Nepal

Once you decide to take a break from your daily routine life, the only way out that hit everyone’s mind is to travel. There may be numerous destinations that may refresh your mind, heart and soul. Nevertheless 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 Shangrila to an impressively diverse culture. Nepal has an unsurpassed range of environments, ranging from the lowland of Terai with its luxuriant jungle and exotic wildlife through sub-tropical forests and lush terraced farmland in sweltering valleys to arid high-altitude meadows, snowy mountain passes and glaciers. Nepal is a country; one must have thought of to be at least once in a lifetime. An authentic place to be. Be it adventure, Be it culture and Be it pilgrimage sites...

Definitely, basic understanding of the geography, natural history, politics, culture and religion of the Himalaya is helpful when trying to choose where and when to go. Once you have decided on a general area, researching the topography and weather of your specific destination will help you to be better prepared. On the trail, this background knowledge will further help you appreciate the countryside. Nepal is a Himalayan Kingdom that sits at the roof of the world, stretching 500 miles from east to west and 150 miles from north to south. Within these borders can be found 8 of the world's 14 highest mountains and undoubtedly the world's best trekking areas. Closed to foreigners until 1949, Nepal has long been the ultimate destination for mountaineers and trekkers from all over the world. In addition, Nepal is a land of great diversity - it's culture, religions, geography and wildlife fascinate and challenge the imagination. So let’s know Nepal at a glance.

Nepal at a glance

Area: 147,181 sq. km
Capital: Kathmandu
Population: 26,469,569 (July 2003 est.)
Language: Nepali is the national language. However, travel trade persons understand & speak English as well.
Currency: Nepalese Rupee (US $ 1 = Rs. 63.35 & Euro 1 = 92.55 as of 09 Dec 2007)

Geography: Nepal is a small, sovereign independent kingdom, bounded on the north by the Tibetan autonomous region of the People’s Republic of China, and on the east, south and west by India. The length of the kingdom is 885km east- west and its breadth varies from 145 - 241km north- south. The country can be divided into three main geographical regions.

Himalayan Region:
The altitude of this region ranges between 4,877m. - 8,848m. It includes eight of the 14 highest summits in the world, which exceeds an altitude of 8,000m including Everest, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and others. It is the home for about 8%of the total population.

Mountainous Regions: This region accounts for about 68% of the total land area. It is formed by the Mahabharat range that soars up to 4,877m and the lower Churia range. It is the abode of about 45% of the population of the country.

Terai Region: The low- land Terai occupies about 17% of the total land area of the country. This region encompasses the majority of the Country’s cultivable land and supports 47% of Nepal’s population.

History: Nepal from time immemorial has been an independent and sovereign country with glorious history, culture and tradition. Now a unified Nepal was once a collection of feudal principalities. In 1768 AD, Prithvi Narayan Shah, the ruler of the House of Gorkha and later the first Shah King of unified Nepal, unified these diverse kingdoms and established a unified Nepal. Before this campaign of national integration was launched, Kathmandu Valley was ruled by the Malla Kings, whose contributions to art and culture is indeed great and unique. His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev is the twelfth 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).

People: Nepal has more than 61 ethnic groups and 70 spoken languages. Nepal has a population of 26,469,569 people made of different races and ethnic groups living in different regions, with diverse culture, languages and dialects. The Gurungs and Magars live mainly in the west. The Rais, Limbus and Sunwars inhabit the slopes and valleys of 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, Yadaves, Satars, Rajvanshis and Dhimals in the Terai region. The Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris are generally spread over all parts of the Kingdom.

Climate: Nepal has four main seasons.
1) Winter: December- February
2) Summer: June-August
3) Autumn: September- November
4) Spring: March- May

What to wear: Lightweight clothing is recommended for May through October. Warm garments are required in October- March. An umbrella or a raincoat is a must for the rainy season.

Average Temperature and Rainfall in Kathmandu