Achham Districtअछाम जिल्ला

Achham is a mid-hill district of the far west, 1,680 km² of ridges and river valleys between the Karnali river on its eastern edge and the Seti basin to the west. Elevations run from about 540 m to 3,820 m, and roughly nine-tenths of the district is classic mid-hill terrain cut by more than thirty rivers and streams, the Budhiganga and Kailash Khola among them. In the northeast lies Ramaroshan, a celebrated cluster of lakes and high meadows, and the district's northern corner touches Khaptad National Park, the 225 km² mid-mountain park that meets Achham at its shared boundary point with Bajhang, Bajura and Doti.

The 2021 census counted 228,852 people, down sharply from 257,477 in 2011 — an annual decline of 1.13%, the fastest in Sudurpashchim Province. The sex ratio of 85.26 males per 100 females is among the lowest in Nepal and tells the underlying story: Achham's economy rests on subsistence farming, and a large share of its working-age men spend much of the year employed across the border in India. Chhetris make up 54.6% of the population, with Kami (17.3%), Bahun (9.6%) and Damai (8.4%) communities following; alongside Nepali, about 40% of residents speak Achhami, a local language of the Doteli group. Literacy stands at 72.6%.

Historically Achham belonged to the medieval Doti Kingdom that dominated the far west, and it was carved out as a separate district from Doti in 1961. The headquarters Mangalsen sits on a ridge in the district's centre; Sanfebagar in the Budhiganga valley is the main bazaar of the north, and the Baidyanath Dham temple complex is the district's best-known religious site. Achham's ten local levels — four municipalities and six rural municipalities — include Ramaroshan Rural Municipality, named for the lake country it administers.