GENERAL INFORMATION

Nepal is a landlocked country that shares a border with Tibet in the north and India in the west, south and east. Before 1951 this Himalayan kingdom was closed to foreigners and the few who visited did so on strictly invitation basis. Today tourism is a major foreign exchange earner and facilities for tourists have grown considerably in the last decade. There are six five star hotels in Kathmandu and lodges in remote areas along the trekking routes. There are domestic flights to all regions of Nepal making trek routes easily accessible.
Area: 147,181sq.km. Southern Nepal comprises flat plains called the terai, while the northern border is made up of some of the highest mountains in the world including Mt. Everest, the highest.
Latitude: 26deg 12’ and 30deg 27’ North Longitude: 80deg 4’ and 88deg 12’ East
Time: Nepalese Time is 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time and 5 hour 40 minutes ahead of GMT.
Topography: From 60m above sea level in the terai, (the plains) the terrain rises to the highest point on earth, Mt Everest at 8848m. Nepal also has the deepest gorge in the world, the Kali Gandaki gorge.
Climate: Nepal has a short spring (March ­mid April) when the days are pleasant but the mornings and evenings are still chilly. This is followed by a summer that is cut short by the monsoon rains which normally arrives at the end of May or early June. The rains last until late September after which the best time of the year arrives. From late September the skies are clear until November. The ideal time to be in Nepal is October-November. According to altitude, the climate changes from sub-tropical in the lowlands to arctic conditions in the high Himalayas.
People: There are more than 50 ethnic groups in Nepal speaking more than 200 different dialects. The population can be generally divided into the Mongoloid and non-Mongoloid groups (mostly of Aryan descent). The former prefer to live in the mountainous regions while most of the latter are found living in the lowlands known as the terai.
Religion: The dominant religions of Nepal are Hinduism and Buddhism. The majority are Hindus followed by Buddhists. The minorities consist of Christians, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs and a few animistic religions still prevalent around the country. The caste system is very much in evidence and still influences marriages and social activities of the population.
Languages: The national language is Nepali and is understood and spoken by most Nepalese citizens. The local dialects are still spoken by a large part of the population. The Newari community who are the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley,speak various dialects of the Newari language. The languages spoken in Nepal are divided into two distinct groups 1) Sanskrit based such as Nepali and Maithili, etc. 2) Tibeto-Burman languages like Tamang and Gurung, etc. Tourists have no communication problems in Nepal as most people in the tourism sector speak English and the general public understands the language.