Capital: Kathmandu
Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
Borders: China 1,236 km, India 1,690 km
Nepal is a long, narrow, land-locked country situated in East Asia,
wedged between China and India. The landmass measures 136,800 sq km
plus a further 4,000 sq km of water. Although the landmass may not
amount to much, the height of the country certainly does because
Nepal has some of the highest areas of elevation of any country in
the world, including Mount Everest at a height of 8,850m. Nepal
actually houses eight of the world's highest peaks. The terrain of
Nepal is made up of the flat Ganges River plain in the south, the
central hill region and the high Himalayan range in the north. Many
of the lower slopes of the Himalayas offer trekking amidst glacial
valleys and verdant alpine grasslands. Nepal possesses many valuable
natural resources including quartz, copper, cobalt and iron ore.
The main represented religions of Nepal are Hinduism
and Buddhism. The official language is Nepali and is spoken by 90%
of the population. Only 27.5% of the population are literate. The
national unit of currency is the Nepalese Rupee.
Nepal is one of the poorest, least developed countries on earth and
at present almost half of the population live below the poverty
line. The main economic factor is agriculture and some 81% of the
national workforce works within this sector producing rice, corn,
wheat, sugarcane and various root crops. The main industry within
Nepal is the manufacture of beautiful carpets and textiles. Tourism
also plays its part within the economy. The transport network of
Nepal is comprised of 59km of railways and 13,223 sq km of highways.
The climate of Nepal is varied. In the north, the country receives
cool summers and harsh winters. The south of Nepal experiences
subtropical summers and mild winters. The wet season runs from June
to September and the dry from October to May. The hottest recorded
temperature in Kathmandu was 36°C. |
