Nepal – a country of amazing extremes is the home of the World’s highest mountains, historic cities and the forested plains where the lordly tigers and the great one-horned Rhinoceros trundle at ease. In fact enchantment is everywhere for anyone in search of Shangri-La!
Nepal, a sovereign independent Kingdom, is bounded on the North by the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China, the East-south and West by India. The length of the kingdom is 885-kms East-West and its breadth varies from 145-241-kms North-South. The country can be divided into three main geographical regions:
Nepal Himalaya Region
The altitude of this region ranges between 4877-m.- 8848 m. it includes 8 of the highest 14 summits in the world, which exceed altitude of 8,000m including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and others.
Nepal Mountain Region This region accounts for about 64% of total land area. It is formed by the Mahabharata range that soars up to 4,877m and the lower Churia range.
Nepal Terai Region
The low-land Terai occupies about 17% of the total land area of the country.
Nepalese People
Nepal has a population of more than 18 million people made of different races living in different regions with diverse culture, languages and dialects. The Gurungs and Magars live mainly in the west. The Rais, Limbus and Sunuwars inhabit the slopes and valleys of the eastern mid hills. The Sherpas live in the Himalayan region. The newars constitute an important ethnic group of the capital valley Kathmandu. There are Tharus, Yadavas, Satar, Rajvanshis and Dhimals in the Terai region. The Brahmans, Chhetris and Thakuris are spread generally over all parts of the kingdom.
Religion & Culture of Nepal
Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions of Nepal. A remarkable feature of Nepal is the religious homogeneity what exists, particularly between the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Apart from the Hindus and Buddhists, Muslim from the third largest religious group. The exquisite medieval art & architecture of the Kathmandu valley vividly reflect the artistic ingenuity and the religious tradition of the people.
Climate of Nepal
Nepal has four climatic seasons Spring : March-May, Summer : June-August, Autumn : September-November, Winter : December-February.
There is no seasonal constraint on travelling in and through Nepal. Even in December and January, when the winter is at its severest, there are compensating bright sun and brilliant views.