Nepal is situated in the hub of Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic Of China in the North and India in the East, South and West respectively.

Latitude - 26° 22' N to 30° 27' N
Longitude - 80° 4' E to 88° 12' E

Area:

Area - 147,181 sq. kms.
Length - 885 kms. East to West
Width - non-uniform, mean width of 193 kms. North to South

Altitude

Varies from 70 meters to 8848 meters. The highest mountain (Mt. Everest : 8848m) and the deepest gorge in the world (Kali Gandaki) are here.

Population : 21.3 million

Capital : Kathmandu

People: 40 Ethnic Groups & 70 Spoken Languages

Climate

Climate ranges from Tropical in the low lands to Arctic in higher altitudes.The climate depends on the altitude, ranging from the tropical in the Terai plains to the alpine in the Himalaya mountains. The Kathmandu and Pokhara Valleys, which lie in the mid-hills, are pleasant throughtout the year with warm summers and cool winters. The monsoon lasts from June to August. The Temperatures range between 8 and 37 degree celsius in the plains, 2 and 28 degrees in the mid-hills and between minus 6 and 16 degrees in the mountains.

Seasons

Winter (December-February), -1 to 3°C
Summer (March-May), 24 - 32°C
Monsoon (June-August),
Autumn (September-November).10 - 18°C

Monsoon

Mostly rains at night, making the following days crispy clean and fresh. Most of the northern belt of the Trans-Himalayan zone is rain-shadowed and ideal for trekking

Language

Nepali, written in the Devanagari script, is the national language of Nepal. English and Hindi are widely understood in cities and tourist areas. Tour guides, translators and interpreters in major world languages are available

People and Religion

Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups, the Indo-Aryans and the Mongolians.

Kathmandu Valley is the spiritual and cultural meeting point of all those groups.

Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom of the world and the majority of the population is Hindu. Hindu Temples and Buddhist Shrines are scattered all over the kingdom. Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the light of Asia. There is a complex blending of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal.

Topography

From the world’s deepest gorge "Kali-Gandaki" to highest point on earth "The Everest"

Time

Nepal Time is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian standard time.

Administrative and Physical Divisions

The country is divided administratively into 5 development regions and 75 Districts. Village Development Committee (VDC) / Municipality is the lowest local level administrative unit in each district. Number of VDC's and Municipalities in the country amounts to 3995 and 36 respectively.

Ecologically it is divided into 3 ecological regions, Mountain, Hill and Terai

Economy

The value of Gross Domestic Product at current prices is estimated to be Rs.2,49,896 million. The contribution of the agricultural sector to the total GDP constitutes 40.22%, balance being the non-agricultural sector.

Electricity : 220 volts/50 cycles

Political-System: Multiparty Democracy with Constitutional Monarch

Vegetation

As per the size of the country, Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine desert

Visa

Available at Royal Nepalese Embassies & Royal Nepalese Consulates abroad or on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu.

World Heritage Sites (Cultural):

1. Bhaktapur Durbar Square
2. Bouddha Nath
3. Changunarayan
4. Kathmandu Durbar Square
5. Pashupatinath
6. Patan Durbar Square
7. Swayambhu Nath

World Heritage Sites (Natural):

1. Everest National Park (1148 sq. kms.)
2. Royal Chitwan National Park (932 sq. kms.)

Tourism Services :

1. Hang-Gliding
2. Helicopter Services
3. Hot Air Ballooning
4. Jungle Safaris
5. Mountaineering
6. Trekking Services
7. White Water River rafting

Popular Tourist Destinations (By Air/Road):

Baglung, Bardia, Chitwan, Dhankuta, Dharan, Dolakha, Gorkha, Ilam, Janakpur, Koshi Toppu, Lumbini, Pokhara, Sukla-Phanta, Tansen etc.

Popular Tourist Destinations (By Trek):

Annapurna, Dolpo, Gosainkund, Helambu, Jomsom, Jumla, Kanchanjunga, Khaptad, Langtang, Larke, Lukla, Makalu - Barun, Manang, Manaslu, Muktinath, Mustang, Namche, Rara, Rolwaling, Syangboche etc.

Nepal Connection® Tours (P) Ltd.
GPO Box 1415, Kathmandu Nepal
Phone : +977 1 4435928, 2151239  
Fax : +977 1 4423724
email: connect@mos.com.np
website: www.nepalpages.com/travels