Nepal is a topographically diversified kingdom
comprising 147,181 square kilometres of land. Located between India and
China, it features three distinct regions: snow-capped, towering Himalayan
peaks in the north; mountains and hills in the center; and agriculturally
fertile flatlands (Terai) in the south.
Latitude - 26° 22' N to 30° 27'
N
Longitude - 80° 4' E to 88° 12' E
Area - 147,181 sq. kms.
Length - 885 kms. East to West
Width - non-uniform, mean width of 193 kms. North to South
Population- 21.3 million
Temperatures in the flat Terai on Nepal's
Southern border range from 7-23 degrees Centigrade in winter to 40 degrees
in summer. In the hills temperatures vary between highs of 25-27 degrees
in summer, and winter lows of sub-zero to 12 degrees. The Kathmandu Valley,
maintains a pleasant climate of 19-33 degrees in summer, and 0-12 degrees
in winter.
Winter (December-February) - 1°C to
3°C
Summer (March-May) - 24°C - 32°C
Monsoon (June-August)
Autumn (September-November) - 10°C- 18°C
Nepal is one of the few nations in the world
which has always remained independent. King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the
Great, unified Nepal's many small principalities into one nation in 1769.
After the Anglo-Nepal War of 1814-1816 Jung Bahadur Rana established his
family as hereditary prime ministers who controlled the country until
1951. King Tribhuvan, the present king's grandfather, subsequently led
a popular uprising overthrowing the family autocracy and establishing
Nepal as a monarchy with a multiparty system. This regime was replaced
by the party-less 'Panchayat' system in 1960 by his son, the late King
Mahendra. In 1990 a popular movement re-established Nepal's multiparty
democratic system and the kingdom became a constitutional monarchy.
The people of Nepal constitute a rich ethnic
mix which reflects Nepal's position as cross-roads between India, Tibet
and Burma. The country's inhabitants are predominantly Hindu, although
Buddhists (8%), Christains, Muslims and others form a noticeable presence.
Nepal's present population is 22 million, with the annual growth at 2.3
percent.
The country uses the metric system for most formal measurements. Its time
is five hours and forty-five minutes ahead of GMT.
The Exchange rate : 1US$=NC Rs.74.25paisa.
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