**Solukhumbu District **(, Sherpa: , Wylie: shar khum bu dzong) is one of 14 districts of Koshi Province of eastern Nepal. As the name suggests, it consists of the sub-regions Solu and Khumbu. The closest post office to Solukhumbu with a postal code assigned to it is the Sindhuli D.P.O., which has the postal code 56000. The district, with Salleri as its headquarters, covers an area of 3,312 km2 and had a population 107,686 in 2001 and 105,886 in 2011. Mount Everest is in the northern part of this district, within Sagarmatha National Park.

History

Historically, Solukhumbu was part of Kirata Kingdoms in early and medieval era. It was a part of Majh Kirat Khambuwan (central province or region of Kirat Kingdoms). Before the unification of Nepal by king of Gorkha, what is now Solukhumbu district was part of Chaudandi of Majh Kirat (Khambuwan). In 1773 AD the King of Gorkha attacked and absorbed it into Nepal. The Solukhumbu district was established in 1962, out of the old East No. 3 district. Before 1962, present-day Solukhumbu, Okhaldhunga and some parts of Khotang previously constitute district "East No. 3". Solu and Rawa thums (counties) were carved out of East No. 3 to create Solukhumbu District.

Geography

Solukhumbu is one of three Himalayan districts within Province No. 1, positioned on the west-by-northwestern corner of the province. It spans a total area of 3312 km2. It is geographically situated between latitudes 27°20'39" and 28°6'24" North, and longitudes 86°0'21" and 87°0'1" East. Its north border includes the world's highest peak 8848 m (Mount Everest); and the district's lowest point is at 600 m (Tuintar) above sea level. The district is bordered by Sankhuwasabha in the east, Bhojpur in the south-east, Khotang and Okhaldhunga in the south, Bagmati Province in the west and Tibet (China) in the north. The diverse geography of Solukhumbu district is marked by three distinct levels:

Khumbu Himal (Highland mountains)

This region is home to the Mahalangur Himal and other Himalayan mountain ranges. Situated on the northern border with Tibet, it hosts some of the world's highest peaks, including Mount Everest (8,848m), Lhotse (8,516m), Makalu (8,485m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Gyachung Kang (7,952m), among others.

Khumbu region (Highland valley)

Known globally for its trekking and hiking opportunities, the highland Khumbu valley is predominantly inhabited by the Kulung and Sherpa communities. The administrative division of Khumbu Pasanglhamu is located in this region, encompassing the roadless town of Namche Bazaar and villages such as Thame, Khumjung, Pangboche, Pheriche and Kunde. The renowned Buddhist monastery at Tengboche also falls within the Khumbu region.

Solu region (Mid-hills)

Lower Solukhumbu (lower parts of Solukhumbu District) is part of the Mid-hills region. It is less famous for trekking, however new trails such as the Mundhum trail are being developed. Rais are the main inhabitants in this region.

Climate

Administrative divisions

Solukhumbu is divided into 8 local level units, 1 unit is urban and 7 are rural. They are further divided into wards. Solukhumbu is single-seat constituency for parliamentary constituency and double seat for provincial constituency. Solukhumbu district coordination committee coordinates between local and provincial governments. Solukhumbu district administration office co-operates with Solukhumbu DCC to maintain peace, order and security in the district. The officer of District Administration office called CDO.

Former divisions (1990–2016)

Formerly, Solukhumbu district was divided into many Village development committees. In 2014 Dudhkunda municipality was established merging some Village development committees. In 2016 all other Village development committee nullified and introduced rural municipality thus all former Village development committees grouped into 7 units and announced 7 rural municipality. There were 35 Village Development Committees in Solukhumbu District:

Demographics

At the 2021 Nepal census, Solukhumbu District had 26319 households and a population of 104,851. 7.94% of the population was under 5 years of age. Solukhumbu had a literacy rate of 77.45% and a sex ratio of 988 females per 1,000 males. 6,744 (6.43%) lived in urban areas. Ethnicity/caste: Janjatis make up the majority in the district at 70%. The district has many Rai peoples such as the Kulung, Khaling, Thulung, Nachhiring and Bahing. Sherpas and Tamang people make up the second largest bloc of Janjatis and live mainly in the high mountains. Chhetri are 13%, Bahun 4% and Khas Dalit groups are 8% of the population. Religion: 40.42% were Hindu, 28.84% Kirati, 26.74% Buddhist, 3.21% Christian, 0.45% Bon and 0.07% others. As their first language, 34.65% of the population spoke Nepali, 17.00% Sherpa, 10.77% Kulung, 10.06% Tamang, 8.53% Khaling, 8.48% Thulung, 3.09% Nachhiring, 2.09% Bahing, 1.51% Magar Dhut and 1.34% Rai as their first language. In 2011, 36.7% of the population spoke Nepali as their first language.

Notable people