Morang District

This article is about the place in Nepal. For the place in Australia, see South Morang, Victoria.
Morang
मोरङ
District

Location of Morang
Country Nepal
Region Eastern (Purwanchal)
Zone Koshi
Headquarters Biratnagar
Area
 • Total 1,855 km2 (716 sq mi)
Population (2011[1])
 • Total 965,370
 • Density 520/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
Time zone NPT (UTC+5:45)
Main language(s) Nepali language (38%), Maithili language (36%), Tharu (6%), Rajbanshi (3.7%), Limbu(3.6%), Urdu (3.1%)
Website www.ddcmorang.gov.np

Morang District (Nepali: मोरङ जिल्ला  listen ), a part of Koshi Zone in Terai plain, is one of the seventy-five districts of Nepal, a landlocked country of South Asia. The district, with Biratnagar as its district headquarters, covers an area of 1,855 km2 (716 sq mi) and has a population (2011) of 965,370. The district has a diversity of cultures and religions.

Geography and climate

Climate Zone[2] Elevation Range % of Area
Lower Tropical below 300 meters (1,000 ft) 80.9%
Upper Tropical 300 to 1,000 meters
1,000 to 3,300 ft.		 11.5%
Subtropical 1,000 to 2,000 meters
3,300 to 6,600 ft.		  7.4%
Temperate 2,000 to 3,000 meters
6,400 to 9,800 ft.		  0.2%

Morang lies in the southern Terai, or plains, of Eastern Nepal. Most of the land is taken up by rice and jute cultivation, though areas of sal forest remain along the northern part of the district where the plains meet the hills.

Economy

Most of the district is rural, though it is also home to Biratnagar, the second largest city in Nepal after Kathmandu. Other minor towns include Urlabari, Biratchowk,Belbari,Pathari and Rangeli. It also boasts the largest industrial area in the whole country, expanding from Rani Mills Area to Duhabi River. Biratnagar Jute Mills and Dhanawat Matches are among the nation's oldest industries.

Education

Morang district is home to the historic Morang Campus, Sukuna multiple campus(Indrapur) and several other institutions of higher learning. The recent opening of Purvanchal University in Biratnagar, which offers graduate level courses in many disciplines of Arts and Liberal Sciences, is certain to make the place a college town as it attracts college graduates from most of the eastern part of the nation.

The Morang Model College is situated in Urlabari-3, Morang.

Morang District also contains a secondary school, Jante Higher Secondary School.

History

The name Morang is derived from the name of the Limbu King Mawrong Mung Hang, who established the Morang Kingdom in the beginning of seventh century. His capital and fort was at Rongli, present day Rangeli. Morang was then annexed to greater Limbuwan by King Uba hang in 849 CE and ruled until 1584 CE when Limbu King Sangla Ing made Morang independent and ruled from Varatappa situated east of modern Bijaypur. The Ing Dynasty, the Sen dynasty and then the Khebang dynasty ruled Morang until 1774 CE. The Morang name fell from use after the annexation of all the Kingdoms of Limbuwan, including Morang, by King Prithivi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. The last King of Morang was Buddhi Karna Raya Khebang, who ruled from Bijaypur near Dharan. The morang was a part of Mithila, Nepal kingdom ruled by King Janak from present day Janakpurdham before the annexation by Limbus.

The Kingdom of Morang, until its annexation to the Gorkha Kingdom of King Prithivi Narayan Shah, comprised all the terai lands east of the Koshi River and west of the Mawa river.

The name Morang came into use again after the shah kings divided the country into administrative districts and Morang was named after the old Morang Kingdom.

A large amount of the forest was cleared in the last century, and in the process, many settlers migrated to the district from the hills and India. The Morang plains are one of the most culturally diverse regions in Nepal.

Politics

Morang has been a hotbed of political activity throughout Nepal's recent history producing political stalwarts such as BP Koirala, Girija Prasad Koirala, Man Mohan Adhikari, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Upendra Yadav amongst others.

The district currently sends nine members to the national legislature.

Administrative divisions

Sub-Metropolitan City

Municipalities

Village Development Committees (VDCs)

Map of the VDCs in Morang District

Coordinates: 26°40′N 87°30′E / 26.667°N 87.500°E

References

  1. ↑ Household and population by districts, Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) Nepal
  2. ↑ The Map of Potential Vegetation of Nepal - a forestry/agroecological/biodiversity classification system (PDF), . Forest & Landscape Development and Environment Series 2-2005 and CFC-TIS Document Series No.110., 2005, ISBN 87-7803-210-9, retrieved Nov 22, 2013

Further reading

  • Shaha, Rishikesh (1992). Ancient and Medieval Nepal. Manohar Publications, New Delhi. ISBN 978-81-85425-69-6.
  • Shreshta, S.H (2005). Nepal in Maps. Kathmandu: Educational Publishing House. p. 129.
  • Shreshta, Vinod Prasad (2007). A Concise Geography of Nepal. Kathmandu: Mandal Publications. p. 126. ISBN 978-99946-55-04-5.
  • Woodhatch, Tom (1999). Nepal handbook. The Royal Palace (Footprint Travel Guides). p. 194. ISBN 978-1-900949-44-6. Retrieved 2009-12-17.

External links