District in Lumbini Province, Nepal
28°05′N 082°50′E / 28.083°N 82.833°E / 28.083; 82.833 (Pyuthan District, Nepal)
Pyuthan District (Nepali: प्युठान जिल्ला [piu̯ʈʰan] ⓘ, is a "hill" district some 427.6 km (265.7 mi) west of Kathmandu in Lumbini Province in midwestern Nepal. Pyuthan covers an area of 1,309 km2 (505 sq mi) with population of 212,484 in 2001 and 226,796 in 2011. Pyuthan Khalanga is the district's administrative center.
Geography and climate
Pyuthan borders Dang Deukhuri District to the southwest along the crest of the Mahabharat Range and extends about 50 km (31 mi) northeast through the Middle Hills to a 3,000+ meter ridge that is both Pyuthan's border with Baglung district of Dhaulagiri Zone and the main watershed between the (west) Rapti and Gandaki River basins.[2] Pyuthan borders Rolpa district to the west. Of the two upper tributaries of the West Rapti River, Pyuthan contains all of Jhimruk Khola and the lower part of Madi Khola after it exits Rolpa. The Madi-Jhimruk confluence is in southern Pyuthan, in the Mahabharat Range.[3]
The valley of Jhimruk Khola is the core of Pyuthan district. Its alluvial plain is intensively planted in rice during the summer monsoon. Wheat is grown as the winter crop. Madi Khola has eroded an inner gorge and is less suited to traditional irrigated agriculture.
| Climate Zone[4]
|
Elevation Range
|
% of Area
|
| Upper Tropical
|
300 to 1,000 meters
1,000 to 3,300 ft.
|
36.1%
|
| Subtropical
|
1,000 to 2,000 meters
3,300 to 6,600 ft.
|
53.3%
|
| Temperate
|
2,000 to 3,000 meters
6,400 to 9,800 ft.
|
9.7%
|
| Subalpine
|
3,000 to 4,000 meters
9,800 to 13,100 ft.
|
0.8%
|
Demographics
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Pyuthan District had a population of 228,102.
As their first language, 96.2% spoke Nepali, 2.3% Magar, 0.6% Newar, 0.4% Gurung, 0.1% Tamang, 0.1% Tharu and 0.1% other languages.[5]
Ethnicity/caste: 32.7% were Magar, 24.9% Chhetri, 14.0% Kami, 9.8% Hill Brahmin, 4.2% Sarki, 3.3% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 3.2% Damai/Dholi, 1.7% Newar, 1.5% Gurung, 1.5% Kumal, 1.1% Thakuri, 0.5% Gharti/Bhujel, 0.5% Tharu, 0.3% Musalman, 0.2% Badi, 0.1% Gaine, 0.1% Lhomi, 0.1% Tamang, 0.1% Thakali and 0.1% others.[6]
Religion: 96.6% were Hindu, 2.8% Buddhist, 0.3% Muslim, 0.2% Christian and 0.1% others.[7]
Literacy: 66.8% could read and write, 2.2% could only read and 31.0% could neither read nor write.[8]
Population by Census 1971-2011
[9][10]
Nepal
