Nepal is a landlocked country with India in the southern, eastern, western sides and China in northern sides. Nepal has a great variation in languages (70 spoken), religions, ethnic groups (more than 61), geographic structures, occupation, culture and traditions - but a strong unity among these variations. Hence, we can find unity in diversity in Nepal. The country has many ever flowing rivers, thick tropical jungles, greatest mountain ranges and different climatic conditions. Owing to its diversity, we find a special eco-system here. Various species of animals, rare in the world such as the one horned, rhino are also found here. Nepal has an astonishing collection of sightseeing and adventurous opportunities. The country is home to different kinds of butterflies & of birds also. Nepal has a rich culture, tradition and numerous festivals. Different kinds of festivals are celebrated through out the year, based on the customs & beliefs in a particular area. The country is 1, 47,181sq. km in area and the capital city is Kathmandu. According census of 2013, the population of Nepal was calculated at 2, 70,51,550. Agriculture is the primary economic backbone of Nepal. Farming is the occupation of more than 70% people in Nepal.
Nepali is the official language of Nepal, with over 93 other languages and dialects spoken as mother-tongues in different parts of the country. Nepali is of the Indo-Aryan family of languages brought from central Asia. The original Old Indo-Aryan language gave rise to Sanskrit from which Nepali derives. Nepali uses the Devanagri script (the script of the city of the gods, sometimes known as Nagari) which derived from the Brahmi script of ancient India.
Most ethnic groups have their own languages and some like the Rais have many dialects spoken in the various regions where they live. Newars, Rais, Limbus, Lepchas all have their own script which are still in use. One of the most well-known script is the Ranjana Lipi used by the Newar people. They have used various other scripts over the centuries. In the tarai regions, various languages like Maithili, Hindi and others are spoken. Most people can speak Nepali, which is the lingua franca of Nepal. English is widely spoken in the cities and with more and more schools teaching in the English medium, a large population of the younger generation can speak English. Both English and Nepali are used for official purposes.
Foreign students can study Nepali (spoken and Devanagari script), Newari, Sanskrit and Tibetan languages at the Bishwa Bhasha Campus (at Bhrikutimandap) of Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. They may pursue BA and MA studies in the Nepali language at the Department of Nepali Studies, Tribhuvan University in Kirtipur.
Nestled in the laps of mighty Himalayan Range, Nepal has a moderate climatic condition throughout the year. Nepal has four major seasons, namely: (1) winter (December-February), (2) spring (march-May), (3) summer (June-August) and (4) autumn (September-November). Nepal can be visited all the year round.
Nepal is a secular state and it respects the practices and existence of different religions within its territory. Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups: the indo-Aryans and the Mongoloids (the kirants). The Hindu temples and Buddhist shrines are scattered all over the country. Nepal is the birthplaces of the lord Buddha, the herald of peace. Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians and people of other religions live together here in perfect harmony.
Nepal banks notes comes in Rupees 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 denominations. Coins come in Rupees 1, 2, 5 and 10 denominations. Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through banks or authorized money exchangers. The receipts of such transaction are to be obtained and retained. Visitors can exchange foreign currency at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival too. Visitors other than the Indian nationals have to make the payment in foreign currency (non-Indian currency) in hotel, trekking agencies or travel agencies and for air tickets.
Nepal has been declared as a Federal Democratic Republic by the first meeting of Constituent Assembly. Nepal practices multi-party system of Democracy with President as the Head of state and the Prime Minister enjoying executive power. Though Nepal has been declared a Federal Republic demarcation of federal states is yet to be done.
Nepal is a mountainous country and major portion of the world famous Himalayan Range lies in Nepal. Nepal is home to eight of the fourteen 8,000-meter peaks including the Mt. Everest . Other 8,000-meter peaks in Nepal are Kanchenjunga, Cho-Oyu, Makalu, Manaslu, Annapurna, Dhaulagiri, and Lhotse . Apart from these Mountains, Nepal is home to hundreds for other beautiful and challenging peaks in the likes of Amadablam, Island , Mara, Ganesh Himal, Gauri Shankar and others. A government of Nepal has opened 326 peaks for mountaineering and expeditions.
Nepal receives foreign visitors in the tunes five lakhs every year. The arrival figure in the country in 2013 crossed Ten lakhs for the first time. Most of the visitors come to Nepal for holiday/pleasure activities and to involve in trekking, mountaineering and other activities. Significant number of visitors comes for pilgrimage, official and business purpose. Apart from Katmandu valley, visitors prefer to visit pokhara, Chitwan, Lumbini and different trekking areas of the country including the Everest, Annapurna and Langtang regions.
Nepal is a country rich in ancient culture and tradition. Nepal is home to over 60 ethnic groups and indigenous nationalities that have their distinct attire, culture, tradition and lifestyle. These communities speak more than 100 local dialects making Nepal a country of great cultural and ethnical diversities. People of Nepal celebrate different festival throughout the year. There is not a single day in Nepal 's calendar when colorful festivals are not celebrated. Various temples, monasteries and place of religious significance are found everywhere in Nepal .
Nepal is a country of great topographical diversities. The altitude in the country varies from less than 70m above sea level at Kechana Kalan of Jhapa to the world's highest point 8,848m at the summit of Mt. Everest . This variation occurs at the distance of less than 300kms. Nepal is divided into three different regions as per altitude variations: Mountain, Hills and Terai. Nepal has three major river systems: Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali which all drain into the Bay of Bengal through the Ganges . Similarly, Nepal is home to little lakes of different sizes at the laps of Himalayas to the lowlands of Terai. Nepal is also home to Lake Tilicho , the lake in the highest altitude in the world.
Despite being a small country, Nepal has a great biological diversity. Nepal has gazette different national park and conservation areas to protect bio-diversity in those areas. Nepal is home to 167 pieces of mammals, 50 amphibian, 130 reptiles, 863 birds and more than 6000 pieces of plants among which about 245 pieces of plant are only found in Nepal . A total of 118 ecosystem, 75 vegetation and 35 forest types have been identified so far. Endangered animal spices like Royal Bengal Tiger, one-horned rhinos, Red Panda and other are preserved in different protected areas of Nepal Himalayas.
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