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Npeal Geography

Geographically, Nepal has great physical diversity. It is land linked country. It is situated between two Asian giants-- China in the north and India in the south, east and west, therefore, Nepal has often been characterized as 'a yam between two rocks' or sandwich between two giant countries. It is well-known for its majestic Himalayas. It comprises a total of 147,181 square kilometers of land and lies between the latitude of 26’ 22’ and 30’ 27’ north and the longitude of 80’ 4’ and 88’ 12’ east.

Geographically, Nepal is divided into three regions:

Himalayan Region (mountain region):

Himalaya Region NepalThe Himalayan region covers about 15 percent of total land area of Nepal, which is situated in the northern part of country. It lies horizontally in the altitude of 3000m and above. White snow falls in this region every season. Therefore, we find several mountains including Mt Everest (8848m), which give immense pleasure to all mankind, furthermore, the region comprises several Kundas (Big lakes) and also several national parks, and wild life reserves including Sagarmatha National Park, which is known as a world heritage site. In this region, we can find settlement of only the Sherpa community. During the snow season, YETI and bear foot prints also can be seen.

Hilly Region:

Hilly Region NepalThe Hilly region covers about 68 percent of total land area in Nepal. It is formed by the Mahabharat range that soars to touch mountain regions in the altitude of 600 m to 3000 m height. In winter, it also snows in this region. The region is formed of beautiful valleys like Kathmandu and Pokhara which is now famous for its fascinating lakes, for example, Pokhara owns various lakes like Fewa, Begnas and Rupa. Tilicho Lake lies in Manang District, which is known as the highest lake in the world. It is situated at 5180m on the bottom of Tilicho peak. You can also enjoy swimming and boating in these lakes, the major rivers of Nepal including Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali that come out of Himalayas and flow through this region.

Tarai (plain) Region:

Terai Region NepalThe Terai [low-land/plain] region covers about 17 percent of total land area of the country. This covers the altitude of 60m above sea level to 600 m. This region is home to many religious places, national parks and wild life reserves. The famous religious places like Janakpur, Lumbini and Barahachhetra. Lumbini, [The birthplace of Lord Buddha/the light of Asia] lie in the region. There are four national parks and wild life reserves in this region; Chitwan National park is one of the most famous for rhinoceros among them.

Weather and Climate:

The topographical extremities of the country govern the climatic conditions of Nepal. It ranges from tropical to arctic. Low-land Terai region with its maximum altitude at 600m, which lies in the tropical southern part of the country, has a hot and humid climate that can rise above 40 Degree Celsius during the summer. Mid-land regions are pleasant almost all the year round, although winter nights are cold. The northern mountain region, at an altitude above 3,300m has an alpine climate with considerably lower temperatures in winter.

Nepal's weather is generally predictable and pleasant.

The year is divided into 4 seasons of Nepal:

  1. Winter (December - February)
  2. Spring (March - May)
  3. Summer (June - August)
  4. Autumn (September - November)

The best season to visit in Nepal for plant lovers is during spring, as the flowers are in full bloom and mountain slopes covered with colorful flowers. Autumn is the most popular tourist season to visit, as you can see the clear blue sky and extraordinary mountain views due to clear weather. It gets colder during winter, but a short trek can easily be done at this time of year. Summer is the monsoon season in Nepal. There is heavy rainfall in mid summer but this is the best time of the year to watch the beautiful water falls in the high mountain regions.