Kathmandu is the nation's capital and largest city. Nepal is a multi-ethnic nation with Nepali as the official language.
Geography of Nepal
Nepal is 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and 200 kilometres (120 mi) wide, with an area of 147,181 km 2 (56,827 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 26° and 31°N , and longitudes 80° and 89°E .Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: Himal, Pahad and Terai. These ecological belts run east–west and are vertically intersected by Nepal's major, north to south flowing river systems. The southern low land plains or Terai bordering India are part of the northern rim of the Indo-Gangetic Plain . Terai is a lowland region containing some hill ranges. The plains were formed and are fed by three major Himalayan rivers: the Koshi, the Narayani , and the Karnali as well as smaller rivers rising below the permanent snowline. This region has a subtropical to tropical climate. The outermost range of foothills called Sivalik Hills or Churia Range, cresting at 700 to 1,000 metres (2,300 to 3,280 ft), marks the limit of the Gangetic Plain, however broad, low valleys called Inner Tarai Valleys lie north of these foothills in several places.
Pahad is a mountain region that does not generally contain snow. The mountains vary from 800 to 4,000 metres (2,600 to 13,100 ft) in altitude with progression from subtropical climates below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) to alpine climates above 3,600 metres (11,800 ft). The Lower Himalayan Range, reaching 1,500 to 3,000 metres (4,900 to 9,800 ft), is the southern limit of this region, with subtropical river valleys and "hills" alternating to the north of this range. Population density is high in valleys but notably less above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) and very low above 2,500 metres (8,200 ft), where snow occasionally falls in winter.
Himal is the mountain region containing snow and situated in the Great Himalayan Range, it makes up the northern part of Nepal. It contains the highest elevations in the world including 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) height (Mount Everest )Sagarmatha on the border with China. Seven other of the world's eight-thousanders are in Nepal or on its border with China: Lhotse , Makalu , Cho Oyu , Kangchenjunga , Dhaulagiri, Annapurna and Manaslu .
Climate
Nepal has five climatic zones, broadly corresponding to the altitudes. The tropical and subtropical zones lie below 1,200 metres (3,900 ft), the temperate zone 1,200 to 2,400 metres (3,900 to 7,900 ft), the cold zone 2,400 to 3,600 metres (7,900 to 11,800 ft), the subarctic zone 3,600 to 4,400 metres (11,800 to 14,400 ft), and the Arctic zone above 4,400 metres (14,400 ft).Nepal experiences five seasons summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in the winter and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns. In a land once thickly forested, deforestation is a major problem in all regions, with resulting erosion and degradation of ecosystems.
It's hard to generalize about the climate of a country ranging in elevation from near sea level to Mount Everest. About the only thing that can be said is that all but a few parts of Nepal are governed by the same monsoon pattern, with temperatures varying according to elevation. When-ever you choose to go, you'll have to weigh weather against other factors, both positive (mountain visibility, festivals, wildlife) and negative (crowds, disease).
Probably half of all tourists visit Nepal in the Autumn (October to November), and for good reasons. The weather is clear and dry, and temperatures will not too cold in the high country nor too hot in the Tarai. with the air washed clean by the monsoon rains, the mountains are at their most visible, making this the most popular time for trekking. Two major festivals also fall during this season.
The downside, however, is that the tourist quarters are heaving and hustly, it's hard to find a decent room, you'll waltages for food and for trekking permits, and people are short on ready smiles and chat.
In winter (December and January), the snow line descends to 2.000 - 3000m and though it never snows in Kathmandu, the "mists of India" make the capital feel cold and clammy (especially in unheated budget lodgings). Most travelers head down into India, leaving the trekking routes and guest houses fairly quiet too quiet, sometimes, as many restaurants pare down their menus for the season.
Monsoon of Nepal Spring (February to mid-April) brings warmer temperatures, longer days, weddings and more festivals. The rhododendrons are in bloom in the hills towards the end of this period, and in the Tarai the thatch has been cut, making this the best time for viewing wildlife. All of which creates another tourist crush, albeit not quite as bad as in the autumn.
The one factor that keeps people away is a disappointing haze that obscures the mountains from lower elevations, though it's usually possible to trek above it. The pre-monsoon (mid-April to early June) is stifling at lower elevations, and dusty wind squalls are common. People get a little edgy with the heat; this is the time for popular unrest, but also for the Kathmandu Valley's great rain-making festival. Trek high, where the temperatures are more tolerable.
Nepal welcomes the Monsoon (June to September), which breaks the enervating monotony of the previous months, and makes the fields come alive with rushing water and green shoots. The rains rinse and renew the land. This can be a fascinating time to visit, when Nepal is at its most Nepali, but there are many drawbacks: mountain views are rare, leeches come out in force along the mid-elevation trekking routes, roads wash out, flights get canceled, and disease runs rampant as the rising water table brings the entire contents of Kathmandu's sewers to the surface.
Language
Nepali is the national language of Nepal. Though many languages are used throughout the country, most people understand and speak Nepali. Educated people, and those involved in the tourist industry also understand and speak English.Time
Nepal Time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT.Money
Nearly all money in Nepal is in the form of notes. The Nepalese rupee is linked to the Indian rupee, but its value fluctuates against all other major currencies. For the date of 21 July 2013 there were 95.00 rupees to the dollar, 123.00 rupees to Euro and 144.00 rupees to the pound sterling. Travelers' cheques are accepted at all exchange counters. Credit cards (Visa and Master Card) are accepted in shops and restaurants in major cities. Withdrawing money with a credit card is possible through banks and cash mashines (ATM) in major cities. Please, note that for the trips outside the cities is recommended to carry cash in nepalese rupees.People, culture and Religion
Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups, the Indo-Aryans and the Mongoloids. Kathmandu Valley is the spiritual and cultural meeting point of all these groups. Religious practices are an important part of the lives of the Nepalese people. Mythologies of various Hindu gods and goddesses abound in this country and cultural values are based on the philosophies of holy books like the Swasthani Gita, Ramayana etc.Women and children visit neighborhood shrines at dawn to offer worship to the gods. Holding plates of rice, flowers, and vermilion powder, they perform puja by lighting incense, ringing the temple bell, and applying tika, a red paste, on their foreheads. Passers by stop at temples and show their reverence to the gods by spending a few minutes praying. Occasionally, groups of men sit near temples playing music and singing rhyms until late night.In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions. The two have co-existed down the ages and many Hindu temples share the same complex as Buddhist shrines. Hindu and Buddhist worshipers may regard the same god with different names while performing religious rites.
Though Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom in the world, many other religions like Islam, Christianity, and Bon are practiced here. Some of the earliest inhabitants like the Kirats practice their own kind of religion based on ancestor worship and the Tharus practice animism. Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism have been influenced by these practices which have been modified to form a synthesis of newer beliefs.
As a result, visitors to this country may often find the religious practices in Nepal difficult to follow and understand. But this does not prevent one from enjoying the idifferent traditional ceremonies and rituals of Nepalese culture. It is indeed a totally new experience of religious fervor.
Hinduism
Thousands of gods and goddesses make up the Hindu pantheon. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva are he three major Hindu gods who have heir own characteristics and incarnations. Each god has his own steed which is often seen kneeling faithfully outside that god's temple. Symbolic objects are carried by the multiple ands of each deity which empowers them to perform great feats.
Buddhism
Sakyamuni Buddha is the founder of Buddhism who lived and taught in this part of the world during the sixth century BC. The great stupas of Swayambhunath and Bouddhanath are among the oldest and most beautiful worship sites in the Kathmandu Valley.
The spinning of prayer wheels, prostrating pilgrims, collective chants and burning butter lamps are some Buddhist practices often encouithtered by tourists. A slip of paper bearing a mantra is kept inside the wheels so that prayers are sent to the gods when the wheel is spun. Scenes from the Buddha's life and Buddhist realms are depicted on thangka scroll paintings which are used during meditation and prayer ceremonies. Many Buddhist followers are seen performing these practices in Swayambhunath, Boudanath, and at other Buddhist sites around the Valley.
Holidays and festivals
With 365 days a year , Nepal is the country that enjoys the most number of public holidays in the world. The Nepali year begins in 1st of Baisakh in official Hindu Calendar of the country, the Bikram Sambat , which falls in mid-April and is divided into 12 months. Saturday is the official weekly holiday. Main annual holidays include the MartyDay (18 February), and a mix of Hindu and Buddhist festivals such as Dashain is in autumn, Tihar in mid-autumn and Chhath in late autumn. During Swanti , the Newars perform the Mha Puja ceremony to celebrate New Years Day of the lunar calendar Nepal Sambat .Being a Secular country Nepal has holiday on main festivals of minority religions in the nation too.
Nepalese cuisine
The national cuisine of Nepal is Dhindo and Gundruk .The staple Nepali meal is dal bhat . Dal is a lentil soup, and is served over bhat (boiled rice), with tarkari (curried vegetables) together with achar (pickles) or chutni (spicy condiment made from fresh ingredients). It consists of non-vegetarian as well as vegetarian items. Mustard oil is a common cooking medium and a host of spices, including cumin, coriander, black pepper, sesame seeds, turmeric, garlic, ginger, methi, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, chilies and mustard seeds are used in cooking. Momo is a type of steamed dumpling with meat or vegetable fillings, and is a popular fast food in many regions of Nepal. |
| Laligurans |
The national flower of Nepal is Its is found in the high altitude areas. Its a medicinal plant used for various diseases. Its available in different colors and its rarerly found in other parts of world.
Danphe ( Lophophoporous)
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| Danphe |
Daura-Suruwal and Gunyo-Choli
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| Dhaka topi |
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| Gunyo-Choli |
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| Daura-Suruwal |
The national dress of Nepal is Daura-Suruwal with coat and Dhaka Topi for male and Gunyo-Choli for women. Dhaka-Topi is the national cap of Nepal made up of own national cloth type called Dhaka. This topi is famous among all Nepalese living all over the world.
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| Khukuri |
Khukuri (Nepalese knife)
Khukuri is Nepal national weapon widely seen in every Nepalese home. Khukuri of Nepal has a big war history before so still its is used by the British Gurkha Military in Britian.
Politics of Nepal
Bidhya Devi Bhandari, President of Nepal since 29 October 2015Khadga Prasad Oli , Prime Minister since 15 February 2018
Nepal has seen rapid political changes during the last three decades. Up until 1990, Nepal was a monarchy under executive control of the King. Faced with a communist movement against absolute monarchy, King Birendra , in 1990, agreed to a large-scale political reform by creating a parliamentary monarchy with the king as the head of state and a prime minister as the head of the government.
Nepal's legislature was bicameral , consisting of a House of Representatives called the Pratinidhi Sabha and a National Council called the Rastriya Sabha. The House of Representatives consisted of 205 members directly elected by the people. The National Council had 60 members: ten nominated by the king, 35 elected by the House of Representatives, and the remaining 15 elected by an electoral college made up of chairs of villages and towns. The legislature had a five-year term but was dissolvable by the king before its term could end. All Nepali citizens 18 years and older became eligible to vote.
The executive comprised the King and the Council of Ministers . The leader of the coalition or party securing the maximum seats in an election was appointed as the Prime Minister. The Cabinet was appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Governments in Nepal tended to be highly unstable, falling either through internal collapse or parliamentary dissolution by the monarch, on the recommendation of the prime minister, according to the constitution no government has survived for more than two years since 1991.
Administrative divisions of Nepal
As of 3 April 2018, Nepal is divided into 7 provinces and 77 districts. It has 753 local units. There are 6 metropolises, 11 sub-metropolises, 276 municipal councils, and 460 village councils for official works. The constitution grants 22 absolute powers to the local units while they share 15 more powers with the central and state governments.Provinces with Capital Districts
1 Province No. 1- Biratnagar 142 Province No. 2- Janakpur 8
3 Province No. 3- Hetauda 13
4 Gandaki Pradesh -Pokhara 11
5 Province No. 5 -Butwal 12
6 Karnali Pradesh- Birendranagar 10
7 Sudurpashchim Pradesh- Godavari 9
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