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 The
Kingdom of Nepal covers an area of 147,181
square kilometers, and stretches 145-241
kilometers north to south and 850 kilometers
west to east. The country is located between
India in the south and China in the north.
At latitudes 26 and 30 degrees north and
longitudes 80 and 88 degrees east, Nepal
is topographically divided into three regions:
the Himalaya to the north, the hills consisting
of the Mahabharat range and the Churia Hills,
and the Terai to the south. Elevations are
varied in the kingdom. The highest point
is Mt. Everest (8848 m) in the north and
the lowest point (70 meters above sea level)
is located at Kechana Kalan of Jhapa District.
Altitude increases as you travel south to
north to the north temperatures are below
- 40 degrees Celsius and in the Terai; temperatures
rise to 40 degrees Celsius in the summer.
During June, July and August, monsoon clouds
influence the kingdom.
The Himalayan Region: The Himalayan
range makes up the northern border of the
country and represents 19% of the total
land area of Nepal. Peaks like Mt. Everest
(8,848 m), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), and Dhaulagiri
(8,167 m) are found here and sparse vegetation
is found up to 4,500m. Some of Nepal's most
beautiful animal and plant life are also
found here. Although rare, the snow leopard
and Danphe bird are much talked about sights
among visitors. The people in this region
produce and sell cheese besides working
as porters and guides. Many also trade with
Tibet and travel across the border to sell
their goods.
The Hilly Region: This region covers
65% of the total land area of the country.
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is located
here. Elevations range from 500m to 3,000m
above the sea level. During summer the temperature
reaches an average of 32 degrees Celsius.
Winters are cold, temperature reaching -
1 degree Celsius sometimes. Areas in the
eastern hills receive more rainfall because
of the monsoon clouds, which come from the
southeast. The rivers in the west, which
do not receive much rainfall, are dependent
upon the melted snows that flow down the
Himalayas. Wild animals to be found here
are the spotted leopard, barking deer, and
Himalayan black bear. The hilly region is
also popular for different kinds of birds.
Over four hundred species of birds are found
here. The people in this region have gained
from the growth in the tourism industry.
The people here work as trekking guides
and porters and also sell garments and carpets
to add to their income.
Terai Region: The Terai covers 16%
of the total land area of Nepal. It provides
excellent farming land and the average elevation
of flatlands is 100 to 300 m above sea level.
Sub-tropical forest areas, marshes, and
wildlife, which include the Royal Bengal
tiger, one-horned rhino, and the Ghadial
(crocodile), are found here. After the eradication
of malaria in the 1960s, many people migrated
to the Terai in search of farming land.
Today, about 48% of the country's population
occupies this region. Flat farmlands and
the region's flexible topography have given
rise to many industries. The main industrial
towns are Biratnagar, Butwal, Bhairawa,
Birgunj, and Janakpur. Calcutta, a metropolitan
city in India is the closest seaport. It
lies 1,000 kilometers away from Birgunj
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. |
