Nepal
Nepal General Information
Nepal is a landlocked country with an area of 147,181 square kilometers and a population of approximately 28 million in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by Tibet and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. Nepal embraces the sky with more than 240 peaks, including Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain at 8848m. The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains. The southern Terai region is fertile and comprises plains and foothills – a lush, lowland tropical jungle.
Tradition, religion, customs, beliefs, language, social organization, and people are the important aspects of culture in Nepal. Sacred pilgrimage sites, historical monuments, and memorials reflect the richness of Nepal’s cultural variations. Nepal is the Holy Land of Lord Pashupatinath and Gautam Buddha, where the Hindus & Buddhists have coexisted for centuries in total harmony.
Best for Adventure lovers
Nepal is a haven for trekkers. The sheer variety of culture, terrain and trekking trails mean that whether you’re trekking in Nepal for the first time or you’ve been before, the experience is always unique. Most trekkers choose between Nepal’s two most popular regions: Everest (Khumbu) region in the east and the Annapurna in the west. Both are spectacular but in different ways and regarded by many as one of the most spectacular trekking destinations in the world. Nepal offers an astonishing variety of holiday activities and adventure opportunities found nowhere else. Adventure tourism in Nepal dates back to the early attempts to scale the world’s highest peaks of the world.
Facts and Figures:
Area: 147,181 sq. km
Location: Asia
Geography: Situated between China in the north and India in the south, east and west
Location: Latitude: 26:12′ to 30:27′ North Longitude:804′ to 8812′ East
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: approximately 28 million
People: Nepal has more than 61 ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages.
Climate: sub-tropical in low lands to Arctic in higher altitudes
Government: Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,
Language: Nepali is the national language. However, travel-trade people understand and speak English as well.
Currency: Nepali Rupee
Official Language: Nepali 47.8%, Maithali 12.1%, Bhojpuri 7.4%, Tharu (Dagaura/Rana) 5.8%, Tamang 5.1%, Newar 3.6%, Magar 3.3%, Awadhi 2.4%, other 10%, unspecified 2.5% (many in government and business also speak English)
Major Religions:
Hindu 80.6%, Buddhist 10.7%, Muslim 4.2%, Kirant 3.6%, other 0.9% (2001 census)
Major Ethnic Groups: Nepal enjoys the distinction of being the only Hindu Kingdom in the world. However, there is a harmonious blending of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Chhettri 15.5%, Brahman-Hill 12.5%, Magar 7%, Tharu 6.6%, Tamang 5.5%, Newar 5.4%, Muslim 4.2%, Kami 3.9%, Yadav 3.9%, other 32.7%, unspecified 2.8%
Climate : Nepal has four major seasons, namely,
(1) Winter: December-February
(2) Spring: March-May
(3) Summer: June-August
(4) Autumn: September-November