Nepal

Nepal at Glance
Nepal is a landlocked country situated between China and India. Small only in size, the country is big in its geographical, biological and socio-cultural diversity. It hosts 8 of the world’s 10 tallest peaks including the tallest one, Mt. Everest. It is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. The deepest gorge measured by peak to water surface lies in Nepal. Nepal remained under constitutional monarchy for more than 200 years before recently being declared as a democratic republic. It is one of the few countries in Asia that has never been fully conquered by external forces or emperors. It has always remained independent as a buffer zone between China and India, previously the Chinese Empire and British Raj in India.
The geography of Nepal is diverse, ranging from 70 meters above sea level all the way up to the highest point, 8848 meters. This brings diversity in the climate as well as the wildlife and its inhabitants. There are ten national parks, three wildlife reserves, three conservation areas and one hunting reserve in Nepal. Besides, there are diverse ethnicities with different culture, lifestyles, festivals and traditions. Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath, Lumbini - the birthplace of Gautam Buddha are some places of religious significance. This country has yet much more to offer to the visitors.

Area: 147,181 sq km (56,827 sq mi)

Population: 26,494,504 (2011 census)

Geographic Location: Nepal is landlocked by two giant countries: Tibet (China) to the North and India on the East, West and South. It lies just along the Central Himalayas sharing the world’s highest peak with Tibet. It lies between latitudes 26° and 31°N, and longitudes 80° and 89°E.

Language: Nepali is the primary language spoken by 44.6% of the inhabitants. It is a language in Indo-Aryan family derived from Sanskrit and written in Devanagari script. Other major languages are Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Nepal Bhasa and Magar.

Climate: Due to the difference in altitude of almost 8800 meters, the climate varies as you move from the southern plains to the northern mountains. The climate ranges from nearly tropical in the southern plains to temperate in the hilly region and alpine in the mountainous region. Most parts of the country experience five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. Monsoon generally starts from June and lasts for about 3 months.

People and Religion: Nepal is a melting pot of early migrants from India in the south and Tibet and North Burma in the northern parts. Besides, there are indigenous population of Kirat, Newar and Tharu who are considered the earliest inhabitants. There are many ethnic groups living in different parts of the country. They have their own culture, lifestyles, festivals and traditions. Some of these groups are still living as nomadic tribes with no fixed home. Most people live in villages and depend on primitive agriculture for livelihood.

Currency: Nepali Rupee is the national currency of Nepal. Its rate is fixed to the Indian rupees at 10 Indian Rupees = 16 Nepali Rupees. US Dollars are accepted at the major hotels only. You can exchange them at most of the banks and money exchange outlets.

Nepal