1980 New Delhi Map Company Topographical Map of Nepal

A 1980 New Delhi Map Company topographic map of Nepal, a country often called 'The Roof of the World.' Depicting the entirety of Nepal, the map employs color coding to illustrate the dramatic Himalayan terrain. Ten different colors are used to differentiate between ranges in elevation, starting below 150 meters (500 feet) to 6,000 meters (19,700 feet). Some mountain peaks are labeled with elevations provided in meters.

Cities, towns, and villages are noted throughout. Roads, both paved and unpaved, are illustrated as well, with solid red lines representing both highways and paved roads and red dashed lines tracing unpaved roads. A key detailing the notations used for elevations, borders, cities, roads, and rivers is situated in the lower left quadrant. A political map of Nepal is also located in the lower left quadrant and depicts the country's fourteen Administrative Zones, a system which was abandoned in 2015 when Nepal reorganized into seven provinces. Each administrative zone is labeled and shaded a different color to allow for easy differentiation.

Publication History and Census

This map was based on maps by India's Survey Department and published by the New Delhi Map Company in 1980. The Government of India holds the copyright. This map appears to be extremely rare and we have been unable to locate any other known examples.