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Information about NepalNepal is a wonderful place for trekking and it is actually well-prepared to receive trekkers... Nepal at a Glance General Information Nepal is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position and altitude variation. The elevation of the country ranges from 60 meters above sea level to the highest point on earth, Mt.Everest at 8,848 meters, all within a distance of 150 kilometers resulting in climatic conditions from Sub-tropical to Arctic. Nepal occupying only 0.1% of the earth is home to: Area: 147,181 sq. kilometers ETHNIC DISTRIBUTION The Northern Himalayan People The Middle Hills and Valley People Ethnic Diversity in the Kathmandu Valley The Terai People POPULATION OF MAJOR ETHNIC GROUPS Nepali art has been deeply influenced by religion since very early times. Early art of Nepal can be seen as stone sculpture and temple architecture. Other art include Newari Paubha and Tibetan Thanka paintings, wood and metal crafts, ceramics and clay pots, textiles, paper, Tibetan carpet, music and literature. Contemporary Nepali art represents two distinct segments, traditional idealistic paintings and the contemporary western style works. The contemporary painting is specially noted for either nature based compositions or compositions based on Tantric elements or social themes. Nepali painters have also earned international reputation for abstract works based on these themes. Kathmandu Valley houses a number of museums and art galleries displaying art work of the past and present. Some are: The National Museum at Chhauni, Museums at Kathmandu Durbar Square, Museum of Natural History at Swayambhu, National Library at Puchowk, Kaiser Library at Thamel, National Birendra Art Gallery at Naxal, Asa Archives at Tangal, National Art Gallery at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, National Woodworking Museum at Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bronze and Brass Museum at Bhaktapur, Nepal National Ehnographic Museum at Bhrikuti Mandap. Museums outside the Kathmandu Valley are such: Dhakuta Museum, Hattisar Museum in Bhimphedi, Mustang Eco Museum in Jomsom, Tharu Cultural Museum in Thakurdwara and International Mountain Museum in Pokhara. Commerce has been a major occupation in Nepal since early times. Being situated at the crossroads of the ancient trans-Himalayan trade route, trading is second nature to the Nepali people. Foreign trade is characterized mainly by import of manufactured products and export of agricultural raw materials. Nepal imports manufactured goods and petroleum products worth about US$ 1 billion annually. The value of exports is about US$ 315 million. Carpets are Nepal's largest export, earning the country over US$ 135 million per year. Garment exports account for more than US$ 74 million and handicraft goods bring in about US$ 1 million. Other important exports are pulses, hides and skins, jute and medicinal herbs. Manufacturing is still at the developmental stage and it represents less than 10 percent of the GDP. Major industries are carpets, garments, textiles, leather products, paper and cement. Other products made in Nepal are steel utensils, cigarettes, beverages and sugar. There are many modern large-scale factories but the majority are cottage or small scale operations. Most of Nepal's industries are based in the Kathmandu Valley and a string of small towns in the southern Terai plains. Eight out of 10 Nepalese are engaged in farming and it accounts for more than 40 percent of the GDP. Rolling fields and neat terraces can be seen all over the Terai flatlands and the hills of Nepal. Even in the highly urbanized Kathmandu Valley, large tracts of land outside the city areas are devoted to farming. Rice is the staple diet in Nepal and around three million tons are produced annually. Other major crops are maize, wheat, millet and barley. Besides food grains, cash crops like sugarcane, oil seeds, tobacco, jute and tea are also cultivated in large quantities. Nepal is a developing country with an agricultural economy. In recent years, the country's efforts to expand into manufacturing industries and other technological sectors have achieved much progress. Farming is the main economic activity followed by manufacturing, trade and tourism. The chief sources of foreign currency earnings are merchandise export, services, tourism and Gurkha remittances. The annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about US$ 4.3 billion. Kathmandu the capital of Nepal with an area of 218 sq. miles is situated at an altitude of 1336 meters above sea level. An extraordinary richness of culture developed during centuries of isolation has endowed the ancient cities of Kathmandu valley with a legacy of temples, shrine and places of magnificent form and unequaled craftsmanship. The valley has often been described as an open-air gallery. Thousands of shrines in brick, stone, metal and wood are scattered throughout the valley. It is beleved that Kathmandu valley stood as a huge lake centuries ago, there are many interesting legends regarding the origin of the valley. Chitwan It is situated in subtropical inner lowlands of the inner terai, the Chitwan dun, which covers an area of 932 sq. km. The park is a home for more than 300 of the endangered Asian one horned rhinoceros and a huge number of royal Bengal tiger, Gharial, Crocodile, Gigantic Dolphin, Gaur, wild Elephant, four horned Antelope, striped Ghana, Pangolin, monitor Lizard and Python are some of the extra featured animals in the park. More than 400 species of birds are found in the park, among them are Peacock Woodpeckers, Hornbills, Bengal Florican and redheaded Trogons. More than 70% of the forest is covered by sal forest and grassland is with tall elephant grass, reverie forest covers rest of the area. Pokhara Pokhara valley is situated at an altitude of 827 meters above the sea level and is 200 km west of Kathmandu valley. It is linked with major highway and easily accessible by air. It is a combination of the long arrays of world famous snow clad peaks, emerald lakes, turbulent rivers with deep gorges and picturesque villages inhabited by Magars, Gurungs and Thakalis. Pokhara offers the magnificent views of Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Machhapuchere, five peaks of Annapurna and many more Himalayan ranges, which en source the famous Phewa, Begnas and Rupa lakes of Pokhara. Pokhara is also referred as the center of adventure. It is the starting point for most of the popular trekking & rafting destinations. The serenity of Phewa lake and the magnificent of Machhapuchere 6977 m (Annapurna range) rising behind it, creates an ambience of peace and magic. Nagarkot At the height of 2099 m above sea level, the hilltop is visited for viewing beautiful sunrises & sunsets & visitors take delight in the layout of the Katmandu valley below. On a clear day Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, Gauri Shankar, Everest can be seen from there. Of all the various activities participated in by visitors to Nepal, trekking is by far the most commonly undertaken. Nepal's wealth of scenery, her diverse flora and fauna and her complex mix of cultures make a perfect formula for traveling through the countryside on foot. Trekking can range in difficulty from an easy day walk on the edges of the Kathmandu Valley to a strenuous multi day expedition to remote corners of the country. It is not just a pastime for the supremely fit adventurer but can be enjoyed by all people who possess reasonable fitness and are willing to realize their limitations. The first trekkers were the mountaineers who, in the early 1950s were finally allowed access to the peaks of Nepal. The early explorers, such as Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman from the UK and Toni Hagen from Switzerland, established routes through areas that had never seen a foreigner. For the first ten years after the country was opened, foreign visitors were restricted to the great mountaineering expeditions and the pioneering explorers. During this time most of the main peaks were climbed and the fledging tourism industry in Nepal first took root. Trekking, as such, has been around in Nepal since the mid 1960s when it was first introduced by Colonel Jimmy Roberts, himself a Gurkha officer and mountaineer, when he established his company, Mountain Travel. Trekking has grown in leaps and bounds to where it is now the major activity associated with Nepal's tourism industry. Over the years, more and more areas have been opened for non-Nepali visitors and the original trekking agency, Mountain Travel, has now been joined by over five hundred operators, both large and small, all offering a wide range of services. In the early days trekkers were obliged to use tents for their accommodation and to take along large numbers of staff to support their trek. This style of trekking is still the norm in the more remote areas where there are few facilities for independent trekkers. The past decade, however, has seen the emergence of purpose built trekking teahouses along the most popular routes which has meant that trekkers can now opt to travel independently from teahouse to teahouse if they so choose. |
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