| Type: | District of Nepal |
| Dolpa District | |
| Image Alt: | Two mountains shrouded in clouds |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Province |
| Subdivision Name1: | Karnali Province |
| Parts Type: | Municipality |
| Parts Style: | coll |
| P1: | Urban |
| P2: | Thuli Bheri |
| P3: | Tripurasundari |
| P4: | Rural |
| P5: | Dolpo Buddha |
| P17: | She Phoksundo |
| P18: | Jagadulla |
| P19: | Mudkechula |
| P20: | Kaike |
| P21: | Chharka Tangsong |
| Established Title: | Established |
| Established Date: | 1962 |
| Seat Type: | Admin HQ. |
| Seat: | Dunai (Thuli Bheri) |
| Leader Title: | Head |
| Leader Name: | Sher Bahadur Buda |
| Leader Party: | CPN-UML |
| Leader Title1: | Deputy-Head |
| Leader Title2: | Parliamentary constituencies |
| Leader Name2: | Dolpa 1 |
| Leader Title3: | Provincial constituencies |
| Leader Name3: | Dolpa 1(A) &<br/>Dolpa 1(B) |
| Government Type: | Coordination committee |
| Governing Body: | DCC, Dolpa |
| Area Total Km2: | 7889 |
| Area Rank: | 1st |
| Population Total: | 36700 |
| Population As Of: | 2011 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Demographics Type1: | Demographics |
| Demographics1 Title1: | Ethnic groups |
| Demographics1 Info1: | Chhetri, Magar, Dolpo, Kami, Gurung, Thakuri |
| Demographics1 Title2: | Female ♀ |
| Demographics1 Info2: | 50% |
| Demographics1 Title3: | Male ♂/100 female |
| Demographics Type2: | Human Development Index |
| Demographics2 Title1: | Income per capita (US dollars) |
| Demographics2 Title2: | Poverty rate |
| Demographics2 Title3: | Literacy |
| Demographics2 Info3: | 53% |
| Demographics2 Title4: | Life Expectancy |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Main Language(s) |
| Blank Info Sec1: | Nepali |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Major highways |
| Blank Info Sec2: | Kali Gandaki Corridor |
| Timezone1: | NPT |
| Utc Offset1: | +05:45 |
| Postal Code Type: | Postal Codes |
| Area Code Type: | Telephone Code |
Dolpa District (Nepali: [[:ne:डोल्पा जिल्ला|डोल्पा जिल्ला]]), is a district, located in Karnali Province of Nepal, It is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal and one of ten district of Karnali. The district, with Dunai as its district headquarters, covers an area of 7889km2 and has a population (2023) of 43,000.[1] Dolpa is the largest district of Nepal in terms of area.
Dolpa is the largest district of Nepal covering 5.36% of the total landmass of the country. It is located at 28°43’N to 29°43’N latitude and 82°23’E to 83°41’E longitude. Elevation ranges from 1525mto7625mm (5,003feetto25,016feetm). The district borders Tibet on the north and northeast, Jumla and Mugu districts on the west, Myagdi, Jajarkot, Western and Eastern Rukum on the south, and Mustang on the east.
A large portion of the district is protected by Shey Phoksundo National Park. The name is derived from the 12th-century Shey Monastery and the deepest lake in Nepal, the Phoksundo Lake, both of which lie in the district. The park protects endangered animals like the snow leopard, musk deer and Tibetan wolf. The Shey Phoksundo is the largest and only trans-Himalayan National Park in Nepal.
The district has an altitudinal range of over 5000m (16,000feet) from a little over 1500m (4,900feet) at Tribeni in Kalika Village Development Committee to 7381m (24,216feet) at the peak of Churen Himal. Kanjiroba (6221m (20,410feet)), Mukot (6638m (21,778feet)) and Putha Hiunchuli (7246m (23,773feet)) are other renowned peaks.
Physiographically, the smaller ranges of the Great Himalayas comprise the southern border of the district. Between these and the border mountain ranges of Gautam Himal and Kanti Himal to the north, Dolpa district is a labyrinth of often wide glacial valleys and ridges. Kanjiroba Himal and Kagmara Lekh, running northwest to southeast, separate the valleys of the Jagdula in the west from the rest of the district.
| Climate Zone | Elevation Range | % of Area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters 3,300 to 6,600 ft. | 0.3% | |
| Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters 6,400 to 9,800 ft. | 5.1% | |
| Subalpine | 3,000 to 4,000 meters 9,800 to 13,100 ft. | 12.2% | |
| Alpine | 4,000 to 5,000 meters 13,100 to 16,400 ft. | 8.2% | |
| Nival | above 5,000 meters | 3.8% | |
| Trans-Himalayan[2] [3] | 3,000 to 6,400 meters 9,800 to 21,000 ft. | 70.2% |
At the time of the 2011 Nepal census, Dolpa District had a population of 36,700.
As first language, 70.1% spoke Nepali, 6.7% Gurung, 6.0% Sherpa, 5.2% Magar, 4.5% Tibetan/Dolpali, 3.9% Bote, 2.7% Kham, 0.3% Tamang, 0.1% Sign language and 0.3% other languages.[4]
Ethnicity/caste: 45.0% were Chhetri, 12.6% Magar, 11.2% Dolpo, 9.1% Kami, 7.1% Gurung, 6.4% Thakuri, 2.8% Sarki, 1.6% Damai/Dholi, 1.5% Hill Brahmin, 1.2% Tamang, 0.7% Bhote, 0.2% Newar, 0.2% Sanyasi/Dasnami, 0.1% Tharu and 0.3% others.[5]
Religion: 70.1% were Hindu, 29.4% Buddhist and 0.4% Christian.[6]
Literacy: 53.3% could read and write, 3.6% could only read and 43.0% could neither read nor write.[7]
Dolpa's major occupations are agriculture (79.5%) and service (2%).
The Dolpa region is a distant region of Nepal and the central point of this area is Shey Phoksundo National Park. The east and south of Dolpa are surrounded by the Dhaulagiri and Churen Himal ranges and to the west is the Jumla district. Trekking to Lower Dolpa offers you the remarkable and breathtaking experience of a lifetime. The notable features seen here are snowy peaks, ancient and remote villages, rich wildlife, lovely Buddhist monasteries, and wonderful lakes. The people of this area are simple and warm-hearted with an enthralling culture and traditions. The cultural traditions of this area are basically linked with Tibetan culture.
Trekking into Dolpa presents an exposure to the high and remote Himalayan valleys, resembling the Tibetan highlands. The main highlight of Dolpa trekking includes Shey Phoksundo National Park, one of the major national parks of Nepal. Shey Phoksundo Lake is another famous feature of this region. The lake is totally free of aquatic life, which the crystal waters clearly demonstrate. Surrounded by rocks, forests, and snow-capped peaks, the area has been described as one of the world's natural hidden wonders.
This district, despite being the largest in area in the nation, had only 1 vehicle as of November 2012, and no road links to other districts.[8] The government was constructing a roadway to link Dunai in the district to Rukum, Jajarkot districts. The road is long and had been completed in 2018, which connected the district with the national road network.
The district consists of 8 Municipalities, out of which two are urban municipalities and six are rural municipalities. These are as follows:[9]
Prior to the restructuring of the district, Dolpa District consisted of the following municipalities and village development committees: