Surkhet Valley

Surkhet Valley is the largest inner Terai valley of Karnali Province, Nepal. It serves as the administrative and commercial center of the province, with Birendranagar as its capital city. Its location is in Mid-western Nepal, surrounded by the Siwalik (Chure) hills and Mahabharat range.

Surkhet Valley सुर्खेत उपत्यका
Valleys of Nepal
Ghantaghar of Surkhet Valley
Country	Nepal
Province	Karnali Province
District	Surkhet District
Area
• Total	300 or 400 km2 (120 or 150 sq mi)
Population  (2021 Census)
• Total	200,000 or 250,000
• Density	670/km2 (1,700/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+5:45 (Nepal Time)

The Surkhet Valley is situated in the Surkhet district, mid-western Nepal. The valley is about 700 m (2,300 ft) above sea level, forming an ellipse about 9 km (5.6 mi) east-west by 6 km (3.7 mi) north-south. It is drained by the Bheri River, a tributary of the Karnali.^[1] The district is the homeland of the Raji people.^[2] Tharu people from Dang settled in the valley since at least the 19th century.^[3]

Imagery of Surkhet (S): terrain satellite

The valley itself (the flat fertile basin area) covers roughly 300–400 km² inside the district. Surkhet Valley (the inner fertile flatland, not the whole district) hosts the urban core of Birendranagar Metropolitan City and surrounding settlements. And the estimated population in the valley area is around 200,000–250,000 people, since more than half of the district’s people live in and around Birendranagar.