General Information of Nepal

NEPAL INTRODUCTION

Nepal is rightly considered as one of the most dazzling countries of the world surrounded by China in the north and by India in the east, west, and south. Though a small country, Nepal boast of topography that ranges from Terai in the south to Himalayas in the north. Among the top ten tallest mountains, Nepal is a home to eight of them, in which fierce tiger and rhinoceros live. Nepal has many awe-inspiring locales standing as a background to various ancient temples and monasteries. One is sure to experience the rich cultures and vibrant traditions along with beautiful temples and historical monuments combining with tropical jungles and wildlife, making it a worth to visit place. Nepal has something stored for every tourist and they can enjoy various adventurous and exciting sports and fun loving activities like trekking, river rafting, wild-life etc. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city of Nepal.

NEPAL GEOGRAPHY

Nepal a sovereign independent Himalayan country is located on the slope of the central Himalayas and lies between 80 ° 40' and 88 ° 12' east longitude and 26 ° 22' and 30 ° 27' north latitude. Nepal is bounded by the Tibet Region of China in the north, by Sikkim and West Bengal on the east, by Bihar and Uttar Pradesh on south, and by Uttar Pradesh on the west. The area of this country is roughly square in shape and occupies a total area of 147181 sq. km. Almost 83% of total Nepal land area is occupied by high mountains and hills and the remaining area is occupied with the Terai. Lying in the temperate zone, Nepal has advantage of altitude, which varies from 60 m above sea-level in the Terai region to 8,848 m level of the Mount Everest, which is also the highest peak of the world. The climate of Nepal put no constraints on tourists as they can travel Nepal in each and every season, where each season has its own unique characteristics and charm.

NEPAL HISTORY

Nepal is renowned for its rich and glorious history that can be traced back to thousands of years. Nepal history began with the Kiratis, who came during 7th or 8th century BC. They were succeeded by Lichavis, who were supposed to be migrated from north India around 250 A.D. Manadeva 1 was the first Lichavi king and another important ruler of this dynasty was Anshuverma who opened trade routes to Tibet. Then the era of Malla period came, who laid the foundation of the Kathmandu city. This era was started with Ari Malla in the 12th century. The next two centuries in Nepal grew into large empire then disintegrate into 22 principalities. Prithvi Narayan Shah took Nepal into the modern era of history.

The throne of the unified kingdo of Nepal was ascended by the Shah dynasty in 1768. The period from 1846 to 1951 is described as the dark period in the Nepal history, as this was the period when the Rana prime-minister ruled the country despotically.

PEOPLE OF NEPAL

Nepal population is of around 22 million and it comprises of people belonging to different races and tribes. People living in these tribes wear costumes according to their region and speak different languages and dialects. The population of Nepal has rapidly grown since 1950 when there were only nine million people. The Gurungs and Magars live mainly in the west and the southern slopes of Annapurna, Himalchuli and Ganesh Himal. The Rais, Limbus and Sunwars live in the eastern mountains. The Sherpas are considered as the "The Tigers of the Snow", which live in the Himalayan region. The Newars is the most ethnic group in the Kathmandu valley. Nepal is supposed to have Tharus, Yadavas, Satars, Rajvamsis, and Dhimals in the Terai region. All the tribes and races in Nepal live in complete peace and harmony.

RELIGION AND CULTURE OF NEPAL

Culture and religion is highly embedded in the high peaks of Nepal and the rich tradition of Nepal flows with its rivers. People of Nepal have great regards for the culture and religion and these are the part of their life. The two main religion followed in Nepal is Hinduism and Buddhism and they live together in complete peace and harmony. Festivals of both the religion are celebrated with equal enthusiasm and Deities of both the religion are worshipped here. The glorious culture of Nepal can easily be seen by frequent socio-religious festivals often taking place on the streets and lanes of Nepal. There is hardly any day in Nepal where there is no festive celebration taking place.

LANGUAGE SPOKEN IN NEPAL

Nepali is the national language of this country, which serves the purpose of the colloquial speech in Nepal. Nepali language is written in Devanagri script and is most commonly spoken by the people of Nepal. However different tribes and group have their own regional language. English is the language spoken by the educated class of people in Nepal.

CLIMATE OF NEPAL

The climate of Nepal varies with its topography and its ranges from tropical to arctic. Terai region of Nepal has hot and humid climate as it lies in the tropical section of the country. The weather is pleasant throughout the year in the mid-land region. The northern region of Nepal has alpine climate having lower temperature in winter. Nepal comprises of mainly four seasons called spring, summer, autumn, and winter, each stretching for the period of three months. People of Nepal wear clothing according to different climatic conditions.

Seasons & Clothing

Nepal has four seasons: (a) March-May - Spring, (b) June-August - Summer, (c) Sept-Nov. - Autumn, (d) Dec-Feb -Winter.

Clothing depends on place and time. It is recommended that one have both light and warm clothing. For summer in the Terai or Kathmandu, only light clothes are needed.