Nepal, the Himalayan Kingdom, lies
on the lap of the great mountains. Sandwiched between the Indian
sub-continent in the south and barren plateau of Tibet in the north,
Nepal is a mystic and sacred land, where lord Buddha was born over 2500
years ago. Nepal has become one of the most popular traveler's
destinations around the world in terms of Bio-diversity.
Nepal boasts eight out of ten the highest
mountains in the world, and stands alone for its topography. Altitude
varies from the lowland Terai region in southern belt (60 meters above
sea level) to the highest point on earth -- Mt. Everest 8848 meters
within the distance of 200 kilometers. Temperatures range from the mid
+40s Celsius on the plains to over -30 Celsius in the highlands.
Geography and climate, as one might expect, has a major influence on the collection of flora & fauna and
people and life styles to be found here. A tiger to snow leopards,
parakeets to golden eagles and tropical jungle forest to high windswept
plains, Nepal is museum of diversity itself. Add to this, Nepal's
abundance of ancient temples, art and architecture, custom and culture
make one's journey a magical one.
Global position:
Latitude: 26° 12' and 30° 27' North.
Longitude: 80° 4' and 88° 12' East.
Area: The Kingdom covers an area of 147,181 sq. km.
Location: Southern Asia, between Tibet (the autonomous region of China) and India
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: 24 million (census 2001)
Economy:
35% of GNP is contributed by Foreign Aid, and 17% by Tourism. 90% of
the population is subsistence farmers, and at least 1% sells Tiger Balm
in Thamel.
Major religions: Hinduism (80%) Buddhism (12%), others (8%)
Official language: Nepali
Ethnic groups: Around 60
Topography: From the Worlds deepest gorge 'Kali-Gandaki' to the highest point on earth 'Mt Everest' 8, 848 m. within a distance of 200 km.
Flora & fauna:
Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the
world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to arid deserts.
Climatic zones: ranges from tropical in the low lands to arctic at higher altitudes.
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
Geographic landscapes: The country has three major divisions.
- Southernmost region: The lowland Terai occupies about 17 percent of the total land area of the country.
- Middle region:
This region accounts for about 64 percent of total land area. It is
formed by the lower Churia range and the Mahabharat range which reaches
an altitude of 4877 meters.
- Alpine region: The altitude of this region ranges between 4877m. - 8848m. It includes 8 of the 10 highest mountains in the world.
