Nepal: the land of the high mountains of the Himalayas

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Nepal (Nepal Adhirajya) is an Himalayan landlocked kingdom, situated on the southern Himalaya, which borders the north with China, and to the west, east and south with India, the capital is the city of Kathmandu. Despite its small size, Nepal has a wide range of natural environments, including territories that run from the plains of the Ganges to the Himalaya mountains.

The country is in prevalence mountainous, Nepali territory presnt to the south, along the border with India, a flat area, part of the plain of the Ganges, the Terai plains, rich in vegetation, alternating with marshes and swamps, where the three main rivers of the country Kosi, Narayani, and Karnali flowing.

Besides this narrow flat area, we find the Pahad region, where rise the chains of Mahabharat Lekh and Shiwalik Range (Churia Range), the first Himalayan buttresses, which reach heights between 1,000 and 2,800 metres, this area has some intensely populated valleys, such as that of the capital, Kathmandu.

THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN CHAIN ON EARTH

Towards the north along the border with China rises the highest mountain on the planet, the Himalayas, that in Nepal shows the most high side of the Himalayan system with as many as eight of the fourteen peaks of the Earth exceeding 8,000 meters, among them, along the border with China, the highest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest (Nepal-China, 8,848 meters).

The other peaks of Nepal exceeding the 8,000 metres are: Kangchenjunga (third mountain on the planet, Nepal-India, 8,586 m), Lhotse (fourth mountain on the planet, Nepal-China, 8,516 meters), Makalu (fifth mountain on the planet, China-Nepal, 8,485 (8,462) meters), Cho Oyu (sixth mountain on the planet, China-Nepal, 8188 (8,201) m), Dhaulagiri (seventh mountain on the planet, 8,167 m), Manaslu (eighth mountain on the planet, 8,163 meters) and Annapurna (tenth mountain on the planet, 8,091 meters).

The Nepalese economy is very poor, based on agriculture (rice, wheat, corn, barley, sugar cane, potatoes, tobacco, jute), breeding (cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, pigs, yaks, birds) and forestry (timber). The few industrial activities present are related to the food, textile, ceramics sectors, and the transformation of agricultural products. Tourism is an important source of income. The landscape of spectacular mountains and the diverse cultures of Nepal represent significant potential for tourism.

The climate of Nepal.

• Area: 147,181 sqkm. (Arable 17%, Pastures 14%, Forests and Woodlands 41%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 28%).
• Population: 28,900,000 (2007 data) (Indo–Nepalese, Tibeto-Nepalese)
• State Capital: Kathmandu.
• Languages: The official language is Nepali.
• Religion: Hinduist 84%, Buddhist 8%, Muslim 4%, Kirant 3%, Christian 1%.
• Currency: Rupee (NPR)
• Time: UTC +5,45 hours.

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