Nations Online Logo
Nations Online
All Countries of the World
 Home to Continents to Asia to Nepal

___ Nepal

Destination Nepal, a virtual travel guide to the Kingdom in the Himalaya. You will find find comprehensive information on the Nepal in its diversity: Nepalese culture, history and geography.
Get key information on Nepal's economy, education, environment, population, and government.
You will have access to news from Nepal and you may visit Nepalese cities. Find maps and other tourism information for sightseeing, travel and holidays in Nepal.

Nepal Chomolungma - Mt. Everest
Mt. Everest © Nepal Tourism Board
  

Kingdom of Nepal | Nepal Adhirajya

Country Profile


Nepalese Flag
Flag of Nepal

Background:
The landlocked multiethnic, multilingual, multi-religious Kingdom of Nepal is situated north of India in the Himalaya, at the border where the Indian subcontinent has crashed into Asia some years ago. Because of that accident, in Nepal are the world's highest mountains including Sagarmatha (Chomolungma in Tibetan), the Mt. Everest; 8848m) towering above populated valleys and forested plains.
Nepal can be divided broadly into three ecological zones: the lowland, the midland and the highland.
The altitude of the Himalayan Region (the highland) ranges between 4877 m. - 8848 m. It includes 8 of the highest 14 summits in the world, which exceed altitude of 8000 meters including Mount Everest.
The mountain region accounts for about 64 percent of total land area, which is formed by the Mahabharat range that soars up to 4877 m and the lower Churia range. The lowland Terai occupies about 17 percent of the total land area of the country.


border countries: China (Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang), India

other countries close to Nepal: Bhutan, Bangladesh
 
where in Asia is Nepal

Official Name:
Nepal Adhirajya
short form: Nepal
int'l long form: Kingdom of Nepal
int'l short form: Nepal

ISO Country Code: np

Time:
Local Time = UTC + 5:45h
Actual Time: Fri-May-9  22:24

Capital City: Kathmandu (pop 1.5 million)

Other Cities:
Biratnagar, Patan, Pokhara, Birganj, Dharan, Nepalganj.

Government:
Type: Constitutional Monarchy.
Chief of State: King GYANENDRA Bir Bikram Shah (succeeded to the throne 4 June 2001 following the death of his nephew, King DIPENDRA Bir Bikram Shah)
 Constitution Nepalese calender year: 2047 (1990)

Geography:
Location: Southern Asia, between China and India
Area: 147 181 sq. km
Terrain: Tarai or flat river plain of the Ganges in south, central hill region, rugged Himalayas in north.

Climate: The climate in Nepal varies with elevation, tropical in the lower southern part Tarai, mid-hills alpine and the high mountains polar; elevation ranges from 90 to 8848 meters.

People:
Nationality: noun: Nepalese (singular and plural), adjective: Nepalese or Nepali.
Population: 25 million.
Refugee Population: Bhutanese (94 000), Tibetans (20 000 approx.)
Ethnic Groups: sixty ethnic groups, major groups are Sherpas, Kirats or Limbus, Rais, Magars, Newars, Tamangs, Gurungs, the Bahuns and Chhetries and the Tharus the inhabitants of the Tarai.
Religions: Hinduism (predominant 86%), Buddhism 8%, Tibetan Lamaism (Bon)
Languages: Nepali (official and lingua franca of the country), sixty ethnic groups, who speak seventy different dialects and eleven major languages like Tibeto-Burman, Lhotsamkha, Nepalbhasa, Tamang languages.
Literacy: 40%

Natural resources: Quartz, water, timber, hydropower, scenic beauty, small deposits of lignite, copper, cobalt, iron ore.

Agriculture products: Rice, corn, wheat, sugarcane, root crops; milk, water buffalo meat.

Industries: Tourism, carpet, textile; small rice, jute, sugar, and oilseed mills; cigarette; cement and brick production.

Exports partners: India 47.4%, USA 22.7%, Germany 8.4% (2004)

Imports partners: India 46.3%, China 10.8%, UAE 9.3%, Saudi Arabia 4.1% (2004)

Currency: Nepalese Rupee (NPR)

(Source: Royal Nepal Embassy and others)

Note: External links will open in a new browser window.

Official Sites of Nepal

!!!Due to government crisis in Nepal, the country has been secluded by the king from any contacts to the outside world through modern communication media, telephone lines and internet-connections are suspended.
Therefore some sites of Nepal may not accessible.

His Majesty's Government of Nepal
Official website of the Government of His Majesty King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Responsible for the foreign policy of the kingdom of Nepal.
Institute of Foreign Affairs (IFA)
IFA was founded in 1993 as an integral part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the dissemination of information on foreign policy related issues is another major responsibility of the Institute.

Diplomatic Missions
Department of Information
Official information on Nepal.

The Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Nepal to the UN
Nepal's representation to the United Nations.
Royal Nepal Embassy in the US
The site provides also comprehensive information on Nepal.
Royal Nepal Embassy in the UK
Embassy of Nepal in the United Kingdom.
Foreign Missions in Nepal
Address list of foreign Missions in Kathmandu.

Weather
Department of Hydrology and Meteorology
Weather information for Nepal.


Nepal Maps
profile Map of Nepal
Political Map of Nepal.
Google Earth Google Earth Nepal
Zoomable satellite view of Nepal.
Google Earth Google Earth Kathmandu
Zoomable satellite view of Nepal's capital city.
Google Earth Google Earth Mount Everest
Zoomable satellite view of Mt. Everest region.

to Map of Southeast Asia
Map of the Southeast Asia region.
profile Map of Asia
Reference Map of Asia.

Kathmandu 
Kathmandu © Nepal Tourism Board
 

Nepal News

Please be aware that press freedom no longer exists in Nepal under the state of emergency. This means that articles from the Nepali press do not necessarily reflect the real situation.
see: State of national emergency at Nepal Research

Hits FM 100
Kathmandu Radio Station.
Info Nepal
News from Nepal.
JanaNews
National News (Nepali).
Kantipur Online
Part of the democratic media of Nepal.
The Kathmandu Post
News from Nepal as it happens.
Nepali Times
Weekly updated news.
Nepal Weekly
Nepal News

__Magazines

  Cyber Nepal
First Nepal Internet Magazine.
yokeho
Nepalese magazine for the Young and the Young Hearted.


International News Sources
BBC News Country Profile: Nepal
With links to Nepal related news and background information.
Reuters AlertNet - Nepal peace
Reuters news.
Yahoo! News Full Coverage-Nepal
Press agencies news on Nepal

Human Rights
Amnesty International: Nepal
Amnesty International Reports.
Human Rights Watch: Nepal
Background Briefings.
IRINnews Nepal
UN humanitarian news and analysis.

Press freedom
Reporters sans frontières - Nepal
Annual report 2007 about Press freedom in the country.
 

 

Arts & Culture

Buddhism, Nepal, and its Sacred History
Sculptures, shrines and stupas.
Nepali Calendar (Bikram Sambat)
Events and Festivals, Nepal follows a different calendar system, according to this system, 2001-2002 is Bikram Sambat 2058.
Nepal National Library
Has collections of books, journals and other materials in Nepali, English, Sanskrit and Hindi.
A Veil in Time Nepal
Places, People, Prayer - Nepal Photography, Arts and a diary.

Ethnic Groups

jwajalapa
Comprehensive site about the culture of the Newars one of the ethnic groups of Nepal.
Sherwa mi
Website on the Sherpas (Sherwa) of Nepal.
 
Swayambhunath Stupa
Swayambhunath Stupa © Nepal Tourism Board

Business & Economy

Nepal Rastra Bank
Central Bank of Nepal
Nepal Stock Exchange

Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce & Industry
Trade Promotion Center
Provides trade information for Nepal.

__Transportation
Airline
Royal Nepal Airlines
Serves Asia and Europe
Gorkha Airlines
Charter flights to domestic destinations.
Shangri La Air
Private domestic airline of Nepal.

 
 

Destination Nepal - Country Guides

Discover Nepal: Kathmandu, Dhulikhel, Chomolungma, Everest,
accommodation, attractions, festivals, events, tourist boards, Himalaya, mountaineering, paragliding, rafting, hiking, climbing, trekking, jungle adventure tours and much more.

Nepal Tourism Board
Information on Nepal.
Kathmandu
Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

  Nepal Home Page
Frontdoor to Nepalese news, information, travel guide, economy, society, politics.
Nepal Travel and Tourism information
A very comprehensive guide for all things Nepal.
Shangri La Home Page
Shangri La is my idea of abstracting the Nature of the entire Himalaya Range.
View Nepal
Another Nepali portal with news and views of Nepal.
visitnepal.com
Nepal travel information.
Lonely Planet Nepal
The backpackers bible guide to Nepal.

Do's and Don'ts in Nepal
Nepal a World of Its own
Some DOs & DON'Ts.

Trekking
Jungle World Nepal
Nepal Jungle Safari.
Trekking Agents Associations of Nepal
Official list of trekking agencies.
 
 Books about Travel in Nepal.

US books 

Travel Guides Nepal
   Travel Guides Nepal
   Guide de tourisme et voyages en Népal (in French)
UK books  Nepal Travel Guides
fr books  Guide de tourisme et voyages en Népal
German books  German Books: Reiseführer Nepal

Education

Kathmandu University
Nepal's Nationla University, Dhulikhel, Kavre.
Kathmandu University
Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute.
Kathmandu University
School of Management.
 
 

Environment

King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation
Official site of the NGO for nature conservation in Nepal.
UNDP in Nepal
UNDP Nepal site with information about various UNDP programs in Nepal.
 
Dolpa
Mountain District of Dolpa © Nepal Tourism Board

History

The nation-state of Nepal was the creation of King Prithvi Narayan Shah. The ruler of the small principality of Gorkha, campaigned to unite the various kingdoms that dotted the geographical area defined by modern Nepal. The conquest of Kathmandu Valley, which took a total of ten years of planning, siege and diplomacy, was the highlight of his conquests (1769). The work begun by King Prithvi Narayan was continued by his descendants. At the greatest extent the Nepali (then known as the Gorkhali) Empire covered an area that was at least a third more than its present confines.

Nepal, the nation-state of dismissed governments.
Nepal, the world's only Hindu monarchy, was controlled by a hereditary prime ministership until 1951. The nation's first election was held in 1959, but in 1960, King Mahendra dismissed the cabinet, dissolved parliament, and banned political parties.
A 1962 constitution created a nonparty panchayat (council) system of government.
After a 1980 referendum approved a modified version of the panchayat system, direct parliamentary elections were held in 1981.
A dispute with India led to India's closing of most border crossings from March 1989 to July 1990, and the resultant economic crisis fueled demands for political reform. After months of violence, King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev dissolved parliament. The opposition formed an interim government in April 1990, and a new constitution creating a constitutional monarchy and a bicameral legislature became effective on 9 Nov. 1990. Multiparty legislative elections held in May 1991 were won by the centrist Nepali Congress party; the Communists became the leading opposition party.
Mid-term elections in November 1994, which were called after the government lost a parliamentary vote, resulted in a hung parliament and the communists, who emerged as the single largest party, formed a minority government.

In January 2005 Nepal's King Gyanendra sacked Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, dismissed the country's government, assumed power himself and declared a state of emergency. (Source: Grolier's Encyclopedia and other sources)

History of Nepal
From the time of the Aheer until today Nepal, brief Nepalese history by the Royal Nepal Embassy.
History
From Ancient to Modern Nepal.
A Brief History of Nepal
A chronology of important events.
The Shah Kings of Nepal
Biography of the Nepal Kings.
 
Tempel Area

Issues Nepal

Democratic Movement
NepalDemocracy.org
Provides information on Nepali politics, government and civil society.

Nepali Maoists
The People's War in Nepal
Revolutionary Worker Online with Maoist Rebels' View of The People's War in Nepal.


 
 

Search

The Nepal Home Page Directory
Part of InfoNepal.
NetNepali
Nepal Web Directory.

Additional Information on Nepal

Open Directory Project: Nepal
Wikipedia: Nepal
The World Factbook -- Nepal
 
Travel Links
 Top Travel Destinations
 Maps of the World
 International Airlines
 
Popular Country Pages

Australia
Bhutan
Cape Verde
French Polynesia
Puerto Rico
Saint Lucia
Switzerland
US Virgin Islands

Updated Country Profiles
 Cambodia
 Ethiopia
 Seychelles
 Myanmar
 

Your comments and suggestions for this page:
Just type and submit, if you would like to get an answer, please include your email address:


  Writing about this country:
If you're interested in writing about this country for One World - Nations Online, submit your article.
  If you have relevant information about this country, please send us your comment
  If you know a site, that should be listed here, please suggest it.
  If you don't find what you are looking for please send me a request.

 
In Association with Amazon.com
Upgrade your knowledge, read a book!
search books by keywords:

 Google
Web nationsonline.org  
Support UNICEF Valid HTML 4.01!
Valid CSS
Countries in South Central Asia:
AfghanistanBangladesh | Bhutan | India | Iran | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan
Maldives | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | TajikistanTurkmenistan | Uzbekistan

Countries of the World: A - C | D - G | H - L | M - P | Q - T | U - Z
Continents: Africa | The Americas | Asia | Australia/Oceania | Europe
The Nepal page was last modified on: Thursday, 03-Jan-2008 10:48:28 CET


One World - Nations Online .:. let's care for this planet
Made to improve cross-cultural understanding and global awareness.
Site Map | Information Sources | Advertise with OWNO | Disclaimer: Privacy Policy, etc.
Contact: info@nationsonline.org | Copyright © 1998-2008 :: nationsonline.org