Lying between the latitudes 28º 44`N and 30º 49` and longitude 78º 45` and 81º 1` E Kumaon is situated at the tri-junction of Nepal Tibet India in the state of Uttarakhand. A natural water-divide separates it from Tibet, the Kali River defines its eastern border with Nepal, high transverse mountain spurs separate it from Chamoli and Pauri districts of Garhwal and the southern limit of the Tarai belt demarcates its southern boundary.

It thus constitutes a distinct geographical entity of great strategic significance and has an expanse over 35,000 sq km. As one of the five traditional divisions of the Himalayas its well defined identity actually existed from time immemorial. So says an ancient treatise- Khandah Pancha Himalayasya kathita Nepala kurmanchala I Kedarotha Jalandharotha ruchirah Kasmira samjnontimah II Geographically Kumaon has all the four longitudinal physiographic subdivisions namely the outer Himalayas with Tarai and Bhabar belts and Shiwalik Ranges, the Lesser Himalayas and the Trans-Himalayan Tethys domain of Bhotland.

The name Kumaon is believed to have been derived from the hill named Kurmanchal near Champawat -the old capital of Chand Rajas, a regional royalty having to its credit the kingship of the principality of Kali-Kumaon from around 13th century AD. As goes the tradition Vishnu (the sustainer in Hindu trinity) descended here in his tortoise (kurma) incarnation to deliver earth.

In ancient times Kumaon together with Garhwal formed one single politico-cultural region referred to as Central Pahari Region by scholars like Grierson. Even during the colonial days the British Garhwal was seen as a part of Kumaon