Editing Geography of Nepal (section)

== Landform regions ==
For a country of its size, Nepal has tremendous geographic diversity. It rises from as low as {{convert|59|m|ft|0}} elevation in the tropical [[Terai]]—the northern rim of the [[Gangetic Plain]], through beyond the perpetual [[snow line]] to 90 peaks over {{convert|7000|m|ft|0}} including Earth's highest ({{convert|8848|m|ft|0|adj=on}} [[Mount Everest]] or ''Sagarmatha''). In addition to the continuum from tropical warmth to cold comparable to polar regions, average annual precipitation varies from as little as {{convert|160|mm|in|1}} in its narrow proportion of the [[Rain shadow|rainshadow]] north of the [[Himalayas]] to as much as {{convert|5500|mm|in|1}} on windward slopes, the maximum mainly resting on the magnitude of the [[South Asian monsoon]].<ref>[http://150.217.73.85/wlfpdf/02_Dahal.pdf Dahal]{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Forming south-to-north transects, Nepal can be divided into three belts: Terai, Pahad and Himal. In the other direction, it is divided into three major river systems, east to west: [[Koshi River|Koshi]], [[Gandaki River|Gandaki/Narayani]] and [[Karnali River|Karnali]] (including the [[Mahakali River|Mahakali]] along the western border), all tributaries of the [[Ganges River|Ganges river]]. The Ganges-[[Yarlung Zangbo River|Yarlung Zangbo]]/[[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] watershed largely coincides with the Nepal-Tibet border, save for certain tributaries rising beyond it.

{{Anchor|Himalaya}}

=== {{anchor|Himal|Mount}}Himal ===
[[Image:Himalayas.jpg|thumb|280px|right|[[Perspective (visual)|Perspective]] view of the Himalayas and Mount Everest as seen from space looking south-south-east from over the [[Tibetan Plateau]]. ([[:Image:himalaya annotated.jpg|annotated version]])]]
Himal Region is a mountainous region containing snow.
The Mountain Region begins where high ridges (Nepali: लेक; lekh) begin substantially rising above {{convert|3000|m|ft|-3}} into the [[Montane#Subalpine zone|subalpine]] and [[Montane#Alpine grasslands and tundra|alpine zone]] which are mainly used for seasonal pasturage. By geographical view, it covers 15% of the total area of Nepal. A few tens kilometers further north the high Himalaya abruptly rise along the Main Central Thrust fault zone above the [[snow line]] at {{convert|5000|to|5500|m|ft|-2}}. Some 90 of Nepal's peaks exceed {{convert|7000|m|ft|-2}} and eight exceed {{convert|8000|m|ft|0}} including [[Mount Everest]] at {{convert|8848|m|ft|0}} and [[Kanchenjunga]] at {{convert|8598|m|ft}}.

There are some 20 subranges including the [[Kangchenjunga|Kanchenjunga]] massif along with the [[Mahalangur Himal]] around Mount Everest. [[Langtang]] north of Kathmandu, [[Annapurna]] and [[Manaslu]] north of Pokhara, then [[Dhaulagiri]] further west with [[Kanjiroba Himal|Kanjiroba]] north of [[Jumla district|Jumla]] and finally [[Gurans Himal]] in the far west.

{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:85%; margin:auto; text-align:center;"
|+ style="font-size:125%;|'''Nepal’s highest mountains'''{{cn|date=April 2025}}
! style="text-align: center;" | '''Mountain'''
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center; background:rgb(204, 153, 51); text-align:center;" | '''Height'''
! style="text-align:center; background:rgb(204, 153, 51); text-align:center;" | '''Section'''
! style="text-align:center; background:rgb(204, 153, 51); text-align:center;" | '''Location'''
|-
| [[Mount Everest]]<br />(Highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | &nbsp; 8,848&nbsp;m &nbsp;
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | &nbsp; 29,029&nbsp;ft &nbsp;
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | [[Khumbu]] [[Mahalangur Himal|Mahalangur]]
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" |[[Khumbu Pasanglhamu]], [[Solukhumbu District]],<br />[[Province No. 1]] (Nepal-China Border)
|-
| [[Kangchenjunga]]<br />(3rd highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | 8,586&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | 28,169&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | &nbsp; Northern Kanchenjunga &nbsp;
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | {{nbsp|4}}[[Phaktanglung]] / [[Sirijangha]], [[Taplejung District]],<br />[[Province No. 1]] (Nepal-India Border)
|-
| [[Lhotse]]<br />(4th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | 8,516&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | 27,940&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(146, 215, 200);" | Everest Group
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" |[[Khumbu Pasanglhamu]], [[Solukhumbu District]],<br />[[Province No. 1]] (Nepal-China Border)
|-
| [[Makalu]]<br />(5th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 8,462&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 27,762&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | Makalu Mahalangur
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | {{nbsp|4}}[[Makalu, Sankhuwasabha|Makalu]], [[Sankhuwasabha District]],<br />[[Province No. 1]] (Nepal-China Border)
|-
| [[Cho Oyu]]<br />(6th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 8,201&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 26,906&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | Khumbu Mahalangur
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | {{nbsp|4}}[[Khumbu Pasanglhamu]], [[Solukhumbu District]],<br /> [[Province No. 1]] (Nepal-China Border)
|-
| [[Dhaulagiri]]<br />(7th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 8,167&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 26,795&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | Dhaulagiri
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | Dhaulagiri, [[Myagdi District]],
[[Gandaki Province]]
|-
| [[Manaslu]]<br />(8th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 8,163&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 26,759&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" |[[Mansiri Himal]]
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | {{nbsp|4}}Tsum Nubri, [[Gorkha District]] / Nashong, [[Manang District]],
[[Gandaki Province]]
|-
| [[Annapurna]]<br />(10th highest in the world)
| style="text-align:center;background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 8,091&nbsp;m
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | 26,545&nbsp;ft
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" |[[Annapurna Massif]]
| style="text-align:center; background:rgb(145, 215, 200);" | {{nbsp|4}}Annapurna, [[Kaski District]] / Annapurna, [[Myagdi District]],
[[Gandaki Province]]
|}

==== Trans-Himalayan ====
The main watershed between the [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] (called ''[[Yarlung Zangbo River|Yarlung Tsangpo]]'' in [[Tibet]]) and the [[Ganges]] system (including all of Nepal) actually lies north of the highest ranges. Alpine, often semi-arid valleys—including [[Humla district|Humla]], [[Jumla district|Jumla]], [[Dolpo]], [[Mustang District|Mustang]], [[Manang]] and [[Khumbu]]—cut between Himalayan sub ranges or lie north of them.

Some of these valleys historically were more accessible from [[Tibet]] than Nepal and are populated by people with [[Tibetan People|Tibetan]] affinities called ''[[Bhotiya]]'' or ''[[Bhutia]]'' including the famous [[Sherpa people|Sherpas]] in Kumbu valley near Mount Everest. With [[Sinicization of Tibet|Chinese cultural hegemony]] in Tibet itself, these valleys have become repositories of traditional ways. Valleys with better access from the hill regions to the south are culturally linked to Nepal as well as Tibet, notably the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]] where [[Thakali people|Thakali]] culture shows influences in both directions.

Permanent villages in the mountain region stand as high as {{convert|4500|m|ft|-3}} with summer encampments even higher. Bhotiyas graze [[yak]]s, grow cold-tolerant crops such as [[potato]]es, [[barley]], [[buckwheat]] and [[millet]]. They traditionally traded across the mountains, e.g., Tibetan salt for [[rice]] from lowlands in Nepal and India. Since trade was restricted in the 1950s they have found work as high altitude porters, guides, cooks and other accessories to tourism and alpinism.<ref>{{cite book | url = http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_130-133_05.pdf | title = Important Trade Routes in Nepal and Their Importance to the Settlement Process | first1 = Rainer | last1 = Graafen | first2 = Christian | last2 = Seeber | work = Ancient Nepal | volume = 130 | date = June 1992 | access-date = 22 September 2020 | archive-date = 18 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210418194602/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_130-133_05.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>

=== {{anchor|The Hilly |Hilly}} Hilly ===
[[File:Pame-pokhara - Flickr - thapa.laxman.jpg|thumb|Middle Hills]]
Hilly Region is a mountain region which does not generally contain snow. It is situated to the south of the Himal Region (the snowy mountain region). This region begins at the [[Lower Himalayan Range]], where a fault system called the ''Main Boundary Thrust'' creates an escarpment {{convert|1000|to|1500|m|ft|-3}} high, to a crest between {{convert|1500|and|2700|m|ft|-3}}. It covers 68% of the total area of Nepal.

These steep southern slopes are nearly uninhabited, thus an effective buffer between languages and culture in the Terai and Hilly. [[Pahari people (Nepal)|Paharis]] mainly populate river and stream bottoms that enable [[Paddy field|rice cultivation]] and are warm enough for winter/spring crops of [[wheat]] and [[potato]]. The increasingly urbanized [[Kathmandu Valley|Kathmandu]] and [[Pokhara Valley|Pokhara]] valleys fall within the Hill region. [[Newa people|Newars]] are an [[Adivasi|indigenous]] ethnic group with their own [[Tibeto-Burman]] [[Newar language|language]]. The Newar were originally indigenous to the Kathmandu valley but have spread into Pokhara and [[Newa people#Settlements|other towns]] alongside urbanized Pahari.

Other indigenous Janajati ethnic groups -— natively speaking highly localized Tibeto-Burman languages and dialects -— populate hillsides up to about {{convert|2500|m|ft|-3}}. This group includes [[Magar people|Magar]] and [[Kham Magar]] west of Pokhara, [[Gurung]] south of the Annapurnas, [[Tamang people|Tamang]] around the periphery of Kathmandu Valley and [[Rai people|Rai]], [[Sunuwar|Koinch Sunuwar]] and [[Limbu people|Limbu]] further east. Temperate and subtropical fruits are grown as cash crops. [[Cannabis (drug)|Marijuana]] was grown and processed into ''[[Charas]]'' ([[hashish]]) until international pressure persuaded the [[Kingdom of Nepal|government]] to outlaw it in 1976. There is increasing reliance on animal husbandry with elevation, using land above {{convert|2000|m|ft|-3}} for summer grazing and [[Transhumance|moving herds to lower elevations in winter]]. Grain production has not kept pace with population growth at elevations above {{convert|1000|m|ft|-2}} where colder temperatures inhibit [[Multiple cropping|double cropping]]. Food deficits drive emigration out of the Pahad in search of employment.

The Hilly ends where ridges begin substantially rising out of the [[temperate climate]] zone into [[subalpine zone]] above {{convert|3000|m|ft|-3}}.

{{Anchor|Terai}}

=== {{anchor|The Terai Region|Terai}} Terai ===
{{Main|Terai|Inner Terai Valleys of Nepal}}
Terai is a low land region containing some hill ranges. Looking out for its coverage, it covers 17% of the total area of Nepal. The Terai (also spelt Tarai) region begins at the Indian border and includes the southernmost part of the flat, intensively farmed [[Gangetic Plain]] called the ''Outer Terai''. By the 19th century, timber and other resources were being exported to India. Industrialization based on agricultural products such as [[jute]] began in the 1930s and infrastructure such as roadways, railways and electricity were extended across the border before it reached Nepal's Pahad region.

The Outer Terai is culturally more similar to adjacent parts of India's [[Bihari people|Bihar]] and [[Culture of Uttar Pradesh|Uttar Pradesh]] than to the Pahad of Nepal. [[Nepali language|Nepali]] is taught in schools and often spoken in government offices, however, the local population mostly uses [[Maithil|Maithali]], [[Bhojpuri language|Bhojpuri]] and [[Tharu languages|Tharu]] languages.

The Outer Terai ends at the base of the first range of foothills called the ''[[Sivalik Hills|Chure Hills]]'' or ''Churia''. This range has a densely forested skirt of coarse alluvium called the ''[[Bhabar]]''. Below the Bhabhar, finer, less permeable sediments force groundwater to the surface in a zone of springs and marshes. In [[Persian language|Persian]], ''terai'' refers to wet or marshy ground. Before the use of [[DDT#Use against malaria|DDT]] this was dangerously [[malaria]]l. Nepal's rulers used this for a defensive frontier called the ''char kose jhadi'' (four ''kos'' forest, one kos equaling about three kilometers or two miles).

Above the [[Bhabar]] belt, the [[Sivalik Hills|Chure Hills]] rise to about {{convert|700|m|ft|0}} with peaks as high as {{convert|1000|m|ft|0}}, steeper on their southern flanks because of faults are known as the Main Frontal Thrust. This range is composed of poorly consolidated, coarse sediments that do not retain water or support soil development so there is virtually no agricultural potential and sparse population.

In several places beyond the Chure, there are [[Doon Valley|dūn valleys]] called [[Inner Terai Valleys of Nepal|'''Inner Terai''']]. These valleys have productive soil but were dangerously malarial except to [[Adivasi|indigenous]] [[Tharu people]] who had [[Thalassemia|genetic resistance]]. In the mid-1950s [[DDT]] came into use to [[DDT#Use against malaria|suppress mosquitos]] and the way was open to settlement from the land-poor hills, to the detriment of the Tharu.

The Terai ends and the Pahad begin at a higher range of foothills called the [[Lower Himalayan Range]].