NEPAL : A WORLD OF WONDERS !

Nepal is a country of amazing extremes. Imagine a rectangle, 500 by 150 miles (800 by 240km), divided lengthwise into three strips. The northernmost strip is the Himalayas; Meaning "abode of snow," and includes eight of ten highest mountains in the world. The southernmost region, called the Terai, is an extension of the Gangetic plain of northern India, containing, jungles with elephants, rhinoceroses and tigers. These inhabitants contrast markedly with the yaks and snow leopard less than 100 miles (160 km) to the north.

Enchantment is everywhere, be it on the shoulders of high mountains, terraced ridges ascending like stairways to sky, on quiet or rushing rivers, or in forests full of wildlife, flowers and birdsong.

Nepal closed to foreigners and foreign influence until 1951 is one of the major tourist destinations in the South Asia now. It is a round-the-year destination with a difference, be it summer, monsoon, autumn or winter. One finds an unsurpassed splendor in all the seasons depending upon one's mood and choice. Mother nature has gifted this country with bountiful beauty in all the seasons-the balmy and moderate summer of the valleys provides with the opportunity of strolling around the temples, monuments and shrines in a leisurely manners; the monsoon provides the vies of the soothing green lush valleys and an occasional opening up of the snow-capped peaks all along the northern border. Summer or winter, during the both extremes of the weather the climate is surprisingly moderate and soothing.

LOCATION

Nepal is a sovereign independent kingdom situated on the southern slopes of the mid-Himalayas, the formidable range of eternal shows. It is located between 26o22' and 30o27' north latitude and 80o4' and 80o12' east longitude.

Total land area is 147,181 square kilometers, and its borders are contiguous with the Indian border in the west, south and east and with Tibetan autonomous region of the People's Republic of China in the north.

Nepal's boundary limits are as follows:
In the east, the Mechi River and Singallia ridge separate the country from Sikkim and West Bengal.

In the south, the boundary pillars and about nine meters of no-man's land on either side demarcate the Nepalese territory from the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

In the west Mahakali River is the natural border separating the Kingdom from Uttar Pradesh.

Nepal's northern boundary merges with the Tibet Autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Nepal is a land-locked country, the nearest seacoast being 1,127 kilometers away in India.

The major part of the country is of high mountains and rolling hills. It accounts for about 83% of the total land and the plain of Terai occupies the remaining 17%. Altitude varies from 152 meters above the sea level in the Terai in the south to 8848 meters in the north Himalayas.

CLIMATE AND RAINFALL

Nepal has four distinct seasons. Spring, from March to May is warm and dusty with rain showers. Summer, from June to August, is the monsoon season when the hills turn lush and green. Autumn, from September to November, is cool with clear skies, and is the most popular trekking season. In winter from December to February, it is cold at night and can be foggy in the early morning but afternoons are usually clear and pleasant, though there is occasional snow in the mountains.

Weather condition in Nepal varies from region to region. Summer and late spring temperatures range from more than 40 Degrees Celsius in the Terai to about 28 Degrees Celsius in the hilly region of the country. In winter, average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai range from a mild 23 Degrees Celsius to a brisk 7 Degrees Celsius while the central valleys experience a chilly 12 Degrees Celsius maximum temperature and a minimum temperature often falling below freezing point.

Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations. The Katmandu Valley situated at an altitude of 1310m, has a seasonable but equable climate with average summer and winter temperatures of 27 Degrees Celsius to 19 Degrees Celsius and 20 Degrees Celsius to 2 Degrees Celsius respectively. The annual rainfall in Katmandu generally exceeds 1300mm. The mean annual precipitation ranges from more than 6000mm along the southern slopes of the Annapurna range in central Nepal to less than the 250mm in the north central portion near the Tibetan plateau. Amounts varying between 1500 and 2500mm predominate over most of the country. On an average, about 80% of the precipitation is confined to the monsoon period (June-September).