Geography of Nepal

Nepal is located in Southern Asia between India and China. . With the population of 22 million and the land area of 147,181 sq km, Nepal is fairly a small country compared to its neighbors but richest in terms of bio-diversity due to its unique geographical position. Its altitude at sea level varies from a mere 60m in the southern terai region to the highest point on Earth, Mt Everest at 8,848m, and all this within a distance of only 150km. A landlocked country, surrounded by India on three sides and by Tibet to the north, its shape is roughly rectangular, about 800 kilometers long and about 100 to 200 kilometers wide. 80% of its territory is composed of Himalayas and it contains eight of world’s 10 highest peaks. Nepal is a 'MUST VISIT" place for all foreigners.

Nepal is divided into three physiographic areas: the Himalayan Region, the Hill Region, and the Tarai Region: The Himalayan Region is located in the northern section of Nepal and makes up 16% of the total area of Nepal. Eight of the ten highest peaks in the world like Mount Everest( 8848 m), Kanchenjunga (8598m) and Dhaulagiri (8137m) are located here. Some of the Nepal’s most beautiful animal and plant life are also found here. Most of the area is covered with snow and thus is sparsely populated. The central section comprises of the hill region which covers 65% of the total land area of the country. Here rests the Kathmandu Valley and other historic cities. During summer the temperature reaches an average of 32 degrees Celcius and during winter the weather is cold, temperature even reaching 1 degree Celcius. People in the hill region have gained from the growth in the tourism industry. Terai covers 17% of the total land area of Nepal. Terai is the breadbasket of Nepal where most of the land is used for agriculture production. The region’s flexible topography and flat farmlands have also given rise to many industries here.
Nepal is divided into 14 zones and 75 districts, grouped into 5 development regions.

Climate:
It is difficult to generalize the climate and best time to visit Nepal due to variation in altitude.
Climate: varies from cool summers and severe winters in north to subtropical summers and mild winters in south
.October-November: the start of the dry season and also the best time of year due to pleasant weather; the air is clean, visibility is perfect and the country is lush following the monsoon.
February-April: the second-best period to visit Nepal: the end of dry season, visibility is not so good because of dust, but the weather is warm and many of Nepal's wonderful wild flowers bloom in this period.
December and January: the climate and visibility are good but the weather may not be suitable for trekking.
May and early June: generally too hot and dusty for comfort.
mid-June to September: poor visibility of mountains due to cloud and roads covered by mud