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| NEPAL |
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| About Nepal |
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 Nepal is a Himalayan Kingdom which lies in South-Asia
between Tibet, an autonomous region of China
to the north and India to the south. The country
is rectangular in shape having 885 km in length
from east to west and its breadth varies from
145 to 241 km north to south. The elevation
of the country ranges from 70m above sea level
to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at
8848m all within a distance of 150 km with climatic
variations ranging from sub-tropical to arctic.
The country is popularly known in the world
for an incredible variety of ecosystems, the
greatest mountain range, thick tropical jungles
teeming with a wealth of wildlife, thundering
rivers, forested hills and frozen valleys.
Nepal offers an astonishing diversity of adventure
opportunities and cultural sightseeing attractions
found nowhere else on earth. |
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| History of Nepal |
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 Nepal
has always been an independent and sovereign country
with glorious history, culture and tradition that
date back to time immemorial. Before the campaign
of national integration launched by the founder
King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Malla Kings used
to rule the Kathmandu Valley. Their contributions
to art and culture are indeed great and unique.
In 1768 AD, the Shah dynasty ascended the throne
of the unified Kingdom. His Majesty King Gyanendra
Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the twelth King in the
Shah dynasty. The new Democratic Constitution
of the kingdom was promulgated on November 9,
1990. Nepal is one of the founder members of South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
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| People of Nepal |
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 The
total population of Nepal is about 23.4 million
comprising people of different races and tribes,
living in different religions, speaking different
languages, celebrating different festivals and
wearing different dresses.
The Gurungs and Magars mainly live in west and
southern slopes of Annapurna. The Gurungs, Magars,
Rais, Limbus, Sunuwars live in eastern Mountain
region and the Sherpas live in Himalayan Region.
Newars are the very ancient inhabitants of Kathmandu
valley. The Tharus, Yadavs, Dhimals, Satars, Rajvanshi
live in terai region. The Brahmins, Chetris, Thakuris
inhabit the most part of the Kingdom. All these
races and tribes are tied up together by their
common ideals of peace, democracy and nationalism.
The people of Nepal are friendly, hospitable and
religious minded following different religions
and cultural traditions. |
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| Religion
& Culture of Nepal |
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Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions
of Nepal sharing between them some 86.5 and 7.8
percent of the total population respectively.
Both these co-religions are bound together by
sense of fellow-feeling and bonhomie particularly
displayed in their worship of common deities and
joint celebration of many festivals belonging
to either religion or culture. Kumari, the virgin
Hindu Goddess, for instance, is selected from
a Buddhist clan. A remarkable feature of Nepali
is the religious homogeneity that exists. Apart
from the Hindus and Buddhists, Muslims from the
third largest religious group.
The exquisite architecture and artistic embellishment
of the Nepalese pagodas that enshrine the bronze
and stone images of great beauty and more often
than not, great antiquity, are a unique feature
of Nepal. The temples and stupa are rich repositories
of wood carving, metal work, terracotta and stone
sculpture. In their uniqueness they add glory
and grandeur to the cultural scene of the Kingdom
and tell a long history of native genius.
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| Physical
Zones of Nepal |
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 1.
Himalayan zone:
This zone comprises about 15% of the total land
area. The altitude of this region is above 5000m.
The zone encompasses eight of the 14 high summits
of the world crossing over an altitude of 8000m
including Everest, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and so
on.
2. Hilly zone:
This zone accounts for about 68% of the total
land area. The zone lies between the Himalayan
and Terai zones soaring up to 4877m.
3. Terai zone:
The lowland occupies about 17% of the total land
of the country. It's elevation ranges from 70
to 200m with sub-tropical climate. It extends
from the Nepal-India border in the south to the
base of Siwalik Hills (Churia) in the North.
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| Climate
& Clothing of Nepal |
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Climate:
Nepal’s climate varies with its topography.
It ranges from tropical to arctic according to
the altitude. The Terai region which lies in the
tropical southern part of the country, for instance,
has a hot, humid climate. The mid-land zones are
pleasant almost all year around, although winter
nights are cool. The northern mountain zone, around
an altitude above 3353 meters has an alpine climate
with a considerably lower temperature in winter
as can be expected.
Nepal has four climatic seasons:
a. Spring (March-May)
b. Summer (June-August)
c. Autumn (September-November)
d. Winter (December-February)
Clothing:
Clothing depends on place and time, however, it
is recommended to have both light and warm clothing.
In the mountain areas or in the Kathmandu Valley
warm clothes are generally a must. |
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