| Home > Nepal Country > General Information |
| General Information |
| Location Nepal is situated in the hub of Asia. It is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic Of China in the North and India in the East, South and West respectively. Latitude - 26° 22' N to 30° 27' N Longitude - 80° 4' E to 88° 12' E Geography Nepal, a sovereign independent Kingdom, is bounded, on the North by the Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, the east-south and west by India. The length of the Kingdom is 885 kilometres east-west and its breadth varies from 145-241 kilometers north-south. The country can be divided into three main geographical regions. Area Area - 147,181 sq. kms. Length - 885 kms. East to West Width - non-uniform, mean width of 193 kms. North to South Altitude Varies from 70 meters to 8848 meters. The highest mountain (Mt. Everest : 8848m) and the deepest gorge in the world (Kali Gandaki) are here. Population = 21.3 million Capital = Kathmandu People = 40 Ethnic Groups & 70 Spoken Languages Climate Climate ranges from Tropical in the low lands to Arctic in higher altitudes.The climate depends on the altitude, ranging from the tropical in the Terai plains to the alpine in the Himalaya mountains. The Kathmandu and Pokhara Valleys, which lie in the mid-hills, are pleasant throughtout the year with warm summers and cool winters. The monsoon lasts from June to August. The Temperatures range between 8 and 37 degree celsius in the plains, 2 and 28 degrees in the mid-hills and between minus 6 and 16 degrees in the mountains. Seasons Winter (December-February), -1 to 3°C Summer (March-May), 24 - 32°C Monsoon (June-August), Autumn (September-November).10 - 18°C Monsoon Mostly rains at night, making the following days crispy clean and fresh.Most of the northern belt of the Trans-Himalayan zone is rain-shadowed and ideal for trekking Language Nepali, written in the Devanagari script, is the national language of Nepal. English and Hindi are widely understood in cities and tourist areas. Tour guides, translators and interpreters in major world languages are available People and Religion Nepalese people are mainly divided into two distinct groups, the Indo-Aryans and the Mongolians.Kathmandu Valley is the spiritual and cultural meeting point of all those groups.Nepal is the only Hindu Kingdom of the world and the majority of the population is Hindu. Hindu Temples and Buddhist Shrines are scattered all over the kingdom. Nepal is the birthplace of Lord Buddha, the light of Asia. There is a complex blending of Hinduism and Buddhism in Nepal. Topography. From the world’s deepest gorge "Kali-Gandaki" to highest point on earth "The Everest" Time Nepal Time is 5 hours and 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian standard time. Administrative and Physical Divisions The country is divided administratively into 5 development regions and 75 Districts. Village Development Committee (VDC) / Municipality is the lowest local level administrative unit in each district. Number of VDC's and Municipalities in the country amounts to 3995 and 36 respectively.Ecologically it is divided into 3 ecological regions, Mountain, Hill and Terai Economy The value of Gross Domestic Product at current prices is estimated to be Rs.2,49,896 million. The contribution of the agricultural sector to the total GDP constitutes 40.22%, balance being the non-agricultural sector. Electricity = 220 volts/50 cycles Political-System Multiparty Democracy with Constitutional Monarch Vegetation As per the size of the country, Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine desert Visa Available at Royal Nepalese Embassies & Royal Nepalese Consulates abroad or on arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. World Heritage Sites (Cultural): ---1. Bhaktapur Durbar Square ---2. Bouddha Nath ---3. Changunarayan ---4. Kathmandu Durbar Square ---5. Pashupatinath ---6. Patan Durbar Square ---7. Swayambhu Nath World Heritage Sites (Natural): ---1. Everest National Park (1148 sq. kms.) ---2. Royal Chitwan National Park (932 sq. kms.) : Tourism Services : ---1. Hang-Gliding ---2. Helicopter Services ---3. Hot Air Ballooning ---4. Jungle Safaris ---5. Mountaineering ---6. Trekking Services ---7. White Water River rafting Popular Tourist Destinations (By Air/Road): Baglung, Bardia, Chitwan, Dhankuta, Dharan, Dolakha, Gorkha, Ilam, Janakpur, Koshi Toppu, Lumbini, Pokhara, Sukla-Phanta, Tansen etc. Popular Tourist Destinations (By Trek): Annapurna, Dolpo, Gosainkund, Helambu, Jomsom, Jumla, Kanchanjunga, Khaptad, Langtang, Larke, Lukla, Makalu - Barun, Manang, Manaslu, Muktinath, Mustang, Namche, Rara, Rolwaling, Syangboche etc. Air Accessibility: Direct flight from Bangkok, Bombay, Calcutta, Dhaka, Delhi, Doha, Frankfurt, Hongkong, Karachi, Lhasa, London, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Paro, Patna, Shanghai, Singapore, Varanasi. By: Aeroflot, Air France, Austrian Air, Bangladesh Biman, Cathay Pacific, China Southwest, Druk Air, Gulf Air, Indian Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Nepal Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways.In Nepal: Alpine Air, Asian Helicopters, Buddha Air, Cosmic Air, Dynasty Airways, Fishtail Air, Garud Air, Gorkha Airlines, Karnali Air, Lumbini Airways, Manang Air, Necon Air, Royal Nepal Airlines, Shangrila Air, Skyline Airways, Yeti Airways, Mountain Air, Air Ananya. Business Days and Hours The Government and most business houses in Nepal work five-day a week with Saturday and Sunday as holidays. Government business hours are from 9 am. to 5 pm., Monday to Friday. In winter, Government offices close one hour earlier, at 4pm. Banks do business from 10 am. to 2:30 pm. from Monday to Friday. Currency & Forign Exchange The monetary unit is the Nepalese Rupee (NRs.). Bank Note denominations of 1, 2, 5, 20, 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 Rupees are in circulation. Coins from one paise (I/100 of a rupee) to one Rupee are also in circulation. Foreign currencies must be exchanged only through the banks and authorised exchange dealers. The receipts from such transactions are to be obtained and retained. Visitors can exchange foreign currency at the foreign exchange counter at the airport upon arrival. Visitors other than Indian nationals have to make their payments in hotels, travel agencies and air tickets in foreign currency. Non-Indian visitors are not allowed to import or export Indian currency. Exchange Rates Visa Requirements Businessmen should initially get a tourist visa which is valid for one month. This can be obtained on arrival at the airport. It is possible to have this visa extended for up to four months. The task of trying to obtain a business or a non-tourist visa, however, can be tedious, time consuming and involves a good deal of paperwork: The fee for a non-tourist visa is currently US$ 30 per month. |
| >> Featured Hotel Partners << |
Priority
Search Engine Submission © February 1st, 2008 E-Biz Travel Co., Ltd. All rights reserved. Central Reservation Office, Bangkok operating hours : Monday - Friday 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (GMT+07:00) Office Close on Sunday & Thailand Public Holidays Bangkok Office : 31 Phyathai Building, 9th Floor, Room No. 916, Phyathai Road, Phyathai, Ratchthevi, Bangkok, Thailand 10400 Tel : +66 2246-1400 to 2 Fax : +66 2246-1403 USA Number : +1 603-821-4556 Please contact us for any suggestions or comments |