Annapurna Conservation Area

Annapurna Conservation Area

Started in 1986, the Annapurna Conservation Area Project is the largest enterprise of the National Trust for Nature Conservation. It is both the first conservation area and the largest protected area in Nepal. Covering an area of 7,629 square kilometers, it is home to more than 100,000 residents from different cultural and linguistic groups. The Annapurna Conservation Area is a biodiversity-rich treasure house of 1226 species of flowering plants, 105 mammals, 518 birds, 40 reptiles and 23 amphibians. The Annapurna region has many features that make it unique in the world. It is home to the world's deepest river gorge, the Kali Gandaki Gorge, which measures 3 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, and contains fossils from the Tethys Sea 60 million years ago. The region is also home to one of the largest rhododendron forests in the world at Ghorepani. North of the Annapurna massif, Tilicho Lake in Manang is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The biodiversity of the Annapurna region is matched by its cultural diversity. The Gurung and the Magar in the south and the Thakali, Manange and Loba in the north are the dominant groups. Each of these groups has its own dialect, culture and traditions. In addition, there are also Brahmins, Chhetri and other occupational castes, but in relatively smaller numbers. Hindu, Buddhist and pre-Buddhist religions, and a mixture of these, are widespread throughout the region. The local population is concentrated in 15 rural municipalities in 5 districts of the Annapurna Conservation Area.