Nepal

Basic Information

Major mountain peaks

• Sagarmatha (Everest) (8,848 m., rock height 8,844 m.)
• Kanchanjunga (8,586 m)
• Lhotse (8,516 m)
• Makalu (8,462 m)
• Cho Oyu (8,201 m)
• Dhawalagiri (8,167 m)

Selected international agreements and conventions related to climate and environment

Economy

Major agricultural products
Paddy, maize, sugarcane, wheat, barley, millet, potato, tobacco, oil seed

Major industries
Agricultural & forestry, manufacturing, mining & quarrying, electrical, vegetable oil, garments, cigarette, wollen carpets, beer

Geography / Geopolitics
Altitude range
Lowest point: 70 m (Kanchan Kalan)
Highest point: 8,848 m (Sagarmatha)

Major agro-climatic zones
High Himal, Mid Hills and Terai

Climate 
Nepal’s weather is generally predictable and pleasant. There are four main climatic seasons:
(a) Spring : March-May
(b) Summer : June-August
(c) Autumn : September-November
(d) Winter : December-February.
The monsoon is approximately from the end of June to the middle of September. About 80 percent of the rain falls during the monsoon and the remainder of the year is relatively dry. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons; winter temperature drop to freezing and below with a high level of snowfall in the mountains. Summer and late spring temperatures range from 28ºC in the hill regions to more than 40ºC in the Terai. In winter, average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai range from a 7ºC to a mild 23ºC. The central valleys experience a minimum temperature often falling bellow freezing point and a chilly 12ºC maximum. Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations. The Kathmandu Valley, at an altitude of 1300m (4297ft), has a mild climate, ranging from 19-27ºC in summer, to 2-20ºC in winter. 

Natural hazards 
Severe thunderstorms, flooding, landslides, drought, and famine depending on the timing, intensity, and duration of the summer monsoon

Major environmental issues
Deforestation (overuse of wood for fuel and lack of alternatives); contaminated water (with human and animal waste, agricultural runoff, and industrial effluent); wildlife conservation; vehicular emissions

Culture

Major ethnic groups
Chhetri, Brahmin, Magar, Tharu, Tamang, Newar, Muslim, Kami, Yadav, Rai, Gurung, Damai, Limbu, Thakuri
Perched on the southern slopes of the Himalayan Mountains, the Kingdom of Nepal is ethnically diverse. The Nepalese are descendants of three major migrations. These migrations have taken place from India, Tibet, and Central Asia. Among the earliest inhabitants were the Newar of the Kathmandu Valley and aboriginal Tharu in the southern Terai region. The ancestors of the Brahman and Chhetri caste groups came from India, while other ethnic groups trace their origins to Central Asia and Tibet, including the Gurung and Magar in the west, Rai and Limbu in the east, and Sherpa and Bhotia in the north.

In the Terai, which is a part of the Ganges basin, much of the population is physically and culturally similar to the Indo-Aryan people of northern India. People of Indo-Aryan and Mongoloid stock live in the hill region. The mountainous highlands are sparsely populated. Kathmandu Valley, in the mid hill region, constitutes a small fraction of the nation's area but is the most densely populated, with almost 5% of the population.

Nepal's 2001 census enumerated 103 distinct caste/ethnic groups including unidentified. The caste system of Nepal is rooted in the Hindu religion while the ethnic system is rooted in mutually exclusive origin myths, historical mutual seclusion and the occasional state intervention.

Major religions
Hindu, Buddhist, Islam, Kirat, Christian 

Major languages
Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Nepal Bhasa, Magar, Awadhi, Sherpa, Kiranti, Bantawa, Gurung, Limbu, Bajjika, and other 100 different indigenous languages.

Major festivals
Dashain, Tihar, Lhoshar, Eid