Ilam District
Ilam District
इलाम जिल्ला | |
---|---|
Rai, Limbu | |
Website | www.ddcilam.gov.np |
Ilam district (
Ilam attracts many researchers and scientists for the study of medicinal and aromatic plants, orchids, rare birds and the red panda. Ilam stretches from the Terai belt to the upper hilly belt of this Himalayan nation.
Etymology
The name Ilam is derived from the
Development and culture
Ilam is today one of the developing places in Nepal, even though the Western parts are still struggling with the basic facilities (road networks, drinking water, health, etc.). The migration rate is very low, compared to other districts, due to the adoption of farming by individual families. Ilam Tea, a very famous leaf tea, is one of the finest quality teas in the world and is exported to Europe, Australia and the USA. The main source of income in this district is commercial agriculture, especially cash crops like tea, cardamom, ginger, potato, broom grass (Thysanolaena latifolia) production on a large scale and dairy and dairy related products like milk (Olan), cheese, Chhurpi (Traditional hard cheese) and lollipops (local sweets).
Ilam is also considered to be an educational hub, where students from Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung and Jhapa are plentiful. There are several institutions that offer secondary, higher secondary and university level programs. For a decade, there has been growing number of technical and vocational programs at secondary and university levels. Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, the oldest institution in Ilam, is one of the constituent campuses of Tribhuvan University. The first autonomous campus of Nepal, it is well known for its programs such as Agricultural Science, Education, Humanities and Commerce. The campus launched a Bachelor of Science program in Horticulture in 2012 (B.S. 2069), which has attracted students from all over the Nepal.
Ilam is well known for its religious importance too. The Devi temples have a great importance attached to them and many people come here just for pilgrimage. The major attraction of Ilam is the nine-cornered Mai Pokhari lake. Also known as the Abode of the Goddess, many tourists as well as
Ilam was in the news a great deal during the Maoist insurgency, as it was from there that Maoists launched frequent, massive attacks.
Tourists going to Ilam can expect to pay around 7000 rupees a week for accommodation and food. People can get easy options for hotel and restaurant facilities of various levels.
Geography and climate
Climate Zone[2] | Elevation Range | % of Area |
---|---|---|
Lower Tropical | below 300 meters (1,000 ft) | 15.5% |
Upper Tropical | 300 to 3,000 meters (1,000 to 3,300 ft.) | 33.5% |
Subtropical | 1,000 to 2,000 meters (3,300 to 6,600 ft.) | 40.1% |
Temperate | 2,000 to 3,000 meters (6,400 to 9,800 ft.) | 10.6% |
Subalpine
|
3,000 to 4,000 meters (9,800 to 13,100 ft.) | 0.3% |
Demographics
Year | Pop. | ±% p.a. |
---|---|---|
1981 | 178,356 | — |
1991 | 229,214 | +2.54% |
2001 | 282,806 | +2.12% |
2011 | 290,254 | +0.26% |
2021 | 279,534 | −0.38% |
Sources:[3] |
At the time of the 2021 Nepal census, Ilam District had a population of 279,534. Ilam has a literacy rate of 83.4% and a sex ratio of 1005 females per 1000 males. 166,513 (59.60%) lived in municipalities.[4]
Ethnicity/caste: 20.79% were Rai, 16.10% Limbu, 13.90% Chhetri, 12.72% Bahun, 7.06% Tamang, 5.21% Magar, 3.76% Newar, 3.50% Kami and 3.04% Gurung. The Janjati communities are in majority here.[5]
Religion: 44.19% were Hindu, 36.20% Kirat, 15.96% Buddhist and 3.51% Christian.[7]
Nepali was the majority language in Ilam in 2021, spoken by 54.29% of the population as their first language. Other languages were Limbu (13.71%), Bantawa (7.53%), Rai (4.81%), Tamang (4.58%), Magar Dhut (3.56%), Chamling (1.25%), Newari and Gurung (1.00%). Other languages spoken here include Lepcha, which was the aboriginal language of neighbouring Sikkim and the Darjeeling Hills in India.[8] In 2011, Nepali was spoken by 42.8% of the population as their first language.[9] It seems that in Ilam, as in much of eastern Nepal, the Janjatis are abandoning their own languages in favour of Nepali.
Divisions
Ilam is divided into 4 urban and 6 rural municipalities.
No. | Type | Name | Nepali | Population (2011) | Area | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Urban | Ilam
|
इलाम | 48536 | 173.32 | [1] |
2 | Urban | Deumai | देउमाई | 32927 | 191.63 | [2] |
3 | Urban | Mai Municipality | माई | 32576 | 264.09 | [3] |
4 | Urban | Suryodaya | सूर्योदय | 56691 | 252.52 | [4] |
5 | Rural | Phakphokthum |
फाकफोकथुम | 21,619 | 108.79 | |
6 | Rural | Mai Jogmai |
माईजोगमाई | 21,044 | 172.41 | |
7 | Rural | Chulachuli |
चुलाचुली | 20,820 | 108.46 | |
8 | Rural | Rong | रोङ | 19,135 | 155.06 | |
9 | Rural | Mangsebung |
माङसेबुङ | 18,503 | 142.41 | |
10 | Rural | Sandakpur |
सन्दकपुर | 16,065 | 156.01 | |
District | Ilam | ईलाम |
Former Village Development Committees and Municipalities
- Amchok
- Banjho
- Barbote
- Chamaita (now deumai municipality)
- Chisapani
- Chulachuli
- Danabari
- Deumai Municipality
- Dhuseni(now Deumai Municipality)
- Ibhang
- Ektappa
- Erautar
- Gajurmukhi
- Ghuseni
- Godak
- Gorkhe
- Jamuna
- Ilam Municipality
- Jirmale
- Jitpur
- Jogmai
- Kolbung
- Lakshmipur
- Lumde
- Mabu
- Mahamai
- Maimajhuwa
- Maipokhari
- Mangalbare (now Deumai Municipality)
- Namsaling
- Naya Bazar
- Pashupatinagar
- Phakphok
- Phuyatappa
- Puwamajhuwa
- Pyang
- Sakphara
- Sakhejung
- Samalbung
- Sangrumba
- Shanti Danda
- Shantipur
- Siddhithumka
- Soyak
- Soyang
- Shree Antu
- Sulubung
- Sumbek
- Suryodaya Municipality
Notable people
Ilam district is home to notable personalities including sportspersons and politicians.
- Nawayug Shrestha, National Football Player
- Darshan Gurung, National Football Player
- Anjila Tumbapo Subba, National Football Captain
- Jhala Nath Khanal, Politician
- Subaschandra Nemwang, Politician
See also
- Zones of Nepal
- Danabari
References
- ^ a b "National Population and Housing Census 2011(National Report)" (PDF). Central Bureau of Statistics. Government of Nepal. November 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-04-18.
- ^
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 87-7903-210-9, retrieved November 22, 2013
- ^ "Nepal: Provinces and Districts". www.citypopulation.de.
- ^ "Provincial/District/Local reports: Koshi Province". Census Nepal 2021. Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ a b "Table 1: Caste/Ethnicity and sex". Census Nepal 2021. Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ "NepalMap profile: Okhaldhunga". NepalMap. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Table 5: Religion and sex". Census Nepal 2021. Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2024-03-16.
- ^ a b "Table 5: Mother tongue and sex". Census Nepal 2021. Central Bureau of Statistics.
- ^ "Social characteristics tables" (PDF). Central Bureau of Statistics.
External links
- "Districts of Nepal". Statoids.