of Koshi Pradesh: 14
* Districts of Madhesh: 8
* Districts of Bagmati: 13
* Districts of Gandaki: 11
* Districts of Lumbini: 12
* Districts of Karnali: 10
* Districts of Sudurpashchim: 9

Local-level body: 753 (Third level)

* Metropolitan City: 6
* Sub-metropolitan City: 11
* Municipality: 276
* Rural Municipality: 460

Nepal Portal
Administrative divisions by country

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Government

* President: Ram Chandra Poudel
* Vice President: Ram Sahaya Yadav

* * *

Executive:

* Prime Minister (list): KP Sharma Oli
* Council of Ministers: Oli IV
* Civil Services
* Cabinet Secretary

* * *

Federal Parliament:

* House of Representatives

Speaker: Dev Raj Ghimire
Deputy Speaker: Indira Ranamagar
House Leader: KP Sharma Oli
Opposition Leader: Pushpa Kamal Dahal
* National Assembly

Chairman: Narayan Prasad Dahal
Vice-Chairperson: Bimala Ghimire
House Leader: Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Opposition Leader: Narayan Kaji Shrestha

* * *

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* Supreme Court

Chief Justice of Nepal: Prakash Man Singh Raut
* District Courts

Elections

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* Presidential: 2015
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Administrative divisions

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* Provinces

Provincial governments
Provincial Assemblies
Governors
Chief Ministers

* * *

* Local governments

Districts
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* Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Arzu Rana Deuba

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The Provinces of Nepal, officially the Autonomous Nepalese Provinces (Nepali: स्वायत्त नेपाली प्रदेशहरू, romanized: Nepālkā Swayatta Pradeśharū), were formed on 20 September 2015 in accordance with Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Nepal. The seven provinces were formed by grouping the existing districts. The current system of seven provinces replaced an earlier system where Nepal was divided into 14 administrative zones which were grouped into five development regions.

## History

[edit]

Main articles: Administrative divisions of Nepal and List of districts in Nepal

A committee was formed to restructure administrative divisions of Nepal on 23 December 1956 and in two weeks, a report was submitted to the government. In accordance with The Report On Reconstruction Of Districts Of Nepal, 2013 (Nepali: नेपालको जिल्ला प्रशासन पुनर्गठनको रिपोर्ट, २०१३, romanized: Nepalko Jilla Prashasan Punargathanko Report, 2013), the country was first divided into seven Kshetras (areas).[1]

1. Arun Kshetra
2. Janakpur Kshetra
3. Kathmandu Kshetra
4. Gandaki Kshetra
5. Kapilavastu Kshetra
6. Karnali Kshetra
7. Mahakali Kshetra

In 1962, all Kshetras were dissolved and the country was restructured into 75 development districts; those districts were further grouped into 14 zones.[2] In 1972, all 14 zones were grouped into 4 development regions; later in 1981, they were rearranged into the following 5 development regions.

1. Eastern Development Region
2. Central Development Region
3. Western Development Region
4. Mid-Western Development Region
5. Far-Western Development Region

The provinces of Nepal were formed according to Schedule 4 of the Constitution of Nepal. The seven provinces were formed by grouping the existing districts; two districts, namely Nawalparasi and Rukum, were split between two provinces. Each district has local units. Local level bodies in Nepal include six metropolises, 11 sub-metropolises, 276 municipal councils and 460 village councils.[3] The current system of seven provinces replaced an earlier system where Nepal was divided into 14 administrative zones which were grouped into five development regions.

In January 2016 the Government of Nepal announced temporary headquarters of the seven provinces.[4] According to Article 295 (2), the permanent names of the provinces will be determined by a two-thirds vote of the respective province's legislature.

### Government

[edit]

The executive power of the provinces, pursuant to the constitution and laws, is vested in the council of ministers of the province. The executive power of the province shall be exercised by the province head (governor) in case of absence of the province executive in a state of emergency or enforcement of the federal rule. Every province has a ceremonial head as the representative of the federal government. The President appoints a governor for every province. The governor exercises the rights and duties as to be performed specified in the constitution or laws. The governor appoints the leader of the parliamentary party with the majority in the provincial assembly as the chief minister and the council of ministers are formed under the chairpersonship of the chief minister.

### Assemblies

[edit]

Main article: Provincial Assembly (Nepal)

The Pradesh Sabha is the unicameral legislative assembly of each of the seven federal provinces.[5] The term for the members of the provincial assemblies is five years, except when dissolved earlier.

Candidates for each constituency are chosen by the political parties or stand as independents. Each constituency elects one member under the first past the post system of election. Since Nepal uses a parallel voting system, voters cast another ballot to elect members through the party-list proportional representation. The current constitution specifies that sixty percent of the members should be elected by the first past the post system and forty percent through the party-list proportional representation system. Women should account for one-third of total members elected from each party and if one-third percentage are not elected, the party that fails to ensure so shall have to elect one-third of total number as women through the party-list proportional representation.[6]

A party with an overall majority (more seats than all other parties combined) following an election forms the government. If a party has no outright majority, parties can seek to form coalitions.

## List of provinces of Nepal

[edit]

Province  | ISO | Capital | Governor | Chief Minister | Districts  | Area  | Pop.
(2021)  | Density

(/km2)

| Reps. | Map

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Koshi | NP-P1 | Biratnagar | Parshuram Khapung | Hikmat Kumar Karki | Taplejung

Panchthar Ilam Jhapa Tehrathum Sankhuwasabha Dhankuta Morang Sunsari Bhojpur Udayapur Khotang Solukhumbu Okhaldhunga (Total 14)

| 25,905 km2 | 4,972,021 | 192  | 28 |
Madhesh | NP-P2 | Janakpur | Sumitra Bhandari | Satish Kumar Singh | Saptari

Siraha Dhanusha Mahottari Sarlahi Rautahat Bara Parsa (Total 8)

| 9,661 km2 | 6,126,288 | 635  | 32 |
Bagmati | NP-P3 | Hetauda | Deepak Prasad Devkota | Bahadur Singh Lama | Dolakha

Ramechhap Sindhuli Sindhupalchowk Kavrepalanchok Kathmandu Lalitpur Bhaktapur Rasuwa Nuwakot Makawanpur Dhading Chitwan (Total 13)

| 20,300 km2 | 6,084,042 | 300  | 33 |
Gandaki | NP-P4 | Pokhara | Dilli Raj Bhatta | Surendra Raj Pandey | Gorkha

Lamjung Tanahun Nawalpur Manang Mustang Kaski Parbat Syangja Myagdi Baglung (Total 11)

| 21,504 km2 | 2,479,745 | 116  | 18 |
Lumbini | NP-P5 | Deukhuri | Krishna Bahadur Gharti | Chet Narayan Acharya | Parasi

Palpa Gulmi Arghakhanchi Rupandehi Kapilvastu Pyuthan Eastern Rukum Rolpa Dang Banke Bardiya (Total 12)

| 22,288 km2 | 5,124,225 | 230  | 26 |
Karnali | NP-P6 | Birendranagar | Yagya Raj Joshi | Yam Lal Kandel | Dolpa

Mugu Humla Jumla Western Rukum Jajarkot Kalikot Dailekh Surkhet Salyan (Total 10)

| 27,984 km2 | 1,694,889 | 61  | 12 |
Sudurpashchim | NP-P7 | Godawari | Najir Miya | Kamal Bahadur Shah | Bajura

Achham Bajhang Darchula Baitadi Dadeldhura Doti Kanchanpur Kailali (Total 9)

| 19,999.28 km2 | 2,711,270 | 136  | 16 |
Nepal | NP  | Kathmandu | President
Ram Chandra Paudel | Prime Minister

Khadga Prasad Oli

| 77 | 147,641.28 km2 | 30,192,480  | 198  | 165  |

## See also

[edit]

* Nepal portal

* Administrative divisions of Nepal
* List of districts of Nepal
* List of Nepalese provinces by GDP
* List of Nepalese provinces by HDI
* List of Nepalese provinces by population

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "नेपालको जिल्ला प्रशासन पुनर्गठनको रिपोर्ट, २०१३" (PDF) (in Nepali).
2. ^ "Memorial Step of King Mahendra in 1st Poush 2017 BS". reviewnepal.com. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
3. ^ Kathmandu Post (2017). "744 new local units come into effect". Kanntipur Publications Pvt. Ltd.
4. ^ "Govt fixes temporary state HQs, guvs". Kathmandu: Kathmandu Post. 2018.
5. ^ "CA approves ceremonial prez, bicameral legislature". Kanptipur Media Group. 16 September 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2017. "Provincial parliaments will be unicameral. 'The CA also approved a mixed electoral system for parliamentary election with 60 percent directly elected and 40 percent proportionally elected.'"
6. ^ "NEPAL: Diluted proportional electoral system". scoop.co.nz. Scoop World. 16 October 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.

## External links

[edit]

* Media related to Provinces of Nepal at Wikimedia Commons

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Provinces of Nepal

* Koshi
* Madhesh
* Bagmati
* Gandaki
* Lumbini
* Karnali
* Sudurpashchim

* Nepal portal

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Articles on first-level administrative divisions of Asian countries

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States with limited
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Table of administrative divisions by country

* 1 Spans the conventional boundary between Asia and another continent.
* 2 Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia.

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Provinces and districts of Nepal

Koshi|

* Bhojpur
* Dhankuta
* Ilam
* Jhapa
* Khotang
* Morang
* Okhaldhunga
* Panchthar
* Sankhuwasabha
* Solukhumbu
* Sunsari
* Taplejung
* Tehrathum
* Udayapur

* Nepal portal

Madhesh|

* Bara
* Parsa
* Dhanusha
* Mahottari
* Rautahat
* Saptari
* Sarlahi
* Siraha

Bagmati|

* Bhaktapur
* Chitwan
* Dhading
* Dolakha
* Kathmandu
* Kavrepalanchok
* Lalitpur
* Makwanpur
* Nuwakot
* Ramechhap
* Rasuwa
* Sindhuli
* Sindhupalchok

Gandaki|

* Baglung
* Gorkha
* Kaski
* Lamjung
* Manang
* Mustang
* Myagdi
* Nawalpur
* Parbat
* Syangja
* Tanahun

Lumbini|

* Arghakhanchi
* Banke
* Bardiya
* Dang
* Eastern Rukum
* Gulmi
* Kapilavastu
* Parasi
* Palpa
* Pyuthan
* Rolpa
* Rupandehi

Karnali|

* Dailekh
* Dolpa
* Humla
* Jajarkot
* Jumla
* Kalikot
* Mugu
* Salyan
* Surkhet
* Western Rukum

Sudurpashchim|

* Achham
* Baitadi
* Bajhang
* Bajura
* Dadeldhura
* Darchula
* Doti
* Kailali
* Kanchanpur

* v
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Nepal articles

History|

| Ancient|

* Bhadrabahu

| Shakya Republic|

* Gautama Buddha
* Maya (mother of Buddha)

|

Kirata kingdom|

* Yalamber

Lichchhavi rule|

* Manadeva
* Amshuverma
* Bhrikuti
* Araniko

Medieval
and
modern|

* Arimalla
* Khasa kingdom
* Baise Rajya
* Chaubisi Rajya
* Newa kingdoms

| Early Shah rule|

* Gorkha kingdom
* Prithvi Narayan Shah
* Unification
* Kalu Pande
* Kingdom of Nepal
* Monarchs
* Sino-Nepal War
* Bhimsen Thapa
* Anglo-Nepal War
* Balbhadra Kunwar
* Treaty of Sugauli

|

Rana rule|

* Kot massacre
* Jung Bahadur Rana
* Tibetan War (Treaty of Thapathali)
* Lamjang and Kaski
* Tribhuvan
* Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923

Post-Rana and Panchayat|

* 1951 revolution
* Panchayat system
* Back to the Village campaign

Multi-party democracy|

* Jana Andolan I
* Royal massacre
* 2005 coup d'état
* Civil war
* Jana Andolan II
* 2015 earthquake - April \- May

Geography|

| Mountains|

* Himalayas
* Mount Everest
* Kanchenjunga
* Makalu
* Dhaulagiri
* Manaslu
* Annapurna

|

Areas|

* Cities of Nepal
* Kathmandu Valley
* Terai
* Inner Terai Valleys of Nepal
* Tibetan Plateau
* Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck)

Rivers|

* Arun
* Karnali (Ghaghara)
* Koshi (Kosi)
* Narayani (Gandaki)
* West Rapti

Environment|

* Climate change
* Deforestation
* Protected areas
* Wildlife

Politics|

* Censorship
* Constitution
* Constituent Assembly
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Military
* Chief of the Army Staff
* Parliament
* Provincial assemblies
* Political parties
* Communism
* Heads of state
* President
* Vice President
* Prime Minister
* list
* Council of Ministers
* Supreme Court
* Chief Justice

| Divisions|

* Districts
* Provinces
* Municipalities
* Rural Municipalities

|

Cities|

* Bharatpur
* Biratnagar
* Birgunj
* Damak
* Hetauda
* Itahari
* Janakpur
* Kathmandu (capital)
* Lalitpur
* Nepalgunj
* Pokhara

Economy|

* Agriculture
* Energy
* Child labour
* Companies
* South Asian Free Trade Area
* Rupee (currency)
* Squatting
* Telecommunications
* Tourism
* Transport
* Workforce

Culture|

* Cuisine (wine)
* Demographics
* Education
* Languages
* Literature
* Music
* Gurkhas/Gorkhas
* International rankings
* Media
* Nepal Academy
* Nepal Academy of Fine Arts
* People
* Ethnic groups
* Public holidays
* Religion
* Hinduism
* Buddhism
* Islam
* Christianity
* Sport

| Festivals|

* Dashain
* Tihar
* Mohani
* Swonti
* Dipankha Yatra
* Eid
* Yomari Punhi
* Gadhimai
* Buddha Jayanti
* Maghe Sankranti
* Udhauli
* Ubhauli
* Gyalpo Lhosar
* Tamu Lhosar
* Sonam Lhosar
* Holi
* Chhath
* Chasok Tangnam
* Chhechu
* Jatra

| Celebrations|

* Nwaran
* Pasni
* Bratabandha
* Ihi
* Bahra
* Shraddha
* Antyesti

|

Issues|

* Abortion
* Witch-hunts
* Capital punishment
* Health
* Human rights
* Intersex
* LGBT
* Women
* Human trafficking

* Outline
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