Nepal at a glance

Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Motto: जननी जन्मभूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी (Sanskrit)
Mother and Motherland are Greater than Heaven (English)

Anthem: सयौं थुँगा फूलका (Nepali)
Made of Hundreds of Flowers (English)

Geography of Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country, sandwiched between the two giants, China and India. This country is known for a rich cultural heritage coupled with majestic mountains and variation in the various landscapes it offers. All in all, Nepal stretches over an area of 147,516 square kilometers. From the plains to hills and mountains, Nepal is bundled with everything that makes this country special among all the destinations for travelers across the globe.

Geographic Regions of Nepal

The following three major geographical regions of the country fall within the total area of Nepal:

Terai Region: Plains in the South

Terai, known as the flat lands on either side of the southern border of Nepal, occupies almost 17% of the total area. It is the agricultural heartland of the country, hence accounting for the major production chunk of Nepal’s crops.

Middle Hill Region

Mountainous Of the whole area, 68% is the hilly regions mainly inhabited by people. It is also beautiful with the sceneries of terraces, villages and different trekking routes like the Annapurna and Langtang trekking trails.

The Mountain Region: Himalayas

About 15% of the land area of northern Nepal is taken up by the Himalayan mountain range, which comprises Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, and seven other peaks in the world’s highest mountains. The land is hard to traverse, and the weather conditions are extreme; that makes this area thinly populated but a haven for adventurers.

Capital city

Kathmandu Valley: The hustle and bustle are so mesmerizing that there is a zest for life in this city full of vibrancy, representing history, culture, and tradition. It emerges at about 50.67 sq km within the valley between four hills and is at a height of about 1,400 meters above sea level. Noted for its temples, busy markets, and what is known as the Monkey Temple, Pashupatinath-Swayambhunath, Kathmandu showcases a fine line of modernity against centuries-old culture. It is the political, economic, and cultural center of Nepal where numerous visitors, trekkers, and spiritual beings have come from all over the world.

Population of Nepal

The population of Nepal is about 30 million people. Thus, it has become one of the most populated mountainous countries in the world. On this small Dragon country, more than 125 ethnic groups reside, while 123 languages are spoken throughout the country. In fact, most of its population is scattered over hilly and Terai areas while few are in mountain areas. Major ethnicities include Chhetri, Bahun, and Magar. The major language spoken is in  Nepali. The Kathmandu Valley within the country, where the capital city lies, is highly concentrated with people, while other places outside the metropolis remain sparsely populated.

Life Expectancy

The life expectancy in Nepal is about 71.74 years, as recent estimates have tended to increase over the last few decades due to improvement in health care, sanitation, and education. Usually, women have a life span higher than men-females approximately living about 73 years on average, while males go about 70.5 years. While some increases have been observed, the improved life expectancy of these countries is still hampered by challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, and access to quality health care in their rural settings.

Geographical Location

Nepal is a landlocked country, therefore, there is no direct access to Nepal through the water route. It lies in between two powerful nations India and China. China lies to the north while India lies to east, west, and south of Nepal. Nepal shares an open border with India. Nepal ’s geography varies as we move from flat plains in Terai to lush hills to towering mountains in the mountainous region. Amongst the highest peaks in the world, Nepal owns eight!

Language

Life expectancy in Nepal is about 71.74 years, according to recent estimates. It has been on a continued rise in the last couple of decades due to increases in healthcare, sanitation, and education. Women tend to live just a little bit longer than men, with the average for females at about 73 years and males at about 70.5 years. With these developments, though, disparities in poverty and malnutrition and quality health care in rural areas still impact the country’s overall life expectancy.

Climate

The climate of Nepal can be classified into four different types as:

September-November is considered an Autumn season

December-February is considered as Winter season

March-May is considered as Spring season

June- August is considered as Summer season

People and religion

You will be a wide variation in Nepal when it comes to people and religion. However, people can be distinctly divided into two types Indo – Aryans, and Mangoloids (Kirat). Going through the history of Nepal, Nepal was a sole Hindu kingdom in the world before 2007 A.D. However, it was turned to a secular state since then. But the population of Hindu people is exceptionally high than that of other religion. Besides, Hinduism, the influence of Buddhism is also major. Considered as the birthplace of Buddha, the influence of Buddhism is high in the mountainous regions of Nepal. The influence of Christianity and Muslims can also be seen. People of different religion and culture live in harmony.

Currency/ Foreign currency exchange

The currency of Nepal is Nepali Rupees. The Nepali rupee comes in the denominations of NRs.1, NRs. 2, NRs.5, NRs.10, NRs.20, NRs.50, NRs.100, NRs.500 and NRs.1000. For NRs.1 and NRs. 2, coins come in use frequently than notes.

You can exchange your currency into Nepalese rupees at the counter in the airport. You can also exchange it through banks or other authorized foreign exchange counters in Nepal. For the reference of the exchange rate, you can visit the website of Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal.

Monetary unit

The monetary unit of Nepal is the Nepalese Rupee (NPR), abbreviated as Rs. The Nepalese Rupee is abbreviated as NPR in international markets. The Nepalese Rupee is issued and regulated by the Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank of Nepal. The currency is available in both coins and banknotes, with denominations ranging from 1 rupee to 1,000 rupees. The Nepalese Rupee is pegged to the Indian Rupee at a fixed exchange rate of 1 INR = 1.60 NPR.

GNI per capita

The current estimate of the GNI per capita of Nepal is around $1,300, in PPP terms. This accounts for the average annual income earned by an individual citizen in Nepal. Although GNI per capita has been on the increase progressively over the years, Nepal is considered a low-income country, and each time, economic challenges such as poverty, unemployment, and limited industrialization pull down the general trend of income. GNI per capita allows a relevant threshold into economic development and standards of living in the country.

Main Exports

Nepal basically exports various goods, agricultural, and handmade items. In detail, these items are as follows:

1. Carpets and textiles: Nepalese handwoven carpets are in extreme demand due to the demand for especially woolen carpets in the international market.
2. Clothing and garments: Nepal exports all sorts of garments, ranging from woolens and cotton to all types of apparel.
3. Tea and coffee: Especially organic tea and coffee, originating from the eastern hilly regions of Nepal, is very well known throughout the world.
4. Pashmina products: Various kinds of Nepalese pashmina shawls and scarves are highly qualitative.
5. Medicinal herbs: Varieties of medicinal plants in the country export raw and value-added products.
6. Leather goods: Various leather products, such as shoes, bags, and belts, are important items of export.
7. Handicrafts: Handicrafts of Nepal, such as metal, wooden items, and pottery, are exported to all parts of the world.

Nepalese exports are mainly exported to India, the United States, Germany, and China.

Internet

It has been around a decade that the Nepalese people have been getting connected to the use of the Internet. From around 2008, when there were merely a few thousand users, Internet access has rapidly expanded into the country, along with its mobile data services and broadband connections. **More than 90%** of the population uses the internet through the use of **mobile networks**, according to the recent statistics.

It also has a number of ISPs operating in the country, with major ones being Nepal Telecom, Ncell, and WorldLink. Most of the urban areas of the country are covered by 4G service, while rural areas are still catching up in terms of basic internet infrastructure.

While the number of internet users is on the rise, access is still riddled with challenges: low speeds in far-flung areas, high costs, and periodic outages. The usage of the internet is majorly confined to social media, online communications, e-commerce, and entertaining purposes. The government has also been making efforts to enhance digital infrastructure and promote digital literacy across the country.

Time zone

Nepal follows the Nepal Time, NPT, UTC +5:45. This non-standard time is 5 hours and 45 minutes from UTC. Being outside of regular, one-hour alignments with UTC, it does not observe daylight saving time. The country has the same time for the whole year. Its 15-minute forwardness over IST, or Indian Standard Time-of its neighbor India-places it among those few countries in the world whose time off-set-to-UTC does not constitute whole-hour values.

Driving side

The traffic in Nepal moves along the **left side** of the road, as it is followed by other countries like the UK, India, and Japan. In Nepali vehicles, the steering wheel is commonly on the right side of the car.

If you want more information regarding Nepal, visit Wikipedia for more detailed sources.