Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. There are the world’s highest mountains including Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest 8848 m) towering above populated valleys and forested plains in which the lordly tiger and trundling rhinoceros live. Enchanment is everywhere, be it on the shoulders of high mountains, on terraced farmlands meticulously carved like stairways out of hill ridges, on cascading mountain rivulets and rushing rivers, or in forests full of wildlife, flowers and bird song. Nepal provides something for everybody tourist, trekker, river runner, wildlife enthusiast, poet, artist, scholar, or the weary in search of a personal Shangrila.

In Kathmandu, the capital or in its suburb, to cross a street is to travel across centuries. Shrines, temples, palaces, palace-squares, ageless sculptures and legends are parts of every brick and stone and glided masterpiece; make Kathmandu Valley a verifiable living museum.

GEOGRAPHY

Nepal, a sovereign independent country, lies between 80.4' and 88.12' east longitude and 26.22' and 30.27' north latitude. It is bounded on the north by Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China; on the east by Sikkim and West Bengal of the Indian Union, on the south by Indian States of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and on the west by Uttar Pradesh of the Indian Union. The length of the country is 885 kilometers east-west, and its breadth varies from 145 to 241 kilometers north-south. Climatically, it lies in the temperate zone with the added advantage of altitude. Except for some exceptions, there are seldom less than 1220 meters above the sea-level.

The country can be divided into three main geographical regions:

a) Himalayan Region: The altitude of this region ranges between 4877 meters and 8848 meters with the snow line running around 48848 meters. It includes 8 of the existing 14 summits in the world which exceeds an altitude of 8000 meters. They represent (1) Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) - 8848 m, (2) Kangchenjunga - 8586 m, (3) Lhotse - 8516 m, (4) Makalu - 8463 m, (5) Cho Oyo - 8201 m (6) Dhaulagiri - 8167 m, (7) Manasalu - 8163m, and (8) Annapurna I - 8091 m.

b) Mountain Region: This region accounts for about 64 percent of total land area. It is formed by the Mahabharat range that soars upto 4877 meters. To its south lies the lower Churia range whose altitude varies from 610 meters to 1524 meters.

c) Terai Region: The low-land Terai region which has a width of about 26 to 32 kilometers and an altitude maximum of 305 meters occupies about 17 percent of total land area of the country. Kechananakawal, the lowest point of the country with an altitude of 70 meters lies in Jhapa District of the eastern Terai.

All this adds up one interesting fact that 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. Winter days often begin in mist which can last until noon. Then suddenly, as if by magic, the fog disappears bringing in to view snowy peaks, glistening white and fresh against the large blue sky.

LANGUAGE: Many different ethnic groups have their own languages for dialects, but Nepali, the national language, written in Devnagari script, serves the purpose of the kingdom’s lingua franca in Nepal. The educated people speak and understand English as well.

CLIMATE: Nepal’s climate varies with its topography. It ranges from tropical to arctic depending upon the altitude. The Terai region, which lies in the tropical southern part of the country, for instance, has a hot, humid climate. The mid-land regions are pleasant almost all year around, although winter nights are cool. The northern mountain region, around an altitude above 3,353 meters has an alpine climate with a considerably lower temperature in winter as can be expected.

Nepal has four climatic seasons. (a) Spring: March - May, (b) Summer: June - August, (c) Autumn: September - November and (d) Winter: December - February.

Aiming to keep