Rasuwa District (Nepali: रसुवा जिल्ला is one of 13 districts of Bagmati Province and one of seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Dhunche as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,544 km2 (596 sq mi) and has a population (2011) of 43,300. Its District Post Office (DPO) has a Rasuwa DPO code of 45000. There are five post offices in the district. As per census 2011 total households in Rasuwa district were 9,778. It is the smallest district by area, among 16 districts in the Himalaya region of Nepal.[1][2]
Rasuwa District
रसुवा जिल्ला | |
|---|---|
    Clockwise from top: Kyanjing Gompa village, Stupa near Langtang village on a popular trek route, Panorama of Gosaikunda lake, Dhunche— the headquarter of Rasuwa district | |
 Location of district in province | |
| Country |  Nepal |
| Province | Bagmati Province |
| Established | 1962 |
| Admin HQ. | Dhunche |
| Government | |
| • Type | Coordination committee |
| • Body | DCC, Rasuwa |
| • Chief District Officer | Naba Raj Jaisi |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,544 km2 (596 sq mi) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 43,300 |
| • Density | 28/km2 (73/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:45 (NPT) |
| Main Language(s) | Nepali, Tamang |
Etymology
The name, formerly Rasowa, is believed to be derived from two Tibetan words ra (lamb) and sowa (grazing), as it was known for its lamb and grazing lands.
Geography and climate
| Climate Zone[3] | Elevation Range | % of Area |
|---|---|---|
| Upper Tropical | 300 to 1,000 meters 1,000 to 3,300 ft. |
1.2% |
| Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft. |
11.4% |
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 ft. |
20.8% |
| Subalpine | 3,000 to 4,000 meters 9,800 to 13,100 ft. |
20.0% |
| Alpine | 4,000 to 5,000 meters 13,100 to 16,400 ft. |
11.8% |
| Nival | above 5,000 meters | 32.9% |
| Transhimalayan[4] | Cold arid or semi-arid | 2.0% |
Its territory has elevations ranging from 614 to 7,227 meters (2,014 to 23,711 ft) from mean sea Level. Forests cover 31.43% of the land while 16.63% is always snow-covered.[6] Steeply varying territory and plenty of natural blessings make Rasuwa a well-known tourist destination in Nepal.[citation needed] Sightseeing places including Gosaikunda Lake, Langtang valley plus one of the hot springs in Nepal (locally called Tatopani) are located in the district.
Demographics
| Census year | Pop. | ±% p.a. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 30,241 | — | ||
| 1991 | 36,744 | +1.97% | ||
| 2001 | 44,731 | +1.99% | ||
| 2011 | 43,300 | −0.32% | ||
| 2021 | 45,554 | +0.51% | ||
| ||||
| Source: Citypopulation[7] | ||||
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Rasuwa District had a population of 43,300.
As their first language, 68.2% spoke Tamang, 26.5% Nepali, 1.7% Tibetan, 1.1% Gurung, 0.7% Newari, 0.6% Sherpa, 0.3% Maithili, 0.2% Ghale, 0.2% Magar, 0.2% Yolmo and 0.4% other languages as their first language.[8]
Ethnicity/caste: 69.6% were Tamang, 15.2% Hill Brahmin, 3.1% Gurung, 2.4% Ghale, 2.3% Newar, 2.0% Chhetri, 1.9% Kami, 1.2% Magar, 1.0% Damai/Dholi, 0.2% Yolmo, 0.1% Badi, 0.1% Gharti/Bhujel, 0.1% Sherpa and 0.7% others.[9]
Religion: 70.0% were Buddhist, 25.4% Hindu, 4.3% Christian, 0.1% Prakriti and 0.3% others.[10]
Literacy: 52.3% could read and write, 3.0% could only read and 44.6% could neither read nor write.[11]
Administrative divisions
The administrative division of Rasuwa comprised 5 Rural Municipalities.
Following are five Rural Municipalities in Rasuwa District:
| # | Name | Website |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uttargaya Rural Municipality | uttargayamun |
| 2 | Kalika Rural Municipality | kalikamunrasuwa |
| 3 | Gosaikunda Rural Municipality | gosaikundamun |
| 4 | Naukunda Rural Municipality | naukundamun |
| 5 | Aamachhodingmo Rural Municipality | aamachhodingmomun |
Many leaders of different parties are here but only 5 mayors are here. Nepali Congress won 2 places,
CPN UML won 2 place and Rastriya Prajatantrik Party won 1 seat/place. The first ever person who
was elected in Rasuwa from Nepali Congress was Mr. Bal Chandra Poudel (2046 B.S). The history of other
parties are not commenced yet but this district in Nepal is also the one with no VDC. The winner of election
2070 BS in this district is Mr. Janardan Dhakal.
Transportation
Rasuwa is accessible by bus from Kathmandu (national capital) via Pasang Lhamu highway (H21), with its headquarters (Dhunche) being about 120 km (75 mi) from Kathmandu. As of 2013, 3 Village Development Committees (VDCs) namely Thuman, Langtang and Haku are not touched by any kind of roadway.
Tourism
Rasuwa is rich in natural resources.[citation needed] Langtang mountain range stands to the north of Rasuwa. The northern parts of the area largely fall within the boundaries of Langtang National Park. Gosainkunda Lake, Ganja La Pass, and Tamang village in Bridim are the major highlights of Rasuwa for tourism. The Gosainkunda Lake, also known as "Frozen Lake", is a mountain lake in the Langtang region. There are about 108 kundas (lakes) in this area. Saraswati Kund, Bhairab Kund, Surya Kund and Gosainkund are most important ones.
Langtang valley is another attraction in Rasuwa which is aptly called the valley of glaciers; mountains rise soaring toward the sky. The valley offers pine forest, swift mountain streams, rugged rock and snow-capped peaks, grassy down and meadows strewn with daisies and wild animals.
References
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