Nepal is a South Asian country. Situated on the southern slope of the Himalayan mountain range, it is bordered by China, to the north, and India, to the east, south and west. It has an area of 140 800 km2. The main cities are Kathmandu, the capital, with 745,600 residents (2004), Laliptur (172,900 residents), Biratnagar (178,600 residents) and Bhaktapur (77,700 residents).
At the border with China, already at the edge of the Tibetan plateau, known as the “roof of the world”, the altitudes exceed 8000 meters. Mount Everest, the highest in the world, at 8,848 meters above sea level, is located along the Nepal-China border.
Climate
The climate is strongly influenced by the characteristics of the relief. It is humid, monsoon tropical in the lower areas. As the altitude increases, temperatures go down, going from the floors of subtropical and temperate vegetation to an alpine floor (high pastures) and to the always freezing areas, where the air is extremely thin.
Economy
Thanks to financial aid from China, India, Germany, the USA, Canada, Switzerland and multinational companies, Nepal has developed a market economy based on agriculture. The dominant crops are rice, sugar cane, corn, wheat, potatoes, vegetables, barley, jute and tobacco. Pumice, magnesite and talc are extracted. The industry includes cotton clothing, building materials and food products. The products exported, mainly to India, are cotton, cereals, jute, wood, butter, potatoes, medicinal herbs and leather. Imports include food, fuel and chemicals.
Environmental indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per capita(metric tons, 1999), is 0.1.
Population
Nepal has an estimated population of 28 287 147 residents (2006) and a population density of approximately 196.57 residents/km2. It is estimated that, in 2025, the population will be 41 million residents. Average life expectancy is 60.18 years. The value of the Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.499 and the value of the Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.479 (2001). The largest ethnic groups in the country are Nepalese (53%), bihari (18%), tharu (5%) and tamang (5%). The majority religion is Hinduism (87%). The official language is Nepalese (Nepali).
History
Between 1775 and 1951, Nepal’s policy was characterized by conflicts between the royal family and some noble families. In 1959, there were parliamentary elections and the Constitution was passed. A year later, due to disagreements between the crown and the government, King Mahendra dismissed Congress. In 1962, a new constitution was enacted that gave the royal family much more power. For several years, the king exercised autocratic control throughout the country, since the Constitution did not provide for the existence of opposition political parties. In 1972, the king died and was succeeded by his son Birendra, who followed the same policy. In 1990, a series of protests led the king to accept a new cabinet composed of opposition political figures. That same year, a new constitution was approved. For Nepal democracy and rights, please check intershippingrates.
Countryaah.com: Offers a full list of airports in the country of Nepal, sorted by city location and acronyms.
Abbreviationfinder.org: Provides most commonly used abbreviations and initials containing the country name of Nepal. Listed by popularity.
1UpTravel.com – Maps of Nepal
Discover a collection of city, country, political, shaded relief, and thematic maps of Nepal, a southern Asian country, between China and India. View a map of Kathmandu.
