| GEOGRAPHY
The
Kingdom of Nepal covers an area of 147,181 square kilometers, and
stretches 145-241 kilometers north to south and 850 kilometers west
to east. The country is located between India in the south and China
in the north. At latitudes 26 and 30 degrees north and longitudes
80 and 88 degrees east, Nepal is topographically divided into three
regions the Himalaya to the north, the hills consisting of the Mahabharat
range and the Churia Hills in the middle, and the Terai to the south.
Elevations are varied in the kingdom. The highest point is Mt. Everest
(8848 m) in the north and the lowest point (70 meters above sea
level) is located at
Kechana
Kalan of Jhapa District. Altitude increases as you travel south
to north To the north temperatures are below -40 degrees celsius
and in the Terai, temperatures rise to 40 degrees celsius in the
summer. During June, July and August, the kingdom is influenced
by monsoon clouds.
The
Himalaya The Himalayan range makes up the northern border of the
country and represents 16% of the total land area of Nepal. Peaks
like Mt. Everest (8848 m), Kanchenjunga (8598 m), and Dhaulagiri
(8137 m) are found here and sparse vegetation is found up to 4,500
m. Some of Nepal's most beautiful animal and plant life are also
found here. Although rare, the snow leopard and Danphe bird are
much talked-about sights among visitors. The people in this region
produce and sell cheese besides working as porters and guides. Many
also trade with Tibet and travel across the border to sell their
goods.
The
hills This region covers 65% of the total land area of the country.
Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal is located here. Elevations range
from 500 to 3,000 m above sea level. During summer the temperature
reaches an average of 32 degrees celsius. Winters are cold, temperature
sometimes reaches -1 degree Celsius. Areas in the eastern hills
receive more rainfall because of the monsoon clouds which come from
the south-east. The rivers in the west which do not receive much
rainfall are dependent upon the melted snow that flow down the Himalaya.
Wild animals to be found here are the spotted leopard, barking deer,
and Himalayan black bear. The hilly region is also popular for different
kinds of birds. Over four hundred species of birds are found here.
The people in this region have gained from the growth in the tourism
industry. The people here work as trekking guides and porters and
also sell garments and carpets to add to their income.
Terai
The Terai covers 17% of the total land area of Nepal. It provides
excellent farming land and the average elevation of flatlands is
100 to 300 m above sea-level. In the Sub-tropical forest areas of
Terai are found, marshes and wildlife which include the Royal Bengal
tiger, one horned rhino, and the gharial crocodile etc. After the
eradication of malaria in the 1960s, many people migrated to the
Terai in search of farming land. Today, about 48% of the country's
population occupy this region. Flat farmlands and the region's flexible
topography have given rise to many industries. The main industrial
towns are Biratnagar, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Birgunj, and Janakpur.
Calcutta, a metropolitan city in India is the closest sea-port.
It lies 1,000 kilometers away from Birgunj.
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