|
NEPAL @
Glance
Nepal is a Kingdom of high Himalayan Mountains,
artistic monuments exotic wild life and diverse
culture. 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 Himalayan
mountains in the north with the valleys and lush
green hills in between within a distance of less
then 200 km. Eight of the 10 highest peaks in the
world lie in Nepal.
The People
Nepal’s many ethnic groups are as varied as its
land with their own languages and cultures. In the
Kathmandu valley are Newars, whose artistry have
earned them an international reputation. The Sherpas
of the Himalayas are known as tough mountain
climbers. Brahmins and Chhettris are scattered over
the hills and valleys, and Tamang are found in the
districts around Kathmandu valley. The Rais, Limbus,
Magars and Gurungs of the mid hills have earned as
Gurkhas soldiers. Lowland ethnic group s such as the
Maithali, Bhojpuri and Tharu enhance the colorful
mosaic, the population of Nepal is about 23 million.
The Climate
Nepal contains a variety of climatic conditions
ranging from the tropical heat of the Terai plains
to the freezing cold of the high Himalayas. The mid
hills, particularly the Kathmandu valley, are
pleasant with warm summer and cool winter.
Temperature range between a maximum of 37 and a
minimum of 8 degree Celsius in the plains, 28 and 2
degree Celsius in Kathmandu valley, and between, 6
and 16 degree Celsius in the mountains. The rainy
season lasts from June to August
What to wear
Medium weight and easy to wash cottons can be a
good choice year around in the Kathmandu valley.
From October to February, woolen sweaters, Jackets
or similar other outfits are necessary. Short or
long sleeved shirts are good from March through May.
From June to September, light and loose garments are
advisable.
Wild Life
Nepal provides shelter to over 30 species of
large wild animals and approximately 180 species of
mammals. The rhinoceros, tigers, crocodiles, snow
leopard red panda, Himalayan black dear, and many
others beasts are found Nepal's jungles.
Nepal is also a haven for birds and over 800
species, representing approximately 10% of the
world's population are found here. There are more
then 650 species of butterflies and over 6,000
species of months.
Language
Nepali, written in the Devanagari script, is
national language as well as the lingau Franca for
Nepal ’diverse communities. Many languages and
dialects are the spoken in the Kingdom, however,
only 8 (Nepali, Maithali, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang,
Gurung, Rais, Limbus, Newari, Sherpas and Nepalbhasa)
are spoken by more then half million people. English
and Hindi are widely understood in the urban centers
and places frequented by tourists
Currency
Nepalese Currency is the rupee (Aubrey. RS wish is
divided into 100 paisa, bank notes come in
denominations of 1000, and 500,50,20,10,5,2 and 1
rupees. Approximate exchange rate at the time of
going to press US$ 1= RS 76.00 and Euro 1 = RS 73.00 |
Known
as the Himalayan Kingdom, Nepal has 1310
mountains (the major portion of the Mountain
range.) which are over 5500 meters (18,090
ft)
