Sankhuwasabha District

Sankhuwasabha District (Nepali: सङ्खुवासभा जिल्ला Listen^ⓘ) is one of 14 districts of Koshi Province of eastern Nepal. The district's area is 3,480 km² with a population of 159,203 in 2001 and 158,742 in 2011. The administrative center is Khandbari.

Sankhuwasabha District सङ्खुवासभा जिल्ला
District
Yangle Kharka, a place in Sankhuwasabha
Location of Sankhuwasabha in province
Coordinates: 27°06′N 86°57′E to 27°55′N 87°40′E
Country	Nepal
Province	Koshi Province
Established	1962
Admin HQ.	Khandbari
Municipality	List Urban Chainpur Dharmadevi Khandbari Madi Panchkhapan Rural Bhotkhola Chichila Makalu Savapokhari Silichong
Government
• Type	Coordination committee
• Body	DCC, Sankhuwasabha
• Head	Mahesh Thapaliya
• Parliamentary constituencies	1
• Provincial constituencies	2
Area
• Total	3,480 km2 (1,340 sq mi)
Highest elevation	8,463 m (27,766 ft)
Lowest elevation	457 m (1,499 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	158,041
• Density	45.4/km2 (118/sq mi)
• Households	34,615
Demographics
• Female ♀	53%
Human Development Index
• Income per capita (US dollars)	$1,193
• Poverty rate	21%
• Literacy	79%
• Life Expectancy	68.4
Time zone	UTC+05:45 (NPT)
Postal Codes	56900..., 56913
Telephone Code	029
Main Language(s)	Nepali, Yakkha, Kulung, Limbu
Website	ddcsankhuwasabha.gov.np

Bordering districts are Bhojpur, Tehrathum, Dhankuta, Solukhumbu and Taplejung in Koshi Province. Tingri County of Shigatse Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China borders to the north.

Geography and climate

Climate Zone[1]	Elevation Range	% of Area
Lower Tropical	below 300 meters (1,000 ft)	0.4%
Upper Tropical	300 to 1,000 meters 1,000 to 3,300 ft.	10.0%
Subtropical	1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft.	24.8%
Temperate	2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 ft.	23.3%
Subalpine	3,000 to 4,000 meters 9,800 to 13,100 ft.	12.8%
Alpine	4,000 to 5,000 meters 13,100 to 16,400 ft.	8.4%
Nival	above 5,000 meters	20.4%

The Arun River enters from Tibet at an elevation of about 3,500 meters (11,500 feet) and flows south across the district, forming one of the world's deepest valleys relative to 8,481 meter Makalu to the west and 8,586 meter Kangchenjunga to the east.

Demographics

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
1981	129,414	—
1991	141,903	+0.93%
2001	159,203	+1.16%
2011	158,742	−0.03%
2021	158,041	−0.04%
Sources:[2]

At the 2021 Nepal census, Sankhuwasabha District had 39,118 households and a population of 158,041. 7.55% of the population was under 5 years of age. Sankhuawsabha had a literacy rate of 79.89% and a sex ratio of 986 females per 1,000 males. 108,038 (68.36%) lived in urban areas.^[3]

Ethnicity/caste of Sankhuwasabha district (2021)^[4]

1. Rai (17.3%)
2. Chhetri (11.3%)
3. Tamang (8.90%)
4. Sherpa (6.70%)
5. Limbu (5.35%)
6. Gurung (3.76%)
7. Kami (4.98%)
8. Newar (4.54%)
9. Bahun (3.94%)
10. Yakkha (3.64%)
11. Magar (3.55%)
12. Other Hill Janjati (9.91%)
13. Other Khas Dalit (3.49%)
14. Others (3.00%)

Religion in Sankhuwasabha District (2021)^[5]

Religion			Percent
Hinduism			40.42%
Kirat Mundhum			28.84%
Buddhism			26.74%
Christianity			3.21%
Bon			0.45%
Other or not stated			0.34%

Religion: 40.42% were Hindu, 28.84% Kirati, 26.74% Buddhist, 3.21% Christian, 0.45% Bon and 0.07% others.^[5]

Languages of Sankhuwasabha district (2021)^[6]

1. Nepali (44.1%)
2. Tamang (9.62%)
3. Kulung (6.86%)
4. Sherpa (5.52%)
5. Limbu (4.83%)
6. Yamphu (3.87%)
7. Rai (3.10%)
8. Yakkha (3.09%)
9. Magar Dhut (2.83%)
10. Bhote (2.50%)
11. Gurung (2.30%)
12. Others (11.4%)

As their first language, 44.11% of the population spoke Nepali, 9.62% Tamang, 6.86% Kulung, 5.52% Sherpa, 4.83% Limbu, 3.87% Yamphu, 3.10% Rai, 3.09% Yakkha, 2.83% Magar Dhut, 2.50% Bhote and 2.30% Gurung as their first language.^[6] In 2011, 46.1% of the population spoke Nepali as their first language.^[7]

Divisions

Sankhuwasabha District is divided into the following subdivisions:^[8]

Local Body	Nepali	Type	Population (2021)
Bhotkhola	भोटखोला	Rural municipality	6,438
Chainpur	चैनपुर	Municipality	26,799
Chichila	चिचिला	Rural municipality	6,477
Dharmadevi	धर्मदेवी	Municipality	16,053
Khandbari	खाँदबारी	Municipality	35,565
Madi	मादी	Municipality	13,273
Makalu	मकालु	Rural municipality	13,424
Panchkhapan	पाँचखपन	Municipality	16,348
Savapokhari	सभापोखरी	Rural municipality	9,970
Silichong	सिलीचोङ	Rural municipality	10,296

See also

• Arun Valley
• Tumlingtar Airport
• khadbari
• Panchkhapan
• Chainpur