Chitwan National Park
Chitwan National Park is the first national park of Nepal. It was established in 1973 as the Royal Chitwan National Park and was granted the status of a World Heritage Site in 1984. It covers an area of 952.63 km2 (367.81 sq mi) in the subtropical Inner Terai lowlands of south-central Nepal in Nawalpur, Chitwan, Makwanpur and Parsa Districts. It ranges in elevation from about 100 m (330 ft) in the river valleys to 815 m (2,674 ft) in the Sivalik Hills.
| Chitwan National Park | |
|---|---|
| Nepali: चितवन राष्ट्रिय निकुञ्ज | |
IUCN category II (national park) | |
Chitwan National Park Chitwan National Park Chitwan National Park | |
| Location | Central Terai of Nepal |
| Nearest city | Bharatpur |
| Coordinates | 27°30′0″N 84°20′0″E |
| Area | 952.63 km2 (367.81 sq mi) |
| Established | 1973 |
| Governing body | Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Type | Natural |
| Criteria | vii, ix, x |
| Designated | 1984 (8th session) |
| Reference no. | 284 |
| Region | South Asia |
In the north and west of the protected area the Narayani-Rapti river system forms a natural boundary to human settlements. Adjacent to the east of Chitwan National Park is Parsa National Park, contiguous in the south is the Indian Tiger Reserve Valmiki National Park. The coherent protected area of 2,075 km2 (801 sq mi) represents the Tiger Conservation Unit (TCU) Chitwan-Parsa-Valmiki, which covers a 3,549 km2 (1,370 sq mi) huge block of alluvial grasslands and subtropical moist deciduous forests.