About Nepal

Location:	Between India and The Tibetan Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China
Area:	147,181 Sq. Kms.
Longitude:	80° 4' and 88°12' East.
Capital:	Kathmandu
People:	103 ethnic groups and 93 spoken languages
Political-System:	Multiparty Democracy system.
Topography:	From the world's deepest gorge 'Kaligandaki to Mt.Everest, the highest point on earth.
Language:	Nepali is the official language of Nepal. However, English is understood and spoken by majority of people in Kathmandu valley and other major cities.
History:	Nepal has always been an independent and sovereign country with glorious history, culture and tradition that date back to time immemorial. Before the campaign of national integration was launched by King Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Kathmandu Valley was ruled by the Malla Kings, whose contributions to art and culture are indeed great and unique. In 1768 AD, the Shah dynasty ascended the throne of the unified Kingdom. Nepal is one of the founder members of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Time:	Nepal time is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of GMT and 15 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time.
Vegetation:	Nepal possesses some of the most outstanding bio-diversity in the world, ranging from sub-tropical Rain-forests to Alpine deserts.
Weather:	Climate ranges from Tropical in the lowlands to arctic higher altitudes.
Clothing:	Warm clothing are required from November till February and tropical wear from March till October.
Religion:	Nepal is the only Country in the world with majority of Hindus. Buddhism, Islam and Christian religions are followed by some people. All religions even in minority have co-existed amicably in Nepal for ages
Seasons :	Autumn (September-November). Winter (December-February), Summer (March-May), Monsoon (Jun- August),
Monsoon:	June to mid September. Mostly rains a lot and not suitable time for trekking, however some of the days are often crispy clean. Most of the northern belts of Trans-Himalayan Zones are in the rain-shadow which provides rain free trekking.
Water:	In major cities boiled and filtered water as well as mineral water is available in most of the hotels and restaurants. Elsewhere, it is advisable to use water sterilization tablets or stick to tea and soft drinks.
National Bird:	Impean Pheasant (Danfe)
National Flower:	Rhododendron-Arboreum(Lali Gurans)
Working Hours:	Government offices open from 10 to 17:00 hrs in summer and till 16:00 hrs. in winter. On Fridays these offices are open till 15:00 hrs. only.
What's so Special About Nepal? Nepal is the only country in the world which contains        ·  The highest mountain peak in the world (Everest-8848m) ·  The deepest river gorge in the world (Kali Gandaki River) ·  The birthplace of Lord Buddha (Lumbini) ·  The Living Goddess (Kumari) who is worshipped and taken in a chariot procession annually. ·  The non-rectangular flag. ·  The best place in the world to study Tibetan Buddhism. ·  The largest selection of books on the Himalayas and mountain climbing. ·  Kathmandu the capital city with as many idols as men and as many temples as houses ·  Elephant polo match held every year. ·  A hotel in Everest National park at an altitude of 3870m, claimed to be the highest hotel in the world (Hotel Everest View)
NEPAL · Is also one of the world's great trekking paradise and probably the finest country in the world for trekking · Contains one of the ten best rivers in the world for rafting has such a concentration of art, culture and tradition in the Kathmandu valley which cannot be found anywhere else in the world · Is one of the few countries of the world where you can see one horned Rhinos · Contains Kathmandu, which is one of the best places to eat east of Bangkok and west of Istanbul. One guide book has called it 'budge eating capital of Asia'
Nepal-occupying only 0.1% of the earth is home to:    · 2% of all the flowering plants in the world. · 8% of the world's population of birds (more than 848 species) · 4% of mammals on earth · 11 of the world's 15 families of butterflies (more than 500 species) · 600 indigenous plant families · 319 species of exotic orchid.