About Nepal

nepal flag

Nepal officially the Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. The mountainous north of Nepal has eight of the world’s ten tallest mountains.Nepal is the only country in the world with triangular flag.

Geography

Nepal is a land locked, independent kingdom. It lies on the lap of the highest mountain of Himalaya between India and China. Therefore, Nepal traditionally has been characterized as “a yam caught between two rocks.” Nepal shares a border with India in the west, south and east and with the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China in the north. Kanchan Kalan in Jhapa district is the lowest point at 70m above sea level and the summit of Mt. Everest at 8,848 m is the highest.

Area & Topography

Nepal extends from east to west 885 km and approximately 193 km from north to south in rectangular shape with total land area of 147,181 sq. km. Geographically, Nepal can be divided into 3 ecological zones. Upper Himalaya, Middle Hills or Lower Himalaya and Terai Region. The southern belt of the country is flat with fertile land and forest called Terai.

Administratively, the country is divided into five development regions with 75 districts, 3913 village development committees (VDC) and 58 municipalities. Among the 78 districts, only 56 district headquarters are linked with road.

The People & Culture

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the total population of Nepal was 26,427,99 in 2007. The population comprises people of more than 100 multiple ethnic groups who speak about 93 different languages and dialects which are further divided into different castes.
Some of the main ethnic groups are: Gurungs and Magars who live mainly in the western region; Rais, Limbus and Sunwars who live in the eastern middle hills; Sherpas, Manangbas and Lopas who live near the mountains of Everest, Annapurna and Mustang respectively; Newars who live in and around the Kathmandu valley; Tharus, Yadavas, Satar, Rajvanshis and Dhimals who live in the Tarai region; and Brahmins, Chhetris and Thakuris generally spread over all parts of the country.

Nepali is the official language of the state, spoken and understood by almost all the people of Nepal. English is spoken by many in government and business offices. It is the mode of education in most private schools of Kathmandu and some other cities.