Nepal's administrative structure-14 administrative zones 7 provinces and 77 districts

 Nepal's administrative structure underwent a significant reorganization in 2015, transitioning from a system of zones and development regions to a federal structure of provinces and districts. Here's a comprehensive overview:

📜 Historical Administrative Structure (Pre-2015)

Until 2015, Nepal was divided into 14 administrative zones (अञ्चल) grouped into 5 development regions (विकास क्षेत्र). These zones were further subdivided into 75 districts (जिल्ला). After 2015, two districts (Rukum and Nawalparasi) were split, increasing the total districts to 77.

📍 List of 14 Zones with Areas

The zones, their development regions, and areas were:

Table: Nepal's Historical Zones by Development Region

Development Region	Zone Name	Area (km²)	Named After	Key Districts
Eastern	Mechi	8,196	Mechi River	Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung
	Koshi	9,669	Koshi River	Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta, Bhojpur
	Sagarmatha	10,591	Mount Everest (Sagarmatha)	Saptari, Siraha, Solukhumbu
Central	Janakpur	9,669	Ancient capital Janakpur	Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sindhuli
	Bagmati	9,428	Bagmati River	Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur
	Narayani	8,313	Narayani River	Chitwan, Makwanpur, Parsa, Bara
Western	Gandaki	12,275	Gandaki River	Kaski, Lamjung, Tanahun, Gorkha
	Lumbini	8,975	Lumbini (Buddha's birthplace)	Rupandehi, Kapilavastu, Palpa
	Dhaulagiri	8,148	Dhaulagiri Mountain	Baglung, Myagdi, Mustang
Mid-Western	Rapti	10,482	Rapti River	Dang, Pyuthan, Salyan
	Karnali	21,351	Karnali River	Dolpa, Jumla, Humla, Kalikot
	Bheri	10,545	Bheri River	Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Dailekh
Far-Western	Seti	12,550	Seti River	Kailali, Bajhang, Doti, Achham
	Mahakali	6,989	Mahakali River	Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura, Baitadi

Sources: 

🏞️ Current Structure (Post-2015)

Nepal now comprises 7 provinces and 77 districts. The districts are the primary administrative units, each headed by a Chief District Officer (CDO) responsible for law enforcement and inter-agency coordination.

📍 List of 77 Districts by Province with Areas

Table: Nepal's Current Districts by Province

Province	Districts (Area in km²)	Total Area
Koshi (Province 1)	Bhojpur (1,507), Dhankuta (891), Ilam (1,703), Jhapa (1,606), Khotang (1,591), Morang (1,855), Okhaldhunga (1,074), Panchthar (1,241), Sankhuwasabha (3,480), Solukhumbu (3,312), Sunsari (1,257), Taplejung (3,646), Terhathum (679), Udayapur (2,063)	25,905 km²
Madhesh	Parsa (1,353), Bara (1,190), Rautahat (1,126), Sarlahi (1,259), Dhanusha (1,180), Siraha (1,188), Mahottari (1,002), Saptari (1,363)	9,661 km²
Bagmati	Kathmandu (395), Lalitpur (385), Bhaktapur (119), Chitwan (2,218), Dhading (1,926), Kavrepalanchok (1,396), Nuwakot (1,121), Rasuwa (1,544), Sindhuli (2,491), Sindhupalchok (2,542), Dolakha (2,191), Ramechhap (1,546), Makwanpur (2,426)	20,300 km²
Gandaki	Gorkha (3,610), Kaski (2,017), Lamjung (1,692), Syangja (1,164), Tanahun (1,546), Manang (2,246), Mustang (3,573), Parbat (494), Baglung (1,784), Myagdi (2,297), Nawalpur (1,043)	21,793 km²
Lumbini	Kapilavastu (1,738), Parasi (634.88), Rupandehi (1,360), Arghakhanchi (1,193), Gulmi (1,149), Palpa (1,373), Dang (2,955), Pyuthan (1,309), Rolpa (1,879), Eastern Rukum (1,161), Banke (2,337), Bardiya (2,025)	19,271 km²
Karnali	Western Rukum (1,213), Salyan (1,462), Dolpa (7,889), Humla (5,655), Jumla (2,531), Kalikot (1,741), Mugu (3,535), Surkhet (2,451), Dailekh (1,502), Jajarkot (2,230)	30,712 km²
Sudurpashchim	Kailali (3,235), Kanchanpur (1,610), Dadeldhura (1,538), Baitadi (1,519), Darchula (2,322), Doti (2,025), Achham (1,680), Bajhang (3,422), Bajura (2,188)	19,539 km²

Sources: 

📊 Key Facts

1. Largest District: Dolpa (7,889 km²) in Karnali Province .

2. Smallest District: Bhaktapur (119 km²) in Bagmati Province .

3. Most Populous District: Kathmandu (2.04 million), followed by Morang (1.15 million) .

4. Sparsely Populated: Manang (5,658 people) in Gandaki Province .

5. Administrative Role: Each district is governed by a Chief District Officer (CDO) overseeing law, order, and development .

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💎 Conclusion

• Pre-2015: 14 zones (grouped into 5 regions) and 75 districts.

• Post-2015: 7 provinces and 77 districts.
  The shift to federalism aimed to decentralize governance and empower local administrations. For detailed maps or historical context,