The district takes its name from the Chitwan Valley, one of Nepal's Inner Terai valleys between the Mahabharat and Siwalik ranges. Chitwan Valley was an independent kingdom before Nepal's unification in the late 18th century, with its historic capital at Upardanggadhi. Until the early 20th century the valley was dense forest, sparsely populated by Tharu, Danuwar, Darai and Majhi peoples who had acquired resistance to the region's malaria. From the 1950s poor farmers from the mid-hills migrated south, and a DDT malaria-eradication and deforestation scheme in the 1960s opened the valley; more than 60,000 settlers of Chepang, Gurung, Magar, Chetri and Bahun groups arrived, and by 1980 the population exceeded 260,000. Chitwan National Park was established in 1973 as Nepal's first national park (Royal Chitwan National Park) and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Researched by the ChillNepal team from published sources. Spot something out of date? Tell us from the place's page.
