Koshi Province (Nepal)

For the former province of Japan, see Koshi Province (Japan).

Koshi Province (Nepali: कोशी प्रदेश),is one of the seven federal provinces of Nepal. It was established in 2015 by the current constitution of Nepal. It was originally called Province No. 1. On March 1, 2023, it was renamed after the Kosi River. The capital city is Biratnagar.^[5]

Koshi Province कोशी प्रदेश/ཤར་པ་ཀླུང
Province
From top left to right Mount Everest, Kanchenjunga, Gokyo Lakes, Kanyam Ilam, Halesi Mahadev Temple
Location of Eastern part of Nepal
Khotang Solu khumbu Sankhuwa sabha Taplejung Okhal dhunga Udayapur Bhojpur Tehra thum Panch thar Ilam Jhapa Morang Sunsari Dhankuta Bagmati Madhesh China India Koshi Pradesh
Coordinates (Biratnagar): 26°27′15″N 87°16′47″E
Country	Nepal
Formation	20 September 2015
Named as Koshi Pradesh	1 March 2023
Named for	Koshi River
Capital	Biratnagar
Largest city	Biratnagar
Districts	14
Government
• Type	Self-governing Province
• Body	Government of Koshi Province
• Governor	Parshuram Khapung
• Chief Minister	Hikmat Kumar Karki
• High Court	Biratnagar High Court
• Koshi Provincial Assembly	Unicameral (93 seats)
• Parliamentary constituency	28
Area
• Total	25,905 km2 (10,002 sq mi)
• Rank	2nd
Highest elevation (Mount Everest)	8,848 m (29,029 ft)
Lowest elevation (Kechana Kawal)	60 m (200 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	4,961,412
• Rank	4th
• Density	192/km2 (500/sq mi)
• Rank	4th
• Households	1,191,556
Demonym(s)	Purbeli, Kosheli, Koshyali
Demographics [1]
• Religions	Hinduism 66.63% Kiratism 17.14% Buddhism 9.20% Islam 3.59% Prakriti 1.33%
• Ethnic groups	Chhetri 14.58% Madhesi 14.26% Bahun 11.98% Rai 11.26% Limbu 8.1% Sherpa 7% Tamang 4.62% Magar 4.13% Tharu 4.10% Newar 3.68%
• Sex ratio	91.48 ♂ /100 ♀ (2011)
Development Parameters [2]
• GDP per capita	US$1267 (3rd)
• Poverty rate	0.127[3]
• Literacy	79.7%
• Life Expectancy	69
• HDI	0.553 (medium)
Time zone	UTC+5:45 (NST)
Geocode	NP-ON
ISO 3166 code	NP-P1
Vehicle registration	PROVINCE 1 AB XXXX
Official language	Nepali Maithili Limbu[4]
Other Official language(s)	Bantawa
GDP (Nominal)	US$9 Billion (2nd)
Website	koshi.gov.np

The province is bordered by the Tibet 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.^[6][7][8] According to the 2021 Nepal census, there are around 5 million people in the province, with a population density of 190 per square kilometre.^[9] As per the 2011 Nepal census the province had around 4.5 million people.^[10]

References

1. "NepalMap profile: Province No. 1". Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2023.
2. "NID | Overview".
3. "Province Wise Multidimensional Poverty Index".
4. "सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८" (PDF). Language Commission. Language Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
5. "Nepal's 'Province 1' renamed 'Koshi' after country's largest river". Canada Asia Sustainability Tracker. 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
6. "Biratnagar celebrates its status of provincial capital". The Himalayan Times. 2018. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
7. "Locals intensify protest in Dhankuta after Biratnagar named as provincial HQ". Kathmandu Post Ekantipur. 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
8. "Nepal government announces Provincial Capitals and Chiefs". DDI News. 2018. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
9. "राष्ट्रिय जनगणना २०७८ प्रारम्भिक नतिजा". cbs.gov.np (in Nepali). Central Bureau of Statistics, Nepal. 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
10. "Province 1: Call for opportunities in the land of great promise". Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. 12 August 2015. Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.