Nepal is one of the most beautiful countries in the world filled with alluring natural beauty and cultural enigma. Nepal lies in between two economic giants India in the South and China in the North. Nepal shares its border with India and China and has an open border with neighboring India.? Nepal is growing as an ideal travel hub and the number of travelers visiting Nepal is increasing every year. Nepal is embodied with alluring Himalayan beauty, cultural and natural heritage, national parks and wildlife conservation areas, religious centers and many other attractions. Mountaineering, peak climbing, trekking, sightseeing, white water rafting etc. some of the adventures in Nepal. Known as the country of Mount Everest and Himalayan Shangri-La tourism industry is yet another blooming industry in the nation. Adventures activities in Nepal amazes its visitors with alluring Himalayan beauty, cultural enigma and lots of natural glamors. Nepal is one of the most ideal destinations to plan your holiday trip!
Where is Nepal?
Nepal is a beautiful country that lies in the south Asian continent between two giant nations India in the south and China in the North. The total area of Nepal is 1, 47,181 Sq. Km. the capital of Nepal is Kathmandu. The total population of Nepal is over 25 million. Nepali is the official language of Nepal but many ethnic languages is spoken in different parts of the country. Nepal has a diversified geographical distribution. Nepal has many tourist attractions in a different part of the country.
Culture and Religion Of Nepal
Nepal is rich in culture as different people living in Nepal follows a distinct culture. The Himalayan kingdom is a multi-dimensional heritage that encompasses the diversities of Nepal’s ethnic, tribal, and social groups, and manifests in music and dance; art and craft; folklore and folktales; languages and literature; philosophy and religion; festivals and celebration; foods and drinks. Its culture is mostly influenced by Indian, Mongolian and Tibetan culture.
Varieties of religious people live in Nepal which encompasses Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Sikhism, Bon, ancestor worship and animism. Among which Hinduism and Buddhism lead the majority who have coexisted with harmony for centuries.
The Buddhists and Hindus worship Lord Buddha visiting Viharas, Monasteries. The five Dhyani Buddhas; Vairochana, Akshobhaya, Rathasambhava, Amitabha and Amoghasiddhi, represent the five basic elements: earth, fire, water, air and ether. The Hindus worship the ancient Vedic gods. Bramha the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer, are worshipped as the Supreme Hindu Trinity.
Flora and Fauna Of Nepal
Nepal treasures abundant species of flora and fauna due to the variation in climate, from tropical to arctic. There are no natural habitats in Nepal. Nepal has established numerous National park and reserves in order to protect it diverse fauna. In terms of biodiversity, Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world. It is rightfully called Amazon of Asia due to the unique variety of species found here. Nepal has more than 900 species of birds, which accounts for 8.9% of the total species of birds all around the world. It has 4.2 % of the world’s butterfly species and 3.96 percent of the world’s mammal species. Nepal holds two percent of the world’s orchids (more than 360 species), six percent of the world’s rhododendron species (national flower) and 250 species endemic to Nepal.
The endemic fauna are: Himalayan field mouse, spiny babbler, Nepali kalij, 14 herpetofauna, and six types of fishes.
Nepal’s dense Terai jungles house exotic animals like the Asiatic elephant, the one-horned rhinoceros and the Royal Bengal tiger among others. Wildlife like the leopard, monkey, langur, hyena, jackal, wild boar, antelope, wild cat, wolf, sloth bear, chital or spotted deer and barking deer can also be found in Nepal.
Geography of Nepal
Nepal rises from as low as 59 meters (194 ft) elevation in the tropical Terai the northern rim of the Gangetic Plain, beyond the perpetual snow line to some 90 peaks over 7,000 meters (22,966 ft) including Earths highest 8,848 meters (29,029 ft) Mount Everest or Sagarmatha.
Nepal consists of three major regions Terai, Hilly and Himalayan region.
Terai
The Terai stretches over 33,998.8 km2 (13,127.0 sq mi), about 23.1% of Nepal’s land area, and lies at an altitude of between 67 and 300 m (220 and 984 ft). The Terai ends and the Hilly region begin at a higher range of foothills called the Mahabharat Range.
Hilly
This region begins at the Mahabharat Range (Lesser Himalaya) where a fault system called the Main Boundary Thrust creates a hill 1,000 to 1,500 meters (3,000 to 5,000 ft) high, to a crest between 1,500 and 2,700 meters (5,000 and 9,000 ft).
Himalayan
The Mountain or Himalayan Region begins where high ridges begin substantially rising above 3,000 meters (10,000 ft) into the subalpine and alpine zone which are mainly used for seasonal pasturage. A few tens kilometers further north the high Himalaya abruptly rise along the Main Central Thrust fault zone above the snow line at 5,000 to 5,500 meters (16,400 to 18,000 ft). Some 90 of Nepal’s peaks exceed 7,000 meters (23,000 ft) and eight exceed 8,000 meters (26,247 ft) including Mount Everest at 8,848 meters (29,029 ft) and Kanchenjunga at 8,598 meters (28,209 ft).
History of Nepal
The Hindu Kiratis, a Mongoloid people, are recorded by history as the first known rulers of the Kathmandu Valley in the 7th or 8th century BC. People from northern India overthrew the Kiratis in AD 300 and the country became predominantly Hindu. They ushered in an age of more prosperous trade and cultural brilliance. In the early 7th Century, Amshuvarma, the first Thakuri king took over the throne from his father-in-law who was a Lichhavi. He married off his daughter Bhrikuti to the famous Tibetan King Tsong Tsen Gampo thus establishing good relations with Tibet. The Lichhavis brought art and architecture to the valley but the golden age of creativity arrived in 1200 A.D with the Mallas. Yaksha Malla, the grandson of Jayasthiti Malla, ruled the Kathmandu Valley until almost the end of the 15th century. After his demise, the Valley was divided into three independent Valley kingdoms Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan in about 1484 CE. This division led the Malla rulers into internecine clashes and wars for territorial and commercial gains. Mutually debilitating wars gradually weakened them, that facilitated conquest of the Kathmandu Valley by King Prithvi Narayan Shah of Gorkha. The last Malla rulers were Jaya Prakasha Malla, Teja Narasingha Malla and Ranjit Malla of Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur respectively.
The history of Nepal has been influenced by its position in the Himalaya and its two neighbors, modern-day India and Tibet. It is a multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural, multireligious, and multilingual country. The most spoken language of Nepal is Nepali followed by other various national languages. Nepal had experienced a struggle for democracy at times in the 20th century and early 21st century. During the 1990s and until 2008, the country was in civil strife. A peace treaty was signed in 2006 and elections were held in the same year. In a historical vote for the election of the constituent assembly, the Nepalese parliament voted to oust the monarchy in June 2006. Nepal became a federal republic and was formally renamed the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ending the 200-year-old Shah dynasty.
People of Nepal
As Nepal is composed of three different regions so the habitat of people living there differs with the region. Nepal covers about 80 ethnics groups and 123 languages even though not a single drop of blood has ever been shed in Nepal in the name of the religious and ethnic riot. There is a saying in Nepal Atithi Devo bhava which means the guests are equivalent to god. The Nepalese people admire their guests as a god. The hospitality of the Nepalese people allures visitors to visit Nepal time and again.
Himalayan Region
Sherpas, Dolpas, Lopas, Baragaonlis and Manangis come under Northern Himalayan People.
Hilly Region
Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Sunuwars, Newars, Thakalis, Chepangs and the majority of Brahmans and Chhetris are regarded as Middle Hills and Valley People.
Terai Region
The Terai People include Tharus, Darai, Kumhal, Majhi and migrants from India.
Communication in Nepal
Nepal has done rapid development in the field of communication in recent years. Nepal Telecom is the prime body in Nepal that distributes PSTN lines, mobile phones and the internet.
Postal Service:
The office of the central post office is located in Sundhara Kathmandu. The office opens from 9 AM to 5 PM Sunday to Friday. The counters are open from 10 AM to 4 PM and provide postal stamps, postcards, aerograms etc.? There are global logistics services companies like TNT, FedEx, DHL etc. operating in Nepal.
Telephone and Mobile Phones:
Telephones are available in almost most parts of Nepal. There are many private companies that provide mobile services and SIM cards are easily available for the authorized outlets. You need to fill-up the form with personal detail before purchasing a SIM card. There might be some network issues in some areas of Nepal but satellite phones are available in most of the regions.
Internet:
There are many internet service providers in Kathmandu and other cities of Nepal. They provide high-speed internet service to easily access the internet. You can also access the internet from 2G and 3G connection on your mobile device.