Nepal Geography, Transboundary Rivers, and Relief Features

#GS-1 #Geography #Physical Geography #GS-2 #Current Events #International #Mapping #Transboundary Rivers

Key takeaways

Nepal shares an international border with five Indian states, which are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim.
Nepal houses 8 of the world 14 highest mountain peaks above 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest.
The country contains over 6,000 rivers and streams, almost all of which drain directly into the Ganga River Basin.
A suspected glacier collapse in Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts highlights the ongoing need for transboundary water management between India and Nepal.

A sudden flash flood recently hit Rasuwa and Nuwakot districts in Nepal due to a suspected glacier collapse near the northern border.
This disaster has brought fresh attention to the shared transboundary river systems that flow from Nepal into India.

Nepal is a sovereign, landlocked country in South Asia located along the southern slopes of the central Himalayas.
The country acts as a vital strategic buffer state between the Tibetan Plateau of China to the north and the Indo-Gangetic Plain of India to the south.
The capital city is Kathmandu, which lies in the Kathmandu Valley along the banks of the Bagmati River.
On its northern side, Nepal shares an international border with China.
On its eastern, southern, and western sides, Nepal borders five Indian states, which are Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim.

Nepal terrain rises steeply from south to north through four parallel physical zones: the Terai Plain, the Churia Foothills, the Lesser Himalayas, and the Great Himalaya Range.
The country is a global epicenter for extreme altitudes, housing 8 of the world 14 mountain peaks above 8,000 metres, including Mount Everest.
The central mountain zone features fertile intermontane valleys like the Kathmandu and Pokhara valleys, which formed as ancient lake beds during the Pleistocene Epoch.
Nepal major Himalayan rivers are antecedent, meaning they cut deep gorges through rising mountains because the rivers existed before the Himalayas formed.

Nepal has more than 6,000 rivers, streams, and rivulets, and almost all of them drain into the Ganga River Basin.
The Mahakali River is known as the Sharda River in India, entering through Uttar Pradesh.
The Karnali River is called the Ghaghra River upon entering Uttar Pradesh in India.
The West Rapti River enters Uttar Pradesh under the name Rapti River.
The Narayani or Trishuli River flows into Bihar and Uttar Pradesh as the Gandak River.
The Sapta Kosi River enters Bihar, where it is known as the Kosi River.
The Bagmati River flows directly from Nepal into Bihar.
The Kamala River originates in Nepal and flows down into Bihar.
The Sikrahana or East Narayani River is known as the Burhi Gandak River in Bihar.
The Mahananda River flows from Nepal into Bihar and West Bengal.