About
Nepal
Nepal
is a land of sublime scenery, ancient temples, and some of the
best walking trails on earth. It's a poor country, but it is rich in
scenic splendor and cultural treasures. Nepal has existed as a kingdom
centered in the Kathmandu Valley for more than 1,500 years. The country
is known for its majestic Himalayas and has nine of the fourteen peaks
in the world over 8,000 meters, including Mount Everest and Annapurna.
Trekking and mountain climbing are among the most popular sports for
visitors. Rafting on white water mountain streams across the typical
cross section of Nepal's geography is also very popular. Visitors interested
in seeing Nepal's variety of rare animals and birds may prefer a jungle
safari in the Terai.
Nepal covers a span of 147,181 sq. kilometers ranging from an altitude
of 70 meters to 8,848 meters. Mountains, mid hills, valleys and plains
dominate the geography of landlocked Nepal that extends from the Himalayan
range in the north to the Indo-Gangetic lowlands in south.
Physical features also include green paddy terraces, wind-swept deserts,
dense forests and marshy grasslands. The country is well endowed with
perennial rivers, lakes and glacial lakes that originate in the Himalayas.
Twenty percent of the land in the country is used for agriculture, with
about half used for permanent crops, mainly rice.
The variety in Nepal's topography provides home to wildlife like tigers,
rhinos, monkeys, bears, yaks, leopards and different species of insects
and birds. Nepal is home to almost 10 percent of the world's bird species
among which 500 species are found in the Kathmandu Valley. UNESCO has
listed two of the national parks of Nepal as World Heritage Natural
Sites. The Royal Chitwan National Park in the Terai and the Sagarmatha
National Park in the Everest region, each represent wildlife and vegetation
of the two main geographical features of Nepal, the Himalayas and the
Terai.
Nepal's population, estimated in 1990 as approximately 19.1 million,
is very diverse. The country is home to more than a dozen ethnic groups,
which originate from three major ethnic divisions: Indo-Nepalese, Tibeto-Nepalese,
and indigenous Nepalese. Hinduism is the official religion of Nepal,
although, in fact, the religion practiced by the majority of Nepalese
is a synthesis of Hinduism and Buddhism and the practices have intermingled
over time. Adding color to the lives of Nepalis are festivals the year
round which they celebrate with much pomp and joy. It is said that Nepal
has more festivals than there are days in a year.
Kathmandu Valley has served as the country's cultural metropolis since
the unification of Nepal in the eighteenth century by the late King
Prithvi Narayan Shah from Gorkha. The Valley comprises the cities of
Lalitpur, Kathmandu and Bhaktapur. Some parts of the three cities provide
a peek into the ancient world of the Valley.
We hope that we will see
you soon in Nepal. Your hard work and effort will make a difference
to the people of Nepal. For more information about Nepal, visit the
following websites:
Nepal
Tourism Board
Embassy
of Nepal in Washington DC
Library
of Congress - Nepal Studies
Lonely
Planet Guide to Nepal
CIA
Fact Book
Centers
for Disease Control
US
State Department Consular Information Sheet
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