Location: Between India & the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China.
Area: 147,181 Sq. Kms.
Population: Approximately 24 Million.
Latitude: 26° 12' and 30° 27' North.
Longitude: 80° 4' and 88° 12' East.
GMT Time: + 05:45
People: Over 40 Ethnic Groups & 70 Spoken Languages.
Political-System: Federal Republic
Topography: From the world's deepest gorge 'Kali-Gandaki' to the highest point on earth, Mt. Everest at 8848m
Vegetation: Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine deserts.
Climate: Climate ranges from sub-tropical in the low lands to Arctic in higher altitudes.
National Bird: Impend Pheasant (Danfe).
National Flower: Rhododendron Arboretum (Lali Gurans).
World Heritage Sites: Ten (of which seven World Heritage Sites are situated within 20 kms. of radius, in the Kathmandu Valley).
Flora and Fauna:
• 840 different species of wet-land, migratory and residential birds.
• 8% of the world's population of birds.
• 11 of the 15 butterfly families in the world.
• 2% of the flowering plants.
• 4% of mammals on earth.
Home to Endangered Species like: Royal Bengal tiger, One horned rhino, Snow - leopard, Red panda, Brown bear, Assamese macaque, Genetic dolphin, wolf, wild elephant, giant horn-bill, swamp deer, wild yak, Tibetan antelope, Black buck, four horned antelope, Musk deer, Pigmy hog, Hasped hare, Pangolin, Gharial, Indian bustard, Saras crane, Impend pheasant, Python, etc
A Living Cultural Heritage: Nepal's heritage is alive and dynamic. Shamanism, Pan-animism & Witch-craft are still practised in remote regions. Temples, shrines, monuments and monasteries are extremely active with devotees burning butter-lamps, singing hymns, chiming temple bells and playing drums. The only country that has living goddess "Kumari".
Religion: In Nepal, Hinduism and Buddhism are the two main religions. The two have co-existed down the ages and many Hindu temples share the same complex as, Buddhist shrines. Hindu and Buddhist worshippers may regard the same god with different names while performing religious rites.
Nepal has been declared as a secular country by the Parliament on May 18, 2006. Religions like Hindusim Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, and Bon are practiced here. Some of the earliest inhabitants like the Kirats practice their own kind of religion based on ancestor worship and the Tharus practice animism. Over the years, Hinduism and Buddhism have been influenced by these practices which have been modified to form a synthesis of newer beliefs.