Nepal

Travels in Nepal:

Everest Base Camp Trek (19 days)
Himalaya valleys and mountains with a view

Nepal Mountain Biking (14 days)
Round trip from Kathmandu to the bottom of the Himalayas

Annapurna Trekking (16 days)
Himalaya with 1 day Rafting

Quick Facts:

Official Name:	Kingdom of Nepal
Capital:	Katmandu
Area:	147,181 sq km
Languages:	Nepali; about 50 different languages and dialects
Currency:	Nepalese Rupee (NPR)
Population figure:	July 2005 est. 27,133,000
Ethnology:	About 75 ethnic groups of indo-aric and tibeto-burmese descent
Religions:	80% Hindu, 15% Buddhist, 3% Muslim, 2% Christian
National holiday:	King Gyanendra's Birthday (July 7)
Government type:	Constitutional monarchy

Climate

Nepal experiences five seasons: summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring. The Himalaya blocks cold winds from Central Asia in winter, and forms the northern limit of the monsoon wind patterns. Nepal is commonly divided into three physiographic areas: the Mountain, Hill, and Terai Regions. The Mountain Region contains the highest region in the world. The world's highest mountain, Mount Everest at 8,850 m is located on the border with China. Eight of the world's ten highest mountains are located in Nepal. Physical features also include green paddy terraces, wind-swept deserts, dense forests and marshy grasslands.

History

In 1765 the Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah set out to unify the country's kingdoms. This marked the birth of the modern nation of Nepal. Rivalry with the British East India Company over the annexation of minor states bordering Nepal eventually led to the brief but bloody Anglo-Nepalese War (1815?16), in which Nepal defended its present day borders but lost its territories west of the Kali River and Sikkim to the Company in exchange for Nepalese autonomy. In 1923 the United Kingdom and Nepal formally signed an agreement of friendship, in which Nepal's independence was recognised by the UK. On June 1, 2001, the Heir Apparent Dipendra reportedly went on a killing spree in the royal palace, in response to his parents' rejection of his choice of wife. Following the carnage, the throne was inherited by Birendra's brother Gyanendra. On February 1, 2005 Gyanendra dismissed the entire government and assumed full executive powers in the name of combating the Maoist movement. Foreign pressure continued to increase on King Gyanendra to surrender power so that on April 21, 2006 Gyanendra announced that he was giving up absolute power and that "Power was being returned to the People". He called on the seven party coalition to name a possible Prime Minister and that elections would be held as soon as possible.

Culture

Nepali culture is influenced by the cultures of Tibetan, which borders to the north, and India, which borders to the south. There are similarities in clothing, language and food. Folklore is an integral part of Nepali society. Traditional stories are rooted in the reality of day-to-day life.

Visa regulations

Valid passport necessary; at all border crossings entering Nepal and at Katmandu airport you receive the necessary visa documents.

This article is partly based on a free article of the encyclopaedia Wikipedia and is subject to GNU-licence for free documentation. A list of authors is available on Wikipedia