Kinnaur district

31°35′N 78°25′E / 31.583°N 78.417°E / 31.583; 78.417 Kinnaur district is one of the twelve administrative districts of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India.^[1] The district is divided into three administrative areas (Kalpa, Nichar (Bhabanagar), and Pooh) and has six tehsils. The administrative headquarters of the district is at Reckong Peo. The revered Kinnaur Kailash mountain, one of the Panch Kailash sites, is situated in Kinnaur. As of 2011, it is the second least populous district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12 districts), after Lahaul and Spiti.^[2]

Kinnaur district
District of Himachal Pradesh
Clockwise from top-left: Kamru Fort, Chandika Devi Temple, Reckong Peo, Nako Lake, Kinnaur Kailash, view of Kalpa
Location in Himachal Pradesh
Country	India
State	Himachal Pradesh
Headquarters	Reckong Peo
Tehsils	Kalpa, Pooh, Sangla, Moorang, Hangrang, Bhaba Nagar.
Area
• Total	6,401 km2 (2,471 sq mi)
Population  (2011)
• Total	84,121
• Density	13/km2 (34/sq mi)
• Urban	0.00%
Demographics
• Literacy	88.37%(male), 71.34%(female)
• Sex ratio	819[3]
Time zone	UTC+05:30 (IST)
Vehicle registration	HP-25, HP-26, HP-27
Major highways	National Highway 5 (India)
Website	hpkinnaur.nic.in

Around 235 km (146 mi) from the state capital, Shimla, Kinnaur is located in the northeast corner of Himachal Pradesh, bordering Tibet to the east. It has three high mountain ranges, namely Zanskar and the Himalayas, that enclose the valleys of Baspa, Satluj, and Spiti, as well as their tributaries. The slopes are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields and hamlets. At the peak of Kinnaur Kailash mountain is a natural rock Shivling (Shiva lingam). The district was opened to outsiders in 1989. The old Hindustan-Tibet Road passes through the Kinnaur valley along the bank of river Sutlej and finally enters Tibet at Shipki La pass. Kinnaur is the second richest district in terms of per capita income after Solan in Himachal Pradesh.