Total area: 54,363 sq km (140,800 sq mi)
Population (2009 est.): 28,563,377
Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Kathmandu - 1,203,100 (metro. area)
Other large cities: Biratnagar - 174,600; Lalitpur - 169,100
Currency: Nepalese rupee
Languages: Nepali 48% (official), Maithali 12%, Bhojpuri 7%, Tharu 6%, Tamang 5%
Religions: Hindu 81%, Buddhist 11%, Islam 4%, Kirant 4%
Time zone: GMT+5.45, Daylight Savings Time is not observed
Electricity: AC 220V/50Hz, European 2-pin plug and "old" British plug with 3 round pins are used
Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia, bordered to the north by China and to the south, east, and west by India. Nepal is famous for Himalaya - world's highest mountains, including the highest peak, Mount Everest. The country has been attracting travelers mostly with its stunning mountains and spectacular, one of a kind, scenery as well as rich cultural heritage.
Nepal is a uniquely diverse country in terms of terrain and geography. It is divided into several regions that run south-north as the elevation increases: Outer Terai - plains at the sounthern border with India, Siwalik Range - the lowest range of foothills (at about 600 m / 2,000 ft elevation), Inner Terai - large valleys north to the Siwalik, Mahabharat Range - a foothill range running west-east across the country, Middle Hills - north of the Mahabharat Range, elevation of up to about 2,000 m (6,500 ft), Kathmandu and Pokhara Valleys, Lekhs, Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya - peaks reaching about 6,000 m (20,000 ft), north of the Himalayas in central and western Nepal.
