NEPAL is a tiny but truly one of the most wonderful countries in the world. Although Nepal occupies only 0.1% of the earth, it shelters:

4% of mammals on earth; 8% of the world's population of birds, i.e. more than 850 species; 11% of the world's 15 families of butterflies, i.e. more than 600 species;

600 indigenous plant families; 319 species of exotic orchids; More than 600 rivers and EIGHT of the TOP TEN snow-capped mountains over 8000 meters in height in the world including Mount Everest. Out of thirty-one snow-topped mountain peaks over 7600 meters, Twenty-two lie in Nepal! Astonishing! And while you marvel at these facts, there are so many exciting and interesting things waiting for you in Nepal:

Ancient city tours, Exotic Cultural Tours, Pilgrim Tours, Ayurvedic/Yoga/Meditation Tours, Adventurous Elephant Safaris and other Game-viewing Tours, Floral / Botanical Tours, Birding Tours, Trekking, Mountaineering Expeditions, White-water Rafting, Bungy Jumping, Hot air Ballooning, Gliding, Rock Climbing, Mountain Flights to the Summit of the World and many others are all at your disposal in Nepal.
 

  History in Nepal

For centuries, Nepal was made up of many small kingdoms. Kirats ruled in the east, the Newars in Kathmandu valley, while Gurungs and Magars occupied the west. The Kirats ruled from 300 BC and during their reign, Emperor Ashoka arrived from India to build a pillar in Lumbini to commemorate Lord Buddha. The Kirats were followed by the Lichhavis and then came the Mallas. During the Malla period, art thrived in the Valley, and most of the monuments are from this time, In the 18th century, Prithvi Narayan Shah, king of Gorkha conquered the Kathmandu valley and until 1951, the country remain closed for outside world.
 

  Climate in Nepal

The Kingdom of Nepal is one of the most diverse and beautiful places on earth and it is rich in history home to more than 80 different groups of people and generally unaffected by the modern ways of the western world. With the world's 10 highest mountains, lush tropics, arctic tundra, high deserts, compressed into 147,100 square km., there is always another mesmerizing place for us to take you to quickly. And unlike other Asian destinations, Religion & Language. Nepal's 21milion population is comprised of diverse ethnic groups having their own languages and cultures. The Newars, who are acclaimed for their unique artistry and culture, dominate the Kathmandu Valley, whereas the Sherpas, who are renowned more for their mountaineering skill, inhabit in the northern mountains. Brahmins and Chhetris, two of the nation's most dominant communities, are almost everywhere, and the Tamangs, Rais, Limbus, Magars and Gurungs - the ethnic groups known more as brave Gurkha soldiers - dwell mostly in mid-hills. Maithili, Tharu, Bhojpuri and other ethnic communities have their dwellings in the Terai plains.

Nepal has always been a dividing line between civilization and cultures, and a cross roads for the flow of commerce and culture between them, where the plains of the subcontinent climb up to the high plateau of Tibet, the languages and people of India give way to those of China and the Hindu religion blends into Buddhism. Nepal, the land at the margin, is often a complex blend of the two influences and this variation is further complicated by the diversity of ethnic groups within the country.

Religious practice is an important part of the Nepalese way of life. Two main religions are dominant in Nepal: Hinduism and Buddhism. Hinduism is made up of thousand of gods and goddesses. Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva are three major Gods, but each has a complex tapestry of manifestations and incarnations. Each deity also has a vehicle, which is often seen kneeling faithfully outside the shrine. Buddhism is the second major religion in Nepal. Shakyamuni Buddha, who was born in Nepal around 6th century BC, is the founder of Buddhism. The great Buddhist Stupas of Swoyambhu and Bauddha in the Kathmandu Valley are among the oldest and most beautiful worship sites in Nepal. Nepali, like Hindi, is written in the Dev-nagari script. It is Nepal's national language, apart from being the lingua franca of the country's divergent communities that speak mutually unintelligible language and dialects. English is also widely spoken and understood in urban areas. In Tourism sector people speaks English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and other foreign languages.
 

  Geography

Nepal is a sovereign, Independent Hindu Kingdom. It lies on the southern flank of the Himalayas and is situated between two big countries- India and china. Nepal covers an area of 147,181 square kilometers, and stretches 145-241 kilometers north to south and 850 kilometers west to east.

Nepal is divided into three ecological regions: the high Himalayan region lies in the northern part of the country at the altitudinal range between 4877 meters/. Feet to 8848 meters /. Feet from the sea level. This region consists of twenty-two of the world's thirty-one highest snow-capped mountains and covers one third (35 %) of the land area of the country. Peaks like Mt. Everest (8848m), which is the highest peak in the world, and many other eight thousanders are situated in this region of Nepal. Some of the Nepal's most beautiful animals like snow leopard, Daphne (Impeyanus lopophorous) -the national bird of Nepal, the Musk Deer and plant life are also found here.

The next region is of hills ranging between 610 meters / …feet and 4877 meters / ….feet covering about 42 % of the total land area of the country. Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is located here. Wild animals to be found here are the spotted leopard, barking deer, Himalayan black bear and a variety of birds.

The Terai region in the south covering about 23% of the total land area of the country has an average elevation of 100m to 300m above sea level. It provides excellent farming land, harbors lush green forest, grasslands and many wetlands. The terai region is also a perfect habitat for the Greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), Wild Elephant (Elephas maximums), the wild cattle /Gaur (Bos gaurus), Wild Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), Black Buck (Antilope cervapra), the Gharial Crocodile (Gavialis gangeticus), the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicorn) and the elusive Royal Bengal Tiger to name a few.
 

  The people, Culture and Languages

Nepal is a unique country inhabited by some 23 million people comprised of multi-lingual, multi-ethnical and multi-cultural diversity. Many of them have their own languages and customs. The Sherpas, Limbus, Rais, Newars, Gurungs, Bahuns, Chhetris, Tharus and other people of different castes live together cooperatively and peacefully in Nepal. There are 70 spoken languages and 40 ethnic groups in the kingdom of Nepal. Nepali is the country's official language and English is spoken and understood by almost all the people living in the major cities. The people here mostly follow Hinduism and Buddhism but apart from this some also practice animism, Tibetan Lamaism, shamanism etc. It is a country of "more Gods than the people", "More Temples than the houses" and "More festivals than the number of days in a year"!