FACTS ABOUT NEPAL

Nepal is a kingdom of high Himalayan mountains, artistic monuments, exotic wildlife and diverse cultures. It is the land where Lord Buddha was born over 2,500 years ago. Roughly rectangular in shape, the kingdom of Nepal is situated between China to the north and India to the south. The land extends approximately 885 km east to west, and 193 km north to south. Nepal is primarily an agricultural country. Tourism, carpets and garments are the major industries.

THE LAND: The terrain rises from the Terai, the southern plains covered with tropical jungles and fertile farmland at almost sea level, to the high Himalaya mountains in the north with valleys and lush hills in between within a distance of less than 200 km. Eight of the ten highest peaks in the world lies in Nepal.

CLIMATE: Nepal contains a variety of climatic conditions ranging from the tropical heat of the Terai plains to the freezing cold of the high Himalaya. The mid-hills, particularly the Kathmandu Valley, are pleasant with warm summers and cool winters. Temperatures range between a maximum of 37 and a minimum of 8 degrees Celsius in the plains, 28 and 2 degrees Celsius in the mountains. The rainy season lasts from June to August.

Wildlife: Nepal provides shelters to over 30 species of large wild animals and approximately 180 species of mammals. The rhinoceros, tiger, crocodile, snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear and many other beast are found in Nepal’s jungles. Nepal is also a haven for birds and over 800 species, representing approximately 10% of the world population, are found here. There are more than 650 species of butterflies and over 6,000 species of moths.

THE PEOPLE: Nepal’s many ethnic groups are as varied as its land with their own languages and cultures. In the Kathmandu Valley’s ethnic group are Newars; Bramins and Chhetris are scattered over the hills and valleys. The sherpas of the Himalaya are known as tough mountain climbers; and Tamangs are found in the districts around the Kathmandu Valley. The Rais, Limbus, Magars and Gurungs of the mid-hills have earned fame as Gurkha soldiers. Lowland ethnic groups such as the Maithili, Bhojpuria dn Tharu enchance the colorful mosaic. The population of Nepal is about 25 million.

LANGUAGE: Nepali, written in Devanagari script, is the national language as well as the lingua franca for Nepal’s diverse communities. Many languages and dialects are spoken in the kingdom, however, only six (Nepali, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang and Nepalbhasa) are spoken by more than half a million people. English and Hindi are widely understood in the urban centers and places frequented by tourists.

CURRENCY: Nepalese currency is rupee (abbrev. Rs.) which is divided into 100 paisa. Bank note con in denomination of 1000, 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 rupees. Approximately exchange rate at this time is US$ 1 = Rs. 72.50