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Bordering the Tibetan Plateau, her territory stretches 800 km east to west, and some of the highest peaks in the world, including Mt. Everest, mark her northernmost limits. The land cascades sharply downwards in a short 200-km span through rugged mountains, coniferous, temperate and tropical forests, terraces of paddy, millet and corn to the low-lying foothills, which form the southern borders, where they join with the plains of India. It is a land of cultural diversity, being the religious crossroads of Hinduism and Buddhism, and is the birthplace of Lord Buddha and Goddess Sita.
Nepal is located in southern Asia and is couched between the two Asian giants of India and China. This small Hindu kingdom is a strategically important country and is surrounded by the Indian mainland on the east, south and western sides respectively. It lies between the latitudes 26°N and 30°N and longitudes 80°E and 88°E.
Fast Facts
| Area |
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147,181 sq km |
| Population |
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25 million |
| Capital |
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Kathmandu |
Languages |
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Nepali, English |
| Religion |
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Hinduism and Buddhism |
| Unit of Currency |
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Rupee |
Nepal has four physiographic belts: the Terai plain along the Indian border, the sylvan Churia foothills and the Inner Terai zone to the north, the mid?mountain region, and the Great Himalayan Range. The Terai plain is low in elevation, flat, and fertile, being a northern extension of the Gangetic Plain and is some 26 to 32 km wide. In the south, it is agricultural, and where it joins the foothills, it is marshy and forested.
The sparsely populated Churia Hills and the Inner Terai region rise to the rugged Mahabharata Mountain Range, which has elevations of 600-910 m; the intermountain basins are covered with forests. The mid-mountain region, between the Mahabharata Range and the Great Himalayas, has a complex system of ranges between 2,400 and 4,300 m that enclose the Kathmandu and the Pokhara valleys, two flat basins drained by the Baghmati and Seti rivers, respectively. The densely populated Kathmandu valley is the political and cultural hub of the nation. The Great Himalayan Range, from 4,300 to 8,800 m in elevation, contains several of the world's highest peaks-Mt. Everest, Kanchenjunga I, Makalu I, Cho Oyo, Dhaulagiri I, Manaslu I, and Annapurna I-all above 8,040 m. The Kosi, Narayani (Gandak), and Karnali rivers run southward through transverse valleys of the Himalayan chain. They are Nepal's major rivers and have large reserves of hydroelectric power.
Histroy
Buddhist and Brahmanic Hindu versions of Newar legends dominate the early history of Nepal. The ancient Indian classics contain references to the Nepal valley and lower hill areas. During the 3rd century BC, the emperor of India, Ashoka, supposedly visited Nepal.
In 1769, the Gurkhas led by Prithvi Narayan Shah conquered the Nepal Valley from the Malla dynasty. He moved the capital to Kathmandu, providing the foundation for modern Nepal. From 1775 to 1951, Nepali politics were characterized by conflict between the royal family and several noble families. Often the Shah rulers were relegated to honorary positions, while the political power was concentrated within a dominant noble family.
With support from the Indian government, royal Nepali sovereignty was restored and revolutionary forces gained a position in the administration in the early 1950s. A constitution was approved in 1959, and parliamentary elections were held. Controversy arose between crown and Cabinet in 1960, and King Mahendra dismissed the congress and imprisoned many members. In 1962, a new constitution was promulgated giving the crown greater authority. Though the country was then nominally a constitutional monarchy, the king for many years exercised autocratic control over the country's multi-tiered system of panchayats, or councils, which extended from the village to the national level. The king was able to dominate the Council of Ministers and much of the National Assembly without opposition because political parties were banned under the constitution. In 1972, King Mahendra was succeeded by his son Birendra. In 1990 a series of demonstrations and protests over the king's autocratic rule forced him to lift the ban on political parties and to accept a new cabinet composed largely of opposition political figures. That year a new constitution was also approved that provided for a multiparty democracy and a bicameral parliament.
King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah.
Best Season, Climate, and Clothing
The climate of Nepal ranges from subtropical monsoon conditions in the Terai region to alpine conditions in the Great Himalayas. Annual rainfall ranges from 70 and 75 inches in the eastern Terai and between 30 and 35 inches in western Nepal. Flooding is a serious problem in the low-lying areas of the Terai plain during the monsoon season, from July to mid-October. The winter season extends from November to March, when temperatures vary from 19°C in the southern Terai region to 13°C in the intermountain basins. During the summer season, which lasts through April and June, the mercury varies from 21°C to 28°C, in the same regions.
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