Nepal General Information

Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. Imagine a rectangle, 500 by 150 miles (800 by 240km), divided lengthwise into three strips. The northernmost strip is the Himalayas; Meaning "abode of snow," and includes eight of ten highest mountains in the world. The southernmost region, called the Terai, is an extension of the Gangetic plain of northern India, containing, jungles with elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers. These inhabitants contrast markedly with the yaks and snow leopard less than 100 miles (160 km) to the north.

Enchantment is everywhere, be it on the shoulders of high mountains, terraced ridges ascending like stairways to sky, on quiet or rushing rivers, or in forests full of wildlife, flowers and birdsong.

Nepal is a round-the-year destination with a difference, be it summer, monsoon, autumn or winter. One finds an unsurpassed splendor in all the seasons depending upon one's mood and choice. Mother nature has gifted this country with bountiful beauty in all the seasons-the balmy and moderate summer of the valleys provides with the opportunity of strolling around the temples, monuments and shrines in a leisurely manners; the monsoon provides the vies of the soothing green lush valleys and an occasional opening up of the snow-capped peaks all along the northern border. Summer or winter, during the both extremes of the weather the climate is surprisingly moderate and soothing.

Arts of Nepal
Nepal's culture dates back to several thousand years, forming a foundation on which subsequent generations have built. To better understand the roots of Nepalese culture, arts of nepal, it is necessary to look at a Nepal's ancient past.

People of Nepal
Nepal is a melting pot of many races and tribes. She has population of around twenty-two million, made up of an assortment of races and tribes, living in different regions, wearing different costumes and speaking different languages and dialects. They live under quite diverse environmental conditions from the low, nearly sea level plains at the border of India, northward through the middle hills and valleys and up to the flanks of the great Himalayan range where there are settlements at altitude of up to 4,800m. Farming practices are therefore equally diverse along with life styles and social customs.

The high Himalayan settlements of Tibetan speaking people are found perched precariously on mountain ledges and slopes. Life here is delicate balance of hard work and social merrymaking, tempered by a culture deeply steeped in ancient religious traditions. The best known of the high mountain peoples are the Sherpas who inhabit the central and eastern regions of Nepal. The Sherpas have easy access to Bhot (Tibet) for trade and social intercourse and therefore Tibetan influence on their culture and civilization remains distinct. The midlands are inhabited by various Tibeto-Burman and Indo-Aryan speaking hill and valley people, for example the Brahmins, Chettris, and Newars. While the Brahmins and Chettris are widely distribute through out the country, the Newars are mainly concentrated in the Katmandu Valley and other towns.

The Rais, Limbus, Tamangs, Magars, Sunwars, Jirels, Gurungs, Thakalis, and Chepangs are other Tibeto-Burman speaking Mongoloid peole found living in the middle hills. They each have their own distinct social and cultural patterns. The Dun valleys and the lowland Terai are inhabited by people such as the Brahmins, Rajputs, Tharus, Danwars, Majhis, Darais, Rajbansis, Statars, dhimals and Dhangars. Though Nepal is a veritable mosaic of dozens of ethnic groups, they are bound together by their loyalty to the institution of Monarchy, and by the ideas of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance to form one unified nation.

Nepal Festivals
Nepal is a land of Festivals. For the Nepalese, festivals are not merely the annual spectacles, but also are a living part of their rich cultural heritage. Festivals effectively bind together the Nepalese people of diverse cultural backgrounds and beliefs into one nation. Most Nepalese festivals are related to different Hindu and Buddhist gods and goddesses and they are celebrated on such days consecrated for them by religion and tradition.

Others are observed in honor of personal relatives such as festivals of Matatirtha and Gaijatra. Yet other are held to herald the different seasons or to mark the beginning or end of agricultural cycle. Some festivals are of national significance such as Dashain or Tihar; some are confined to the Katmandu Valley, while still others are celebrated only within one or two villages or cities.

History of Nepal
Before Nepal's emergence as a nation in the latter half of the 18th century, the designation 'Nepal' was largely applied only to the Kathmandu Valley. Thus up until the unification of the country, Nepal's history is largely the history of the Kathmandu Valley. References to Nepal in famous Hindu epics such as the Mahabharata, Puranas and also Buddhist and Jain scriptures, establish the country's antiquity as an independent political and territorial entity. The Vamshavalis or chronicles, the oldest of which was written during the 14th century, are the only fairly reliable basis for Nepal's ancient history. The Vamshavalis mention the rule of several dynasties the Gopalas, the Abhiras and the Kiratas -- over a stretch of centuries. However, no extant historical evidence has yet authenticated the rule of these legendary dynasties. The documented history of Nepal begins with the Changu Narayan temple inscription of King Manadeva I (C 464-505 A.D.) of the Lichavi dynasty.

World Heritage
Nepal's heritage is alive and dynamic. Shamanism, animism & Witch craft are still practiced in remote regions Temples, shrines monuments and monasteries are extremely active with devotees burning butter-lamps, singing hymns, chiming temple bells and playing drums.
 

World Heritage Sites (Natural):

Everest National Park (1148 Sq. Kms.)

Royal Chitawan National Park (923 Sq. Kms.)

World Heritage Site (Cultural):

Swayambhu

Bouddha

Bhaktapur

Changunarayan

Pashupatinath

Kathmandu Durbar Square

Patan Durbar Square

Lumbini

National Parks:

Royal Barida National Park (968 sq. Kms.)

Langtang National Park (1710 sq. Kms.)

Shey-Phoksundo National Park (355 sq. Kms.)

Rara National Park (106 sq. Kms.)

Khapted National Park (225 sq. Kms.)

Makalu-Barun National Park (2330 sq. Kms.)

Wildlife Reserve:

Sukla Phanta Reserve (305 sq. Kms.)

Parsa Reserve (499 sq. Kms.)

Koshi-Tappu Reserve (175 sq. Kms.)

Conservation Areas:

Annapurna (2600 sq. Kms.)

Makalu-Barun (2330 sq. Kms.)

Hunting Reserve:

Dhorpatan (1325 sq. Kms.)

Natural Features of Nepal
Nepal is a sovereign independent kingdom situated on the southern slopes of the mid-Himalayas, the formidable range of eternal shows. It is located between 26o22' and 30o27' north latitude and 80o4' and 80o12' east longitude.

Total land area is 147,181 square kilometers, and its borders are contiguous with the Indian border in the west, south and east and with Tibetan autonomous region of the People's Republic of China in the north.

Nepal's boundary limits are as follows:

In the east, the Mechi River and Singallia ridge separate the country from Sikkim and West Bengal.

In the south, the boundary pillars and about nine meters of no-man's land on either side demarcate the Nepalese territory from the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

In the west Mahakali River is the natural border separating the Kingdom from Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal's northern boundary merges with the Tibet Autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Nepal is a land-locked country, the nearest seacoast being 1,127 kilometers away in India.

Flora and Fauna
Ranging from the subtropical forests of the Terai to the great peaks of the Himalayas in the north, Nepal abounds with some of the most spectacular sceneries in the whole of Asia, with a variety of fauna and flora also unparalleled elsewhere in the region. Between Nepal's geographical extremes, one may find every vegetation type, from the treeless steppes of the Trans-Himalayan region in the extreme north and the birch, silver fir, larch and hemlock of the higher valleys to the oak, pine and rhododendron of the intermediate altitudes and the great sal and sissau forests of the south.

The rolling densely forested hills and broad Dun valleys of the Terai along with other parts of the country, were formerly, renowned for their abundance and variety o wildlife. Though somewhat depleted as a result of agricultural settlements, deforestation, poaching and other causes, Nepal can still boast richer and more varied flora and fauna than any other area in Asia.

Climate and Rainfall
Nepal has four distinct seasons. Spring, from March to May is warm and dusty with rain showers. Summer, from June to August, is the monsoon season when the hills turn lush and green. Autumn, from September to November, is cool with clear skies, and is the most popular trekking season. In winter from December to February, it is cold at night and can be foggy in the early morning but afternoons are usually clear and pleasant, though there is occasional snow in the mountains.

Weather condition in Nepal vary from region to region. Summer and late spring temperatures range from more than 40 Degrees Celsius in the Terai to about 28 Degrees Celsius in the hilly region of the country. In winter, average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai range from a mild 23 Degrees Celsius to a brisk 7 Degrees Celsius while the central valleys experience a chilly 12 Degrees Celsius maximum temperature and a minimum temperature often falling below freezing point.

Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations. The Katmandu Valley situated at an altitude of 1310m, has a seasonable but equable climate with average summer and winter temperatures of 27 Degrees Celsius to 19 Degrees Celsius and 20 Degrees Celsius to 2 Degrees Celsius respectively. The annual rainfall in Katmandu generally exceeds 1300mm. The mean annual precipitation ranges from more than 6000mm along the southern slopes of the Annapurna range in central Nepal to less than the 250mm in the north central portion near the Tibetan plateau. Amounts varying between 1500 and 2500mm predominate over most of the country. On an average, about 80% of the precipitation is confined to the monsoon period (June-September).

Country of Himalayas
The Himalayas or "abode of snow" is in fact the youngest and highest mountain system in the world. It extends over 2,400kms as a vast south-facing area between the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers with Nanga Parbat (8,125m) and Namcha Barwa (7,755m) as its terminal high points. Fully a third of 800kms of its central section traverses Nepal and is known as the Nepal Himalayas, Here congregate more than 250 peaks that exceed 6,000m in height-a unique concentration of lofty dazzling summits. Of the thirty one Himalayan peaks over 7,600m, twenty-two like in Nepal Himalayas including eight of the world's fourteen highest giants. These are:
 

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