Editing Geography of Nepal (section)

==== Trans-Himalayan ====
The main watershed between the [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] (called ''[[Yarlung Zangbo River|Yarlung Tsangpo]]'' in [[Tibet]]) and the [[Ganges]] system (including all of Nepal) actually lies north of the highest ranges. Alpine, often semi-arid valleys—including [[Humla district|Humla]], [[Jumla district|Jumla]], [[Dolpo]], [[Mustang District|Mustang]], [[Manang]] and [[Khumbu]]—cut between Himalayan sub ranges or lie north of them.

Some of these valleys historically were more accessible from [[Tibet]] than Nepal and are populated by people with [[Tibetan People|Tibetan]] affinities called ''[[Bhotiya]]'' or ''[[Bhutia]]'' including the famous [[Sherpa people|Sherpas]] in Kumbu valley near Mount Everest. With [[Sinicization of Tibet|Chinese cultural hegemony]] in Tibet itself, these valleys have become repositories of traditional ways. Valleys with better access from the hill regions to the south are culturally linked to Nepal as well as Tibet, notably the [[Kali Gandaki Gorge]] where [[Thakali people|Thakali]] culture shows influences in both directions.

Permanent villages in the mountain region stand as high as {{convert|4500|m|ft|-3}} with summer encampments even higher. Bhotiyas graze [[yak]]s, grow cold-tolerant crops such as [[potato]]es, [[barley]], [[buckwheat]] and [[millet]]. They traditionally traded across the mountains, e.g., Tibetan salt for [[rice]] from lowlands in Nepal and India. Since trade was restricted in the 1950s they have found work as high altitude porters, guides, cooks and other accessories to tourism and alpinism.<ref>{{cite book | url = http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_130-133_05.pdf | title = Important Trade Routes in Nepal and Their Importance to the Settlement Process | first1 = Rainer | last1 = Graafen | first2 = Christian | last2 = Seeber | work = Ancient Nepal | volume = 130 | date = June 1992 | access-date = 22 September 2020 | archive-date = 18 April 2021 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210418194602/http://himalaya.socanth.cam.ac.uk/collections/journals/ancientnepal/pdf/ancient_nepal_130-133_05.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref>