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About Nepal
Nepal
- a country of amazing extremes, is the home of the World's highest
mountains, historic cities and the forested plains where the lordly tigers
and the great one-horned Rhinoceros trundle at ease. in fact enchantment
is everywhere for anyone in search of Shangrila!
Nepal, a sovereign independent Kingdom, is bounded on the North by the
Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, the
East-south and West by India. The length of the kingdom is 885-kms
East-West and it's breadth varies from 145-241-kms North-South. The
country can be divided into three main geographical regions:
History Of Nepal
Nepal - a country with a long historical tradition is an amalgamation of
a number of medieval principalities. Before the campaign of national
integration launched by King Prithivi Narayan Shah the Kathmandu valley
was ruled by the Malla kings, whose contributions to art and culture are
indeed great and unique. In 1768 A.D. the Shah dynasty ascended the throne
of the unified kingdom. His majesty king Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, was
tenth king in the Shah dynasty.
The new democratic constitution of the kingdom was promulgated on
November 9, 1990. Nepal is one of the founder members of South Asian
association for Regional Cooperation or SAARC, of which the third summit
was held in Kathmandu in November 1987.
Religion And Culture of Nepal
Hinduism and Buddhism constitute two major religions of Nepal. A
remarkable feature of Nepal is the religious homogeneity what exists,
particularly between the Hindu and Buddhist communities. Apart from the
Hindus and Buddhists, Muslim from the third largest religious group.
The exquisite medieval art & architecture of the Kathmandu valley
vividly reflect the artistic ingenuity and the religious tradition of the
people.
Nepalese People
Nepal has a population of more than 18 million people made of different
races living in different regions with diverse culture, languages and
dialects. The Gurungs and Magars live mainly in the west. The Rais, Limbus
and Sunuwars inhabit the slopes and valleys of the eastern mid hills. The
Sherpas live in the Himalayan region. The newars constitute an important
ethnic group of the capital valley Kathmandu. There are Tharus, Yadavas,
Satar, Rajvanshis and Dhimals in the Terai region. The Brahmans, Chhetris
and Thakuris are spread generally over all parts of the kingdom.
Nepal Himalaya Region:
The altitude of this region ranges between 4877-m.- 8848 m. it includes 8
of the highest 14 summits in the world, which exceed
altitude
of 8,000m including Annapurna, Dhaulagiri and others.
Nepal Mountain Region:
This region accounts for about 64% of total land area. It is formed by
the Mahabharat range that soars up to 4,877m and the lower Churia range.
Climate Of Nepal
Nepal has four climatic seasons
(a) Spring : March-May
(b) Sumer: June-August
(c) Autumn: September-November
(d) Winter: December-February.
There is no seasonal constraint on travelling in and through Nepal. Even
in December and January, when the winter is at its severest, there are
compensating bright sun and brilliant views.
How to Reach Nepal
Nepal By Air
There are 15 International carriers operating to and out of Kathmandu
International airport. There are ten passenger airlines operating to
almost 30 destination in nearly all parts of Nepal - remote airfields to
major hub cities. Today it is possible to reach most of the tourist
destinations by air. Some of the major tourist destinations in Nepal
operated by domestic airlines are:
Nepal By Rail
Nepal-Janakpur-Jayanagar Railway (NJJR) operates a freight and passenger
service in the eastern Terai.
Nepal By Road
Buses, mini-buses and three-wheeler tempos ply on fixed routes at regular
intervals. The services, are fairly frequent. The last city buses stop
running around 8 pm. City buses that ply within Kathmandu and go to Patan
as well as those going to Kirtipur, Banepa, Dhulikhel and Thankot, leave
from the City Bus Park located at the eastern side of Tundikhel parade
ground. Trolley buses to Bhaktapur leave from Tripureswor near the
football stadium. Their are no international Car Rental agencies in Nepal
and even the locals usually have a driver assigned to their personal car
rather than deal with the terrible traffic conditions around the city.
Helicopter Services for Nepal
Nepal with its high mountains and beautiful scenic countryside is known
as "Helicopter Country." The helicopter services industry in
Nepal is now well established with many types and categories of
helicopters. The pilots are very experienced professionals with thousands
of flying hours experience in Nepal.